Fell out of treestand...
 

Well I have been lucky so far I guess. I have been hunting in and out of treestands for 2 years now and have never used a safety harness before. I bought two new treestands this year that came with safety harnesses (gorilla), I actually thought about using one but thought it would be a hassle or poissibly clang a little the way the harness was made. Well.. yesturday morning I had just finished hanging a stand 28' in a tree. Wouldnt you know, i was stepping down from it after strapping it in and I slipped on the wet bark. I flung my hands out trying to grab anything and everything on my flight down. Took out a bunch of branches that semi-jersyed my jacket over my head. I was lucky though, I braced myself as much as possible to spring a little has I landed. I just layed there for a few minutes staring at the sky. and decided to try and get up. There was a bunch of branches laying ontop of me from my way down I had to get off. Managed to have a slightly bruised side with no broken bones and my life still intact.

Im sure theres gotta be a few guys out there that look atsome of the safety harnesses and think how much of a "hassle" they look like etc etc.. Anyways, I just bought the"Hunter Safety System Vest" and wont be going upany tree until it gets here.If its all the straps and everything that gets you deterred look into these vests, they got the clip on buckles rather then all the straps etc...

Im just glad I didnt smack my mellon on any of the tree steps and that. Would have been about a 15hr wait b4 anybody even would have started looking. Im on board now, sometimes it just takes things a little longer to sink into my skull.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I have the Hunter's Safety System vest as well, and it has already saved me from a 25 foot fall once.

THat right there made it worth the $$

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Your lucky to be here. Last year we had a hunter go out to put up some tree stands. Never came back. Found him 3 days later dead from a broken neck. When I was younger, I was immortal, but now that I'm a little older, I'm mortaland a heckuva lot smarter.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Always wear a harness you found out the hard way it could have been worse

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Very lucky ,Lesson learned

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I haven't fallen and hope I never do. I never wear a harness but I know I should... sooooo...
I had my wife sew my harness to a spare camo jacket I have.
No more hassle with trying to figure out how it goes on in the dark ;)

I guess maybe I should start wearing it now. Glad to hear you are alright Exocet

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I'm still looking for somthing that you can wear while going up and down the tree. A recent deer and deer hunting servay found that thats when most falls happen. I just wonder why no one makes somthing for that.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

It's posts like this that keep me from getting lazy - every once in a while I get tempted to leave the harness behind.

A little tip for those who have the antiquated 4-point harness that come with most stands today:

Mark the inside of the "X" on the harnessthat goes across your back. Reach for this part of the harness when picking it up and orient that X towards your back as if you were putting on a coat. The thing magically seems to fall into place. So simple, but saves some time in the morning when getting up that tree is foremost in your mind.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Glad you are ok.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I put an X on mine too. I find the X, put on the right shoulder strap to hold the harness up. Then do the waist strap and then put on the other shoulder strap. I then do the legs and thats it. A minute tops.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Yea, funny how it works...........I'd even venture to say that it knocks the time down to 15 seconds, at least on the Lone Wolf and Summit iterations of the 4-point harnesses.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

To whomever asked about a system to harness you while climbing go to summit.com. You can easily make this yourself.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Glad to hear your ok....one of my good buddies fell many years ago and broke his back.
He recoverd fully and is lucky he's not handicapped.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

the people that make the fall guy harnesses makes one call the fall guy 20ft retractor,,i think,,also check out summit i know they have one.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Thats basically why I decided to post my stupididty. I have read a few others that have fell and were lucky, I figure even if at least one other fellow hunter reads this and decides to use his vest thats good enough for me.

Good tip for them other straps, thats mainly why I shyed away.. Even after watching the video I tried getting all suited on properly and wasent amused. Maybe if I had of asked you guys some tips it would have saved me my bruises :)

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

hmmm, I wonder if my fall scared all the deer out of the county...

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

28 feet up in a tree? Man - harness or no harness - if I had to go 28 feet up in a tree to kill a deer, I think the deer would be safe from me!

I get 10 feet and start shaking. Once I'm set up I alway think I should be higher, but I can't convince myself to go. I guess I'm never going to get over this fear of heights thing.

...and to stick wth the topic - being terrified of heights, I always use a harness.

Jeez...I don't think this story has helped me any.

Glad your safe! But I'll bet your sore!

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Yhat's a great reason to get one of these.




or one of these

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I guess I need to consider wearing one--glad you're ok!

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

From 28 feet up you can't possibalbly do anything to "SPring" as you land. Your best bet would be to try and kiss your sweet AZZ goodbye. That's really all you can do. You were just one really REALLY lucky son of a gun. I have belts, vest, extra straps etc etc. I do whatever I have to to always be tied in in some way, even when stepping off the stand. On hang ons etc I always try to leave an old climbing belt behind that I can slip up through when getting on or off the stand until I can hook up my restraint system. I always push a rope a head of me with my climber.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

How many of you guys that don't wear safety belt like to trim some of the small trees from underneath the stand? You know the ones you cut at an angle and leave about two feet high. The perfect impalement tool.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

"I always push a rope a head of me with my climber. "

AMEN, BROTHER!

Wear 'em going up and down. This is the time they'r eneeded the MOST! Once I get my stand locked in and on the tree....I feel good about it (Mind you I'm ALWAYS strapped)....but going up and down is the time for accidents.

Wear the harness....for your family.

Jeff

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

My cousin is a nurse at a hospital here just outside Philly and she has 5-10 guys each archery season come in because they fall out of trees from not using safety harnesses. Its an absolute must. I use the Seat of the Pants harness from Summit. I love it. Its a full body harness. I climbed up about 4 feet and jumped off the stand to see how it handled.. Its awesome.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I just had a friend who fell 18' out of his homemade treestand. He shattered his right wrist and broke his left wrist. Plus his 4 year old son was still in the stand. To me, its not worth the risk of seriously injuring yourself. I have on occassion forgotten my harness and I never go above 8'. Its better to be safe then sorry. I hope I never have to use them, but if I do, its worth the hassle of using them.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I have not fallen but I jumped from the tree once in my excitement at arrowing an 8 point. I started down the steps and just let go. I fell about 12 feet. I was not hurt because of youth but would not want to repeat it 21 years later. I once hung a stand about 4 feet on a tree in my backyard and hooked up the safety belt, just to get aquainted with everything. When I was done I jumped off the stand, forgetting about the strap. Funny as hell was me swinging around the tree, bashing off the trunk and swinging helplessly, getting all beat up, back and forth...OUCH!

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Thats all I use, they take sometime getting used to but well worth the practice. I can simply pick mine up and slip it on wiht out worrying about if its twisted or tangled. Its becom a second nature.These kinds are now comming with Quick Release Clips designed for climbing. I use it all the time in my climber and while hanging stands.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Your a lucky man! I climb trees for a living and I had a tendency not to bring my wanna be harness that came with my Lone Wolf stand unless I was hunting all day.I have a slight case of the nods on all day hunts. But today I went and got a Hunters Safty System harness. It's the real deal, nice and easy to put on and take off! I love it except for that noisymetal buckle on the tree strap but I replaced it with the strap from my other harness whichhas a much quieterplastic buckle. Now I have complete confidence in my safty! I'm set.;)

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

Seat-O- Pants by Summit makes their saftey harness with a linemans rope system that you can use while you climb. This is one of the most comfortable harnesses you can have on if you ever fall.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

You are lucky my friend!

I use my harness that came as part of my Summit stand. One time I ascended into my stand without my harness on as we were doing a drive and I was posting. I figured why bother with a safety harness when I would be in the stand of less than 45 minutes. Thankfully, I never fell but let me tell you...I was very nervous in the stand without the safety harness on me. I just didn't feel comfortable or confident in my position without the harness. I use it all the time now. haha...in fact I used it last Thursday when climbing on my roof to clean my wood stove chimney!

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I get a kick out of the psychological impact of wearing a harness. If I am in a hang on stand and fairly high, I stand with my toes on the edge and never grab on all day. If I don't have the harness on, I find myself holding on to the tree all day. That in itself is reason enough to wear one...CONFIDENCE. (The safety issue is a good reason too, do it for your family)

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I look the same way at the saftey systems that are all straps, and that they are just to much of a hasil. i am looking into getting a hunters saftey system.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I'm happy that your OK, but.....

Geeez. That far up without a harness is asking for trouble. I was just in one of my stands today for the sole purpose of having a buddy fine tune my shooting lanes. I had no strap, and felt naked up there (20+ ft.). Just like I feel in a car without my seatbelt on. I couldn't wait to get down. Sometimes it takes something like this to make people see the light. I have a friend that's been in a wheelchair for almost 20 years now because he fell out of his stand one morning. Again, glad your ok man.

The Trashcanman

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

glad you're still with us...you're a lucky guy!!

harnesses can be a pain the butt, especially when you're climbin' up or down but it's waaaay worth it....hope your mishap will wake the nonbelievers up.

RE: Fell out of treestand...
 

I don't know how much I'd trust that one. Hard to believe any one who reads this forum doesn't wear a harness. Just think how much of a hassle that wheel chair is gnna be[&o]