Can a prusic knot be used on any type of rope?? or does it have to be a specific type?? Thanks

For me this makes me wonder...
 

How long can one rely on a climbing stand before having to replace it? I have a Summit Viper and have used it for maybe 5 years. It seems to be working great, but usually when warranties expire, they do so for a reason...

you never know when it will happen. It happened to me last year but i was luckier it snapped when iwas on the ladder trying to tighten the strap . it was stretching but when put tighter it snapped. scared the hell out of me as i stood there thinking what could have happened.

Suffolk, I believe the Prusic knot can be used with any type of rope, the issue of course being that the strength of the rope is sufficient to withstand the strain of a fall.

Chazspot, that's a good question. I recommend inspecting the stand each year. I have a Summit stand; if I were you I would be inspecting the cable for rust/corrosion. I don't know if it's carbon or stainless steel. Mine is a loaner that I keep around for the kids. From a 'that thing is really locked onto the tree' standpoint, I prefer the API system, but they all need to be inspected periodically.

It's a good idea to hang a rope and use a prussic knot,you just slid it up as you climb and it stays hooked up the whole time you are climbing up and down,works great with my summit seat of the pants harness

Yeah glad to hear that he is able to even consider hunting again. But a fall story from last year with a ladder stand. Another thing for hunters to think about. A guy I know was moving his ladder stand. it was on uneven ground and single side rails on the ladder. Unhooked the top and was coming down the ladder. The weight ended up buckling one side of the ladder and dumped him out. He ended up making his way back to his truck with a fractured leg and a couple vertibrates damaged. Ended up flying him to the hospital. He says he remembers everything up to the point of the help arriving and then he blacked out. Definitely important to not drop your guard at any moment and also to let someone know where you are or going to be.

I always use another ratchet strap on ladder stands about halfway up, really helps secure things up when you are taking them up or down.

In soft ground, I also fasten the ladder sections together. I once had a ladder come apart on me while climbing it - that was a complete surprise and luckily I didn't get hurt. I was pretty high up, but was able to keep hold of the bottom section and wedge it so I could climb down! The ground was soft enough that after 6 or so times of climbing it, the bottom got far enough in the ground to separate...

Basically, you need to plan on the primary fastener to the tree breaking, so that your backup will save your life.

My Chiropractor fell out of his stand a few years back and impaled his eye on a branch - now he's only got one good eye!

Be safe out there!

How about climber stands? Does anyone tie off to the tree as they climb?

sorry to hear about your buddy!
I think 2 common sence things can save your life when using a on a lockon or ladder stand:
1. Use a climbing rope with a prussick knot that allows you to be hooked on before you even leave the ground! I cant understand why people dont use these. The straps for your sticks could break just like the straps for your stand!

2. use a chain backup with a turnbuckle for your stand and dont leave the stand up too long(trees do grow ya know). Those nylon straps wont last forever and it seems like ive been reading alot of post with straps breaking! If you get strong enough hardware your stand will break before your chaiin!

I think the rope is the most important!

Can you explain to me how this would work with a ladder stand? I always hook myself to the ladder (up a few rungs) as I am climbing and I hook myself to the tree before sitting down. But if the stand were to pull away from the tree before I was hooked to the tree I would be in a world of hurt.