how do you get into a ladder stand (heights issues)?
12-12-2010, 07:21 AM
#11
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 9
Wow I thought I was the only one who was afraid of the ladder stand I have been in it 3 or 4 times. I feel a lot safer in my climber. I think I have got it figured out. Because I am in full contact with the tree in the climber plus I am attached through out the climb by a harness I feel safer. In the ladder you are dependent on being in contact at 3 points with no harness attached until you reach the top and connect the harness to the tree. The transition from the ladder to the platform both ascending and descending are the scariest part.
12-12-2010, 07:49 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 575
To a degree I am in the same boat. I use a Big Game Stealth Deluxe ladder stand with a gun rest. I get up, lower the gun rest then turn around and sit down. Oddly, the gun rest wouldn't do much to keep me from falling if it came down to it, but gives me the confidence to turn and sit without worry.
12-12-2010, 09:01 AM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: central and east texas
Posts: 4,894
To a degree I am in the same boat. I use a Big Game Stealth Deluxe ladder stand with a gun rest. I get up, lower the gun rest then turn around and sit down. Oddly, the gun rest wouldn't do much to keep me from falling if it came down to it, but gives me the confidence to turn and sit without worry.
true that..i found that going up and hangin my bow....then comin down to get my bag and goin up and puttin it up on stand, and then climbing in with-out holdin anything, makes me lighter, more maneuverable and alot more confident than being loaded down. definitely a rope holdin all that is nice, but when you never been there, and somebody didnt think of that for you..gotta improvise.
12-12-2010, 09:57 AM
#14
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 25,116
I wouldn't climb one for 100.00 I hate them..NOW I don';t mind climbing and using ones I built..but those store bought ones to me are to flimsy..I love my Summit ....I have 2 of them.
The other day I climbed almost to the top..and reallized I;'ll never get turned around..so I said to myself..I don't care if the other hunter thinks I'm a sissy or not..I'm coming down.It wasn't our stand anyways..we just stimbled upon it. so it wasn't right anyways
The other day I climbed almost to the top..and reallized I;'ll never get turned around..so I said to myself..I don't care if the other hunter thinks I'm a sissy or not..I'm coming down.It wasn't our stand anyways..we just stimbled upon it. so it wasn't right anyways
12-12-2010, 10:19 AM
#15
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: southwestern va
Posts: 753
ok guys thanks for the replies, makes me feel better im not the only one in the boat. If id had a harness with me i might would have risked it but i didnt and nobody told me to bring one.....ive been in this situation hunting with new people several times and it seems to be kind of a prevalent attitude that its "only a ladder stand" and its no big deal...but im usually the biggest guy there, i think if i was a little smaller then scampering up there might not scare me as much. Im going to look into some of these new harnesses and start throwing one in my pack.
oh i did see one cool thing on my youtube search, i think one of you alluded to it in your post, but its a 22' ladder stand by summit with a trap door feature, you climb right up thru the stand and raise the foot platform and climb thru, you are enclosed by the shooting bar and you spin around and sit down and put the foot platform down, very slick.
oh i did see one cool thing on my youtube search, i think one of you alluded to it in your post, but its a 22' ladder stand by summit with a trap door feature, you climb right up thru the stand and raise the foot platform and climb thru, you are enclosed by the shooting bar and you spin around and sit down and put the foot platform down, very slick.
12-12-2010, 11:55 AM
#16
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 25,116
A harness does little good..as you can't use it until your up to the top.unlike the climber..I had a harness on me..I still wouldn't risk it..
The first 15 foot you can't use the harness anyways....then we are to stand up on top ..wrap the rope around the tree..shaking like a leaf I'm sure..no sir,,,just an accident awaiting to happen as far as I'm concerned..I'm too big , fat and old to take such chances...PLUS..you are very limited on positions you can actually shoot..then we got to turn around...untie the rope..and pray to God the metal doesn't bend..LOL not for me ever..
The first 15 foot you can't use the harness anyways....then we are to stand up on top ..wrap the rope around the tree..shaking like a leaf I'm sure..no sir,,,just an accident awaiting to happen as far as I'm concerned..I'm too big , fat and old to take such chances...PLUS..you are very limited on positions you can actually shoot..then we got to turn around...untie the rope..and pray to God the metal doesn't bend..LOL not for me ever..
12-12-2010, 01:12 PM
#17
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 70
Incorrect Chuck. With the proper gear you can use a harness while climbing. But most hunting suppliers do not sell or advertise belay or fall arrest gear designed for use unless you are already sitting down.
It is called a ladder climbing devise. It attaches to the bottom rung of the ladder and is a wire that is stretched tight to the top rung. You are attached to the wire using camming system that slides freely going up, but stops you cold if you descend at faster than two feet per second. Take one step up and fall and it stops you in less than a quarter of an inch. If you are worried about falling while setting the stand up, then all you have to do is take a rope toss it over a sturdy branch (Minimum of 8 inches thick for someone less than 300 pounds, there are other things to do if you don't have a branch that big, but we will cover that when someone asks), bring it down, tie a figure eight to your harness. Take a shorter length of rope tie a double half hitch around another tree at an angle (double half hitch is obviously tied near the ground on the trunk of the tree), and in the end of the rope tie another figure eight, pick up a self belay beaner from any one of a thousand climbing websites and use the figure eight in the tree on the ground, run your free end from the top rope through the belay beaner and pull it tight, tie another figure eight to the figure eight that is already tied to your harness then climb. It will allow you to climb and descend as normal, but if you fall it will stop you. Or you can set up with someone there to belay for you, That makes it so you only have to tie one knot.
Then if you are really big and out of shape, you could even go so far as to set up counter weights so you don't have to do all the work yourself, but that is another lesson for another time
Trust me they are worth it even when you aren't out of shape.
Edit: Sorry for the late info.
Using the above advice, you can set your anchor points on the tree while you are setting up for the first time, so you are 100% tied off the whole time. Go out to your stand before the buttcrack of dawn and hook to the ladder climbing device. Climb to the seat and tie off to your anchor point before unhooking from the ladder climbing device, then unhook from the ladder. No shaking like a leaf in the wind involved, no risk of falling, no risk of death, and ya can use any type of stand ya want without being scared.
It is called a ladder climbing devise. It attaches to the bottom rung of the ladder and is a wire that is stretched tight to the top rung. You are attached to the wire using camming system that slides freely going up, but stops you cold if you descend at faster than two feet per second. Take one step up and fall and it stops you in less than a quarter of an inch. If you are worried about falling while setting the stand up, then all you have to do is take a rope toss it over a sturdy branch (Minimum of 8 inches thick for someone less than 300 pounds, there are other things to do if you don't have a branch that big, but we will cover that when someone asks), bring it down, tie a figure eight to your harness. Take a shorter length of rope tie a double half hitch around another tree at an angle (double half hitch is obviously tied near the ground on the trunk of the tree), and in the end of the rope tie another figure eight, pick up a self belay beaner from any one of a thousand climbing websites and use the figure eight in the tree on the ground, run your free end from the top rope through the belay beaner and pull it tight, tie another figure eight to the figure eight that is already tied to your harness then climb. It will allow you to climb and descend as normal, but if you fall it will stop you. Or you can set up with someone there to belay for you, That makes it so you only have to tie one knot.
Then if you are really big and out of shape, you could even go so far as to set up counter weights so you don't have to do all the work yourself, but that is another lesson for another time
Trust me they are worth it even when you aren't out of shape.Edit: Sorry for the late info.
Using the above advice, you can set your anchor points on the tree while you are setting up for the first time, so you are 100% tied off the whole time. Go out to your stand before the buttcrack of dawn and hook to the ladder climbing device. Climb to the seat and tie off to your anchor point before unhooking from the ladder climbing device, then unhook from the ladder. No shaking like a leaf in the wind involved, no risk of falling, no risk of death, and ya can use any type of stand ya want without being scared.
Last edited by M92; 12-12-2010 at 01:24 PM.
12-12-2010, 01:18 PM
#18
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
get the biggest platform you can....not one of those 12"x10" you want a 24"x30" type platform...
ps- I can't believe how many people are afraid of heights, or who are claustrophobic?
be scared of something scary, like killer snakes! haha.
ps- I can't believe how many people are afraid of heights, or who are claustrophobic?
be scared of something scary, like killer snakes! haha.
12-12-2010, 01:29 PM
#19
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 70
People are scared of what they are scared of. Poking fun at them isnt going to help em any. Doing so not only makes you look like an *******, but it also makes you look ignorant. Please shut the hell up.
Something like 90% of the U.S. population is afraid of heights. Most don't know they are, even more wont admit they are. Being nervous at heights is completely natural. It is something we learned through years of evolution (or if you don't believe in it, God made us scare of them to keep us from doing stupid **** and getting killed). The only thing those of us that don't have that fear can do to help is to educate them how to do it safely. Being an an ass (like you just were) does not help anyone.
12-12-2010, 02:07 PM
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: central and east texas
Posts: 4,894
Incorrect Chuck. With the proper gear you can use a harness while climbing. But most hunting suppliers do not sell or advertise belay or fall arrest gear designed for use unless you are already sitting down.
It is called a ladder climbing devise. It attaches to the bottom rung of the ladder and is a wire that is stretched tight to the top rung. You are attached to the wire using camming system that slides freely going up, but stops you cold if you descend at faster than two feet per second. Take one step up and fall and it stops you in less than a quarter of an inch. If you are worried about falling while setting the stand up, then all you have to do is take a rope toss it over a sturdy branch (Minimum of 8 inches thick for someone less than 300 pounds, there are other things to do if you don't have a branch that big, but we will cover that when someone asks), bring it down, tie a figure eight to your harness. Take a shorter length of rope tie a double half hitch around another tree at an angle (double half hitch is obviously tied near the ground on the trunk of the tree), and in the end of the rope tie another figure eight, pick up a self belay beaner from any one of a thousand climbing websites and use the figure eight in the tree on the ground, run your free end from the top rope through the belay beaner and pull it tight, tie another figure eight to the figure eight that is already tied to your harness then climb. It will allow you to climb and descend as normal, but if you fall it will stop you. Or you can set up with someone there to belay for you, That makes it so you only have to tie one knot.
Then if you are really big and out of shape, you could even go so far as to set up counter weights so you don't have to do all the work yourself, but that is another lesson for another time Trust me they are worth it even when you aren't out of shape.
Edit: Sorry for the late info.
Using the above advice, you can set your anchor points on the tree while you are setting up for the first time, so you are 100% tied off the whole time. Go out to your stand before the buttcrack of dawn and hook to the ladder climbing device. Climb to the seat and tie off to your anchor point before unhooking from the ladder climbing device, then unhook from the ladder. No shaking like a leaf in the wind involved, no risk of falling, no risk of death, and ya can use any type of stand ya want without being scared.
It is called a ladder climbing devise. It attaches to the bottom rung of the ladder and is a wire that is stretched tight to the top rung. You are attached to the wire using camming system that slides freely going up, but stops you cold if you descend at faster than two feet per second. Take one step up and fall and it stops you in less than a quarter of an inch. If you are worried about falling while setting the stand up, then all you have to do is take a rope toss it over a sturdy branch (Minimum of 8 inches thick for someone less than 300 pounds, there are other things to do if you don't have a branch that big, but we will cover that when someone asks), bring it down, tie a figure eight to your harness. Take a shorter length of rope tie a double half hitch around another tree at an angle (double half hitch is obviously tied near the ground on the trunk of the tree), and in the end of the rope tie another figure eight, pick up a self belay beaner from any one of a thousand climbing websites and use the figure eight in the tree on the ground, run your free end from the top rope through the belay beaner and pull it tight, tie another figure eight to the figure eight that is already tied to your harness then climb. It will allow you to climb and descend as normal, but if you fall it will stop you. Or you can set up with someone there to belay for you, That makes it so you only have to tie one knot.
Then if you are really big and out of shape, you could even go so far as to set up counter weights so you don't have to do all the work yourself, but that is another lesson for another time
Trust me they are worth it even when you aren't out of shape.Edit: Sorry for the late info.
Using the above advice, you can set your anchor points on the tree while you are setting up for the first time, so you are 100% tied off the whole time. Go out to your stand before the buttcrack of dawn and hook to the ladder climbing device. Climb to the seat and tie off to your anchor point before unhooking from the ladder climbing device, then unhook from the ladder. No shaking like a leaf in the wind involved, no risk of falling, no risk of death, and ya can use any type of stand ya want without being scared.