“Use a Safety Harness!”
Enough can’t be said about using a hunter safety harness when hunting from a tree stand. I myself, not to long ago refused to use a safety harness when
hunting from portable lock on and climbing tree stands. I was just being bull headed in thinking it couldn’t happen to me. I finally came to realization that it could happen to me after my wife sat me down and brought me to reality. No matter how good in shape or athletic a person is, tree stand safety should be followed because the harsh truth is it can happen. I have several friends and people I know did fall from a tree stand, from climbing into an old stand to falling asleep. I have read articles about hunters that were using climbers with safety rails that have fallen while climbing a tree. Everything from stepping onto an old step or tree limb that broke when it was grabbed or stepped on is a high percentage of hunters that fall.
Use Your Harness While you are Climbing!
All hunters should also be harnessed to the tree when climbing up to the stand. When using a climbing tree stand it only takes a minute or two longer to strap yourself to the tree and slide the harness up the tree as you climb.
When climbing to a fixed position stand by way of ladder, climbing six, or screw in steps there is a product available that using a heavy 1/2 inch rope that attaches to the tree just above the stand and to the base of the tree and uses a sliding Prusik hitch that you attach your safety harness to and slide it up and down the
tree as you ascend or descend the tree.
There are many excellent types of safety harness on the market that will save you from a fall provided you follow their recommended application. Years ago when the first Safety Harness was introduced, they were very simple, not much more than two seat belts that latched together. The issue with that style is most hunters would latch the harness around their waist not their chest like the instructions read. When a person fell they would hang head first because your upper body weighs more than the waist down. If the safety harness is around the torso and fell your head would be up.
