How many honestly where a harness when in your tree stand?
 

Ill be honest; 90% of the time I don't where my harness. My ladder stand is so huge and has a shooting rail so I feel plenty safe without one. I occasionally use one in my climber but most of the time I don't.

Last year I missed a nice 8pt because he snuck up behind me and I couldn't draw my bow because the strap going to the tree was in my way. That didn't help my dislike of harnesses. I know this is stupid and I don't need any criticism but Im wondering honestly how many people actually use them? No one I know that hunts from a stand where's a harness, except for their children.

I understand that I need to where my harness so I'm in the process of looking for a new set up. (Ill take any recommendations) I think the main reason I don't where mine is because its uncomfortable and it gets in the way. I wear my seat belt in my truck and my helmet on my motorcycle, but not my harness in my stand.

So how many Honestly where their harness while hunting?

Ladder stand...No its got a rail around it...could I fall yes...but highly unlikely...Im not saying I cant...Climber or lock on YES...I have no rails on either of them...so theres nothing to stop me from dropping 20+feet. Its a chance I WONT take. Its bad enough going up and getting in the stand unhooked for me. No Im not scared of heights.

Recommend HSS (hunter safety system), its a little heavy but its comfortable. I don't have any trouble with it being in my way...you just have to tie the strap that goes around the tree a little higher. In fact its comfortable enough for me to go to the seated position in the harness. plus it has pockets and a drag strap. I use the cheap strap harness' as well since they are lighter weight...especially when its warmer out..

I wear one every time. Ive done fell from 22 feet and the sudden stop didn't feel to well. Broke my back in the process.

I always wear mine . Had a couple near falls so now I make sure I am wearing one while in the stand. You never know when it might happen to you.
Your still going to get beat up some wearing one but you shouldn't be permanently hurt or die

If the strap gets in your way what I use is a climbing rope with a prussic knot that let's me slide it down to get more room on those opposite side shots.

I actually am higher than the 75% choice. I did forget once last year. Got in a hurry and spaced it.

All the time.
 

I wear mine all the time now. After my son was born I felt I owed he and his mother that. Heard of too many falls resulting in people getting hurt bad, in wheelchairs and such. Yep it is a pain but not as bad as having to roll around in a wheelchair and place a great burden on my family. Done a lot of dumb things in my younger life and fell lucky to be here in one piece. Think of your family and look at other people who can not help themselves after getting hurt. Also were my seatbelt in my car, truck and tractor.
Forgot my HSS vest last year one time, when I got to my tree I just sat on the ground. Does not take but one fall and it will effect your family and you for the rest of your life.

Never in my 12 and 15 ft ladder stands. I always set down to shoot and its like setting in my kitchen chair. Always when I use my climber.

Always. Period. I've never forgot my bow, and I've never forgot my harness. From time to time, during gun season, I've gone to one of my stands that I set up to hunt bow. If I don't have a harness on, I stay on the ground. Usually, if I'm hunting in the morning and going in before dark, I put mine on before I leave home. Picked up an HSS ultra lite a few years ago, and I hardly notice it's there.

Always....Never go up without it, gonna have to show my 2 grandsons how to hunt and fish...

Anyone who doesn't is a fool.....

Many accidents are on the way up. How many wear a harness as they are climbing up to that 20 foot ladder stand? Or when climbing up with a climber. I was watching some youtube videos on how to use a climber and only one guy used a safety rope as he was climbing.

I HATE treestand harnesses. Noisy, cumbersome, pains in the arse! But I wear mine, every time. Even the times I have decided, "The hell with it, I'm not wearing it this time," I think about my kids and put it on.

if im sitting in my 15 ft double man ladderstand I never wear my hss, but in my climber I always wear it no matter what.

Well I'm still not going to wear one in my ladder stand, but I'm definitely going to start wearing one in my climber. Are the vest harnesses that much more comfortable than the seat belt material ones?

I currently have the one that came with my Summit climber, definitely room for improvement.

When I step in my climber I attach to the tree...It only adds a couple of minutes to the climb and after a few times you learn how and where to put the strap so it is out of the way...

At my age...
 

I wouldn't touch this topic with a ten foot pole. Some people sure love to get regimented in one place and besides, I'm suppose to be dead for fifty years.
If you question something deeply, you probably need it. And people sometimes question something for some other reason, that has nothing to do with the original reason for using something. And I haven't gotten by that suspension atrophy yet.

I always wear one with my climber. Most of the time I wear it in my double ladder stand, but the real hazard there is the climb up and down.

The harness that came with my Summit sucked big time so I scoured the net and found 20feetup. It's not a full body harness, but is like the climbing and rescue harnesses I'm used to and that means I wear it instead of leaving it behind.

No matter whether I am in my ladder stand or my climber, I NEVER leave the ground withour one!!! Have been on 2 recoverys of a hunter not coming home that night and we found them under the stand with one a broken back and the other dead.
A fellow rescue person I know was on a rescue/recovery and the hunter fell while climbing and disembowled hiself on his screw in steps on the way down. Thats why I use the prussac(sp) knot system on all my ladder and lock-on I own and use. Seeing the end result was enough for me.

Every time. I have gotten a few feet up a tree and realize I didn't attach it, which I remedy immediately.

Use a climbing stand only and don't ascend or descend without a harness.There's a reason it's called accident prevention.

It is very easy using my Lone Wolf climber with harness attached to tree 100% of time. No big deal to inch it up as I climb. It's simply a part of my hunting regiment. I hunt anywhere from 18' to 30' up. But I would not hunt at any height without it attached at all times.

Only time I don't is when I'm in the short 12' later stand. With the lounger type seat and shooting / safety rail, I feel safe. I always wear one when I'm hunting from my hang on stand that I usually hang about 20'. Also, like others noted, it's the climb up and down where I would think the best chance for a slip and fall might happen. And in all honesty, I rarely am attached when I am climbing unless it is wet or icy. I think I will at least get a larger D-Ring, so I can hook onto my climbing stick while going up & down, this coming season.

I hated mine for a long time and tried to only wear it when I was in higher hang on stands. Last year I decided to purchase a HSS ultra Lite Harness and absolutely love it. I never feel like I am wearing a harness and its super easy to take on and off. Now, I wear it every time out, not matter what stand I'm in.

I never wore one in ladder stands until last year. I was hunting right around dusk when a great horned owl came in and mistook my head for dinner. I never saw him coming and he pulled up about two feet from my face and I only spotted him because I turned my head when he was three feet away. I was super close to taking a tumble out of my stand that night. If that owl would have hit me or came from behind, ladder stand or hang on, I would have been falling. Expect the unexpected. You might have control over yourself but if a owl, hawk, squirrel, raccoon, etc is surprised by you and they feel like they are going to be harmed, they could come after you. They might now harm you physically but as your waving your arms, you sure as heck could go for a tumble.

Get a harness system !! Don't be a fool !! If you dont die from the fall you could spend the rest of your life having your diaper changed !! I slipped once coming down from my ladder stand and fell 15 feet and broke my leg, I was lucky !! I hunt out of fixed hang on stands on my property and they all have the HSS lifelines on them, safest way to climb tree and get in and out of a stand!! GET A HARNESS SYSTEM and use it!!

100% of the time. No exception. To those who do not, here are two real events ... both very close to me.

My brother fell from a 10' ladder stand. Concussion. Fractured skull. Broken neck. He was lucky to have not severed his spinal chord. Nerve damage left him forever at about a 50% loss of upper body strength. He remembers to this day no details of the fall. Investigation indicated that the home made ladder stand platform supports had been made from untreated pine and had rotted. They simply gave way.

A good friend was removing a rather large dead limb just before settling into his climber. The limb broke before he thought it would and knocked him backwards. He managed to slide his feet under a part of the frame of the lower section of the climber, otherwise would have tumbled out backwards. Already was severely injured. This guy was one heck of an athelete. But try as he might, he was unable upright himself. He hung there for about an hour hoping for help to come by. He felt as if he were going to pass out and feared shock was setting in. So he wriggled himself out and dropped about 15' into under brush. Dragged himself to his ATV. Drove to where he had cell service and called for help. Suffered a double compound fracture of his left leg just above the ankle, severe dislocation of his right ankle, broken collar bone, 2 broken ribs , punctured lung .... thankfully he survived, but will never recover fully from the ankle damage.

Neither were wearing (or had ever worn) a harness of any type.

Harness
 

Please guys, wear a harness. I am a Respiratory Therapist at WVU Hospital. I work in the Adult ICU's, and can't tell you how many people end up quadraplegic, paraplegic, or have died from treestand falls. Or worse, people who are vegatables the rest of their lives from terrible brain injuries. It's not worth the risk. Safe hunting guys.

I have a Rescue One CDS. Controlled Descent System. You can repack this, and it is awesome. A Doctor from WV invented this.

You spelled wear wrong. You have where. I climb, but I don't use a tree stand.

Typing error... thanks for pointing it out!

On a side note I picked up a HSS Alpha harness at Bass Pro the other day.

It, without question, will be best investment that hopefully you will NEVER use!!!!!

I harness up all the time unless I am in a ladder stand. We are slowing going to all ladderstands but in the mean time, tree steps are out and laddersteps are in. This way we climb past the stand and step down onto it.

Definitely made my wife feel better. I don't think she realized that I didn't wear one.... I got a nice ear full when I told her I hadn't worn one all season. :rolleyes:

Never used to ,always make my son and one day when he was younger in the 2 man with me he asked why i wasnt wearing one ,so ever since that day i wear one, so like son like father so to speak lol

I didn't and don't need to read all the replies. I always have my Muddy full body harness with me, and an extra under the truck seat. I have seen what can happen, and don't want it happening to me. I want to live to enjoy my harvest, my life.

I wear mine all the time except the 1 or 2 times a season I forget it. I need to get it to 100% of the time, it is not worth the risk for broken bones or to be paralyzed.

I keep mine in my deer hunting clothes/tub and gets attached to my backpack so I can never forget it.

Always, Started using the hunter safety system with the prussik(sp) knot. It works great. Gotta return home the the fam so I can hunt another day.

Every time in every stand, I like to sleep in stands, and don't want to wake up to a broken neck, or never wake up again.

I never have but I really need to

I never wear one.