Another Harness Story
07-06-2014, 06:20 PM
#12
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Vermont
Posts: 486
I'm not quite sure why nodog thought your buddy was being careless. He put on the strap that came with the stand and added another for extra safety. Although he should of checked the straps before stepping on, but how many do that. I guess we all should, but thanks for the account. I take it 1 step further and use the Fall Guy System so that I'm connected from the second my first foot leaves the ground, and until my last foot hits the ground coming down.
08-24-2014, 05:37 PM
#13
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 36
This past week my best buddy from my 1950's - 1960's school days sat me down to give me a big thanks.
Over 15 years ago we renewed our childhood friendship in a major fashion. Since then we have hunted together 100's of days. When we first started hunting he did not even own a tree stand safety system. I badgered him into submission somewhere along the way and it paid off this past season. (Despite us hunting and fishing together several times last winter, he did not relate this to me until this past week.) Here's his account.
He had scouted and set-up a "hang-on" stand in a good looking area, some 20'-25' off the ground in a big oak tree. The maker of the stand is one of the major brands and came with one HD , fabric ratchet strap. He installed this strap correctly and then added a second as a precaution ... as do I. Two days later the wind was right, so he headed in about 30 minutes before daybreak to hunt from this stand.
He worked his way up his stick ladder. He attached his safety to the tree and then stepped off the ladder onto the stand. He sat down and started to lift up his bow .... and in a heart-beat he found himself dangling along side the tree trunk, suspended in his harness.
The stand had fallen out from under him and was laying on the forest floor below him. He told me that he was so shocked by the suddeness of the fall that he was more or less in a full panic mode, stunned. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was OK. So he swung over to the ladder and slowly eased down. What he found was that one fabric strap had been chewed into and the other almost through. Only about 1/2" was obviously not chewed, but had ripped though. The culprits probably were squirrels or rats.
At 20' - 25', a free fall would probably have been fatal. If not fatal, certainly would likely have left my buddy seriously injured and possibly paralized to a significant extent. Some might say he was lucky. I say he was prepared.
So to all the safety harness nay-sayers out there, think about what might have been in this guy's case. Go get you one and use it. All of well designed tree stand safety harnesses are easy to use and affordable. There is simply no excuse for not using one.
Over 15 years ago we renewed our childhood friendship in a major fashion. Since then we have hunted together 100's of days. When we first started hunting he did not even own a tree stand safety system. I badgered him into submission somewhere along the way and it paid off this past season. (Despite us hunting and fishing together several times last winter, he did not relate this to me until this past week.) Here's his account.
He had scouted and set-up a "hang-on" stand in a good looking area, some 20'-25' off the ground in a big oak tree. The maker of the stand is one of the major brands and came with one HD , fabric ratchet strap. He installed this strap correctly and then added a second as a precaution ... as do I. Two days later the wind was right, so he headed in about 30 minutes before daybreak to hunt from this stand.
He worked his way up his stick ladder. He attached his safety to the tree and then stepped off the ladder onto the stand. He sat down and started to lift up his bow .... and in a heart-beat he found himself dangling along side the tree trunk, suspended in his harness.
The stand had fallen out from under him and was laying on the forest floor below him. He told me that he was so shocked by the suddeness of the fall that he was more or less in a full panic mode, stunned. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was OK. So he swung over to the ladder and slowly eased down. What he found was that one fabric strap had been chewed into and the other almost through. Only about 1/2" was obviously not chewed, but had ripped though. The culprits probably were squirrels or rats.
At 20' - 25', a free fall would probably have been fatal. If not fatal, certainly would likely have left my buddy seriously injured and possibly paralized to a significant extent. Some might say he was lucky. I say he was prepared.
So to all the safety harness nay-sayers out there, think about what might have been in this guy's case. Go get you one and use it. All of well designed tree stand safety harnesses are easy to use and affordable. There is simply no excuse for not using one.
10-01-2014, 07:12 PM
#14
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Free Union, VA
Posts: 750
I have been careless. I use my stand to get up and see the area...when the vegetation allows, I go high...I have been 3o+ feet off the ground many times. a couple years ago I was sitting in my stand for a few hours and for some reason felt the need to bend over and mess with my boot. I lost my balance. I use a summit viper. the top piece is a full alumni wrap around....should easily have been able to grab and stabilize myself...I grabbed...and missed spectacularly....and gained momentum....I was going...ass over teacup, down down down.... except I wasn't. because I had my harness on. I was wearing it a little looser than I'm supposed to but I was wearing it....and it allowed me to stand back up, with a bit of back strain and contortion...and sit down. I was freaked out, but I was ok. Being careless for a moment does not mean I should "darwin" myself out of existence. I wear a harness. and I will be buying a newer and nicer one this year. Staying safe even when I'm careless is worth a bit of money.
10-20-2014, 05:10 AM
#16
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 72
I think wearing a harness is like wearing a seat belt in a car. even if it were a law some will wear it and others won't. it is your choice to be made by you. if you don't wear it and get hurt then you are the only one to blame. are they a good idea yes. they have come along way with safety harness's. the 1st ones out were only a strap going around your waist and looped around the tree. a state trooper here in Pa. years ago used one of the 1st types and they found him hung in his tree with the strap around his neck, from slipping over his shoulders and ended up around his neck. that is why most now are the so called 5 point system. almost any good portable stand now a days come with a safety system strap. should everyone use one maybe, but it is their choice and themselves to blame if an accident should happen.
11-04-2014, 02:53 AM
#18
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
2 threads recently on another site where the faller wore a harness, both seriously injured. The gist in those threads, they were careless because they didn't use a life line as well.
The problem with these threads that focus on a harness is they never address the reasons for the fall, just how too fall. Many who climb have no business doing so and those that have fallen, that's the exclamation point at the end of that statement.
The guy who bent over to fix his boot, you did so because you had a harness on, you weren't just careless, you treated the situation carelessly and your equipment as well. You'd better have a "harness" on at all times, everywhere if you treat that situation with such lack of concern. I'll bet texting while driving is ok as long as your belted in.
I'm not against harnesses being worn by people who belong climbing mountains/trees I'm against the peddlers who talk people into climbing mountains as long as they wear a harness and then get on the net saying how smart they are.
Stay on the ground.
The problem with these threads that focus on a harness is they never address the reasons for the fall, just how too fall. Many who climb have no business doing so and those that have fallen, that's the exclamation point at the end of that statement.
The guy who bent over to fix his boot, you did so because you had a harness on, you weren't just careless, you treated the situation carelessly and your equipment as well. You'd better have a "harness" on at all times, everywhere if you treat that situation with such lack of concern. I'll bet texting while driving is ok as long as your belted in.
I'm not against harnesses being worn by people who belong climbing mountains/trees I'm against the peddlers who talk people into climbing mountains as long as they wear a harness and then get on the net saying how smart they are.
Stay on the ground.
11-04-2014, 03:08 AM
#19
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
I think wearing a harness is like wearing a seat belt in a car. even if it were a law some will wear it and others won't. it is your choice to be made by you. if you don't wear it and get hurt then you are the only one to blame. are they a good idea yes. they have come along way with safety harness's. the 1st ones out were only a strap going around your waist and looped around the tree. a state trooper here in Pa. years ago used one of the 1st types and they found him hung in his tree with the strap around his neck, from slipping over his shoulders and ended up around his neck. that is why most now are the so called 5 point system. almost any good portable stand now a days come with a safety system strap. should everyone use one maybe, but it is their choice and themselves to blame if an accident should happen.
You people kill me with your lack of sense and justifying everything on an emotional level.
There is no stand out of a box that's good to go, they all need more to safely keep a person up there. I never here this in these threads unless I say it. People know this themselves the first time they step on one yet dismiss what their brain is telling them and often because the stand has a stamp on it from the ATA, a group made up of tree stand manufactures, yea, that's a thing to trust in, the manufactures creating an organization of themselves saying their products are safe.
11-04-2014, 10:42 AM
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,927
A man I know just fell 20 feet yesterday. He was in a climber and had just unhooked his safety harness to descend when the bottom fell. Not sure how or why or if he had the two pieces attached but the result was a 20 foot fall to land on his side. Thankfully an initial medical examination shows no broken bones and hopefully no long term damage but it could have been much worse. Be safe out there.