ManofTheFall

Today we hear so much about safety harnesses which is a good thing. I also want to put this out there, especially if you leave your stands out on your property all year. Replace old tree steps. If you have straps and ratchets they may both need replaced. Also metal screws and bolts on stands. They can easily rust and corrode over time and snap. One stand I took down today the bottom tree step snapped when I put my weight on it. So, please heed this warning and check everything.

Valentine

People who do not use ANY safety device usually are the one that falls.
No safety device will completely keep one in perfect safety, unless you know how to get down after you fall. And people are getting heavier and are more out of shape. It's no "trip in the park" after you find yourself even hanging in a harness. You have a short time to get down to the ground or back in the stand

People who hang stands up for months are just asking for one big problem. Most are not designed to hang for months. One is usually not trained to know when a stand has reached its "fall" point.

Using a tree stand can simply be dangerous, rather than used because a stand is seen as necessary. Using a tree stand isn't hunting, it's climbing. A different sort of experience.