DaveH

or descending for that matter?

I know that I should, but I don't. I always attach it to the tree once I arrived at my hunting height and would feel vulnerable without it now. However, I often climb trees with limbs and obstructions most of the way up and don't want to waste time and make additional noise attaching and detaching the strap every few feet.

Am I alone in this, or are others taking this risk?

BTW--I've never fallen.

Rack-attack

I put the Harness to the tree as soon as I get on my stand (climber) - and don't take it off until I am back down -Period. I don't fool around with my life!!!!!!

The thing is a pain in the Arse, I fumble with it in the dark, in the light, on the ground and in the tree.............

But I owe it to myself, and the few people who love me, to make it home after a hunt.

If you do not use a good harness IMO you are a FOOL[], and a selfish one at that..............and I mean it!!

zak123

I always use it no matter what. I know that if I fall I could be paralyzed or I could die. Taking the 5 minutes needed to do my safety harness could save me from not hunting for the rest of my life. Sure they're a pain in the butt, but if you don't wear it you will have pain all over. Better safe than sorry.

Jason N

In my climber I use it on the way up, while there and on the way down.

In hang ons it depends on the situaion. It's terribly difficult to safely take a strap on and off a tree 6 or seven times due to limbs....if the tree has a limb or two then I'll use it.

mrfritz44

I do........most all falls occur during ascent or descent. I'd hate to be found dead wearing an unattached saftey vest

DaveH

No name calling now! [:@]

I also climb some multi-trunked trees AND some trees that are HUGE---way too large for any tree strap to circumnavigate until I'm at my hunting height. And the trees that have tons of obstructions on the way up still requires you to unattach the belt and then reattach it--plenty of time to fall while performing that task.

One the few times each year when I use my climber, I leave the strap attached top to bottom.

I'm not opposed to the idea--I KNOW it's absolutely the RIGHT thing to do. I just haven't been doing it consistently and I wondered if others were guilty of this.

mo_hunter

When I use my climber most of the time I climb up then attach my harness to the tree and then when done hunting I would climb down with my harness attached. But from now on I will attach when I get to my tree untill I get down. I have alot of stands that are hang on and it would be hard to climb up and down with a harness on but would if there was a easy way that didn't break the bank.

Fieldmouse

I only use it on climbs when it's wet or windy. I do it more from the jitters of my unplanned drop years ago. It wasn't the wetness, it was the other No-Nos though that caused it. During dry days I feel very comfortable on my Loggy shimming up the tree w/o it. I do attach myself in once I get to my lock on height or if I feel the need to as I near the lock on height. I'm attached before I start moving around and start locking the stand in place. I stay locked in until the descent. I prefer to do a kind of Firemans Slide back down and the strap would just be in the way.

timberjack82

I dont put mine on till I get up the tree, but I do wear it everytime I go hunting.

Martin Cougar

i too put mine on once I get to my desired height. Sometimes I'll keep it on for the climb down - especially on cold hunts or ones where I have sat for a really long time.