Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

For all of those out there who use climbing stands--if you buy a good climbing stand and wear a safety harness, is there any possibility of getting hurt?

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

If you use some common sense and follow the stand builders recommendations, there is very little possiblity of getting injured while using a climber. It isn't hard to attacha climber to the tree, and as soon as you climb aboard, and before you begin ascending the tree, simply attach your safety harness and move it up the tree as you go. After you use a climber a few times, it becomes very easy to set up quickly and quietly, and ascend a tree quickly and quietly, and safely. Climb only trees that are alive and large enough to support your extra weight! There's no more chance, maybe less chance, of an accident with a climber compared to a fixed postion stand!

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

Just remember to tie your top and bottom together. Bad deal if your bottom falls to the ground.

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

thats a great point saltflat. if possible use a tree that the climber can dig into. Used the right way, a climber is a lot safer that a fixed position stand. ( no transfer from stand to ladder)

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

Follow the directions and wear the harness and use common sense and you should be fine, Oh yeah do not climb any slick bark trees or shag bark Hickorys

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

Use the Harness Type not the Waist Type and always wear it and keep it on, no exceptions!

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

Yes...while I was hunting with Strut from Missouri he noticed I did not have the correct knot in the rope that goes around the tree. Therefore I would of still fell about 3 feet before the harness could catch me resulting in serious injury.
Other than that I feel pretty safe up there.

PS I forget the name of the knot but it is the adjustable knot that takes out the slack

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

prussic knot??? maybe just a guess

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

That's the knot. When it came it the package I was thinking ..why the fancy knot?? ;)Now I know. It's a fancy slip knot to keep one from falling before the harness does it's job. I also must give a thumbs up. I exceed the weight specifications and still feel very safe and comfortable in that. No I'm not fat...just big boned.:)

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

People were not built to climb trees so naturally, there is a chance of getting hurt. There is no amount of safety equipment that will 100% prevent an accident.

All you can do is buy good equipment that fits "you" and follow the instructions. Throw in a little big of common sense and you will greatly reduce the chances of getting hurt.

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

great advice, i'll only add a little, first if you buy one get a sit and stand climber, hand climbers are great but they will fatigue you very quickly, even if you have great upper body strenght, i took a spill with one, luckily i was only 8-10' up, i was in a hurry and in the dark and chose the wrong type of tree ( a scaley bark hickory) next, make sure you buy a quality stand, you can ask some of the ole timers about things like a "baker death trap"it dosen't have to be the highest priced model, but if you find one you like ask questions about it here, there is avery good chance someone on this site has had experience with the climber your considering, last thing, get with someone who has some experince with a portable climber, you will be time and safety ahead of a bunch of us that had to learn the hard way, and always, always, always wear a good safety restraint device like a seat-of-the-pants harness, i would rather you maintain you current lifestyle than go to your funeral or spoon feed you for the rest of your life, you owe it to your friends and family to do the right thing, never leave home w/o it, if you do hunt from the ground;)

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

Amen Keith,
I always wear mine ..although it barely fits.:(

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

Buy the lightest stand you can afford that meets your needs. Your chances of an accident increase significantly if you're all tired from lugging it around.

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

once your in the tree, keep your movement to a minimum, and keep your weight out away from the tree.good luck and be safe.

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

Make sure there are no dead branches above you. Trouble if it gets to windy.[:o]

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

Pick a good tree that is alive and away from dead trees.Heavy winds can bring down some big dead branches.

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

a instructor in my hunter safety class keeps reminded us to use full-body harness when climbing. He also mentioned to have a big whisle and/or cellphone/walkie talkie in the pocket, just in case you slip and get hung on the tree, you could get some help.

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

All posts tell it all. Read and follow the instructions provided...they provide safety instructions for a reason! Go it slow and always practice safety. Make certain your lower stand is attached to your upper section, make certain your cables are not defective, make sure you pick a healthy tree, etc. Even when I hunt one spot where I only go up about 8 feet off the ground, I have my full body harness on! Just like wearing a seatbelt in a car...you need to use it all the time and eventually it becomes a habit...A GOOD HABIT!

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

YES!!!!!!!!! I just had an incident last week when I was hunting. It was my fault but anyhow...make sure that your bottom part of your stand is somehow attached to your top half of your stand. Just take a piece of rope about 4' long and tie the pieces together. My accident happened when I was sitting in my stand and I noticed that if I stood up the bottom part is angled down therefore making it hard to stand. So like an idiot I tried to adjust my bottom part with my legs while still sitting in my stand and the bottom part slide all the way down the tree leaving me stuck at about 22 feet with just the top part to sit on. Make a long story short my gun broke and half and I have a few bruises from the incident but I'll live!

RE: Climbing Stand Safety Question
 

22 feet ..WOW 13 is tops for me. Seriously afraid of heights.
Chuck7

PS And the rope ya tie from seat to platform Tie a few extra knots... they somehow get untied sometimes. that to me is the most important. 2ndly gotta have that harness on.
Love my Summit;)