RE: broken mathews, almost fall to his death
I would say that most falls happen between the ground and when you are at stand height. Things like a limb breaking or a screw in step pulling out are more of a threat than falling asleep and tumbling out of a stand. This new system that protects you on the way up and down needs to be looked at by everyone. As we age I would say ladder stands make more sense. I use mostly lock on stands but have started to use climbing sticks instead of using tree steps. Having the harness with a lineman's belt helps to get the stand up. Climbing up on limbs is just a bad deal for me now.Now that it is off season for many of us I urge everyone to get a copy of the summit video that pertains to climbing safety. It could change your mind and save a life.