I fell 35 ft out of a stand 3 yrs ago. Im one of those that though i was invincable and would never fall out of a stand but i'll tell you it happens in the blink of an eye and once you're falling there is no grabbing tree limbs or anything to brake your fall it just happens too fast.
I got banged up pretty good but was very fortunate, i had about 8 fractures throughout my body and was out of work for 3 months but im just thankful im not paralized or dead, i must have a meaning left in life i just haven't figured out what it is yet.
I was in a tree lounge climber which i thought was supposed to be the safest climber on the market [:'(] and i had just climbed up the tree and got to where i normally sit in the tree and bounced a couple times to lock the stand into the tree, then stood up on the foot climber getting ready to swing around like you have to do to get in the sitting position and the stand just slipped loose from the tree and hit the foot climber and just instantly threw me out of the stand before i could even realize what had happened. It's a bad, helpless feeling that i would never want anyone to experience so i would advise everyone to invest in a decent harness that is easy to put on so you won't get aggravated with them and not use it cause falling out of a tree sucks!!!!!

I cannot really comprehend NOT using a safety harness. Even when I was young & invinceable I used one.

How much $ do you want robby?

Brownbow...I live in Champaign, IL....I have a extra full body harness you can have that came wit hmy Gorilla Climbing stand...OR BassPro shops has the Hunter Safety System Tree Stalker vest on sale on online purchase's for $59.00

Guys, all of you who don't have safety harnesses because they are a little expensive, Im asking you to check EBay. People get these harnesses with their tress stands and most don't need them because they already have one. You can get a full body harness for around $15-$20 including shipping and handling. Please take a look if you need one. $15 is a drop in the bucket with what would happen if you fell.

Don't use one...........no trees in miles and it would really hinder my hunting. Hunting the wheat fields of the prairie I can't even imagine climbing up a tree to hunt...let alone a harness.

After a bad accident a few years ago --i am believer.
The "funny" thing was i wore a safety religiously while in a tree but I took it off to descend with my climbing stand. --I got away with it houndreds of times .One evening while coming down the platform didnt bite and i lost hold of the handclimber/seat.The platform eventually dug back into the tree but when it did I was hanging upside down with my feet still strapped to it. That evening I broke all the rules--left my cell phone in the truck--was alone--and no one knew where i was hunting. One other hunted the other side but later i found he left early that day.
No matter how hard i tried i could not get myself right side up and the more i tried the more the pain in my ankles and knee increased.It was dark,cold,I was scaredand the pain was getting worse. Panic started to set in --i realized i was alone andwould hang there all night untill someone found me or i had to figure away out.After awhile the pain in my ankles and knee just became unbearable and I decided i couldnt hang there any longer. I tried to figure out how high i was and knowing there was no stumps/logs belowIfigured cutting my feet free was about the only thing I could do. I Thought it out --had fear of landing on my head,breaking my back or neckor on the knife. The pain became unbearable and I finnally got brave (or stupid) enough and cut the straps holding my feet to the stand.I tossed the knife and tried to stay kind of tucked up . I landed kind of on the back side of my shoulder. Hitting the ground was quite a thud but a relief in the same. I laid there abit and not believing what had happened and that i was not in worse shape.--my knee and ankles and shoulder hurt but nothing else. I sat up and decided to get out of there and after about an hour and 800 yrds of limping/crawling i was at my truck.
Final damage--2 broken ankels with ligament and tendon damage, severe bone bruise in knee joint and bruised shoulder/rotator cuff and 6 months off work.
Still all in all i feel i was extremly lucky .It could have been so much worse--guess someone was watching over me that evening.
Made me a believer . I will now not hunt without a full harness. I always make sure and I have my cell phone.
I did give up the climbing stands though(I really miss using them). Not that it was the stands fault or that I dont trust it but once was enoughan did it could happen twice it would happen to me.

It would REALLY hinder your hunting if you were confined to a wheel chair

I fell only 15' landing on my back. It was the worst. I was out of commisision for several weeks. I ALWAYS wear a harness now. My boys, 7 and 9 at the time, witnessed it. They prefer ground blinds!

A kid at a camp near me fell 30 from a tree and died. This wasn't hunting related. He was just climbing. I got my HSS and I will use it with my climber all the time. Life is too important.