Safety harness

[Lawnboi]

Need a new safety harness. In the past iv always used an older one I got with a tree stand long ago.

Was thinking of spending a little bit to get something a little more comfortabl, but mostly looking for something that is easier to get in and out of.

Haven't been keeping track of the market really, what are you guys using?

 

[LostArra]

For years I used the harness that came with an old Lone Wolf stand. It resembles a spaghetti-like mass of webbing but after years of use I could put it on in the dark.

Went to a Muddy. Nice and simple like putting on a coat but after encouragement from a rock climbing daughter I got a rock climbing harness and haven't looked back. No straps up around your neck or in the way no matter what direction I shoot. Easy to change clothing layers in the stand. Mine is a Petzl Corax but I'm sure there are others that would work as well. And before someone starts on the upside down thing, just forget it. It isn't going to happen.

 

[TheJuice]

Never thought of trying something like that. Do do you attach your safe line to the front like its designed? Or the back?

 

[Trial153]

Rock climbing harness for me ...four years now and wouldn't go back for anything.
I use a BD vario speed harness

 

[Jmock97]

I will also second a rock climbing harness I use a alpine bod

 

[Finch]

I use a muddy harness and I have no issues with it. Also, if you're using hang on stands; I'd also suggest getting some lifelines. I think most falls occur while ascending/descending. This way you're connected before leaving the ground.

 

[Lawnboi]

Using a climber. Hadn't thought of a rock climbing harness, I like the idea of having the tether come out by my waist rather than by my neck.

 

[realunlucky]

The reason they attachable at the top is so you fall and are unconscious you are not left dangling upside-down which could be fatal depending on length

 

[Jeff Martin]

Although I have used the rock climbing harnesses, I would advise against it now that so many harness that are so fast/simple. Muddy, Spider and the Safety Harness "light" are all super easy. They are not the big tangle mess of the past. They have great metal clips that are fast!!

My issue with the climbing harness after using one for years and years is that I have spent hundreds of hours in a stand, i realized they were not designed for sudden falls out of s stand. The harness is not designed to keep you upright in a fall - after the fall. Given the weight and design of the new harnesses, it is not worth the risk of using one not knowing what would happen. I originally went to the climbing harness when the hunting harnesses were junk.

BTW, anything is better than nothing.

 

[larryschwartz]

I use a muddy harness and I have no issues with it. Also, if you're using hang on stands; I'd also suggest getting some lifelines. I think most falls occur while ascending/descending. This way you're connected before leaving the ground.

If by "lifelines" you are referring to a rope that is already attached to the tree at the height you are moving up to, then I would suggest a better way to stay attached while you are ascending. You can fall while attaching the lifeline too, unless you are already attached to the tree.

The method I use, and teach at hunter safety courses, is to use two lineman lines that are attached to your safety harness. The line goes around the tree and you move it up before you make your move in your climber. That way you are always attached to the tree should the climber (or tree step or ladder stand or whatever) fail. I use two of them so that if I run into a branch I can attach the second one above the branch before I remove the first one.

Some folks may say it is too much stuff to carry, but it works for me and I am ALWAYS attached to the tree.

 

[Finch]

If by "lifelines" you are referring to a rope that is already attached to the tree at the height you are moving up to, then I would suggest a better way to stay attached while you are ascending. You can fall while attaching the lifeline too, unless you are already attached to the tree.

The method I use, and teach at hunter safety courses, is to use two lineman lines that are attached to your safety harness. The line goes around the tree and you move it up before you make your move in your climber. That way you are always attached to the tree should the climber (or tree step or ladder stand or whatever) fail. I use two of them so that if I run into a branch I can attach the second one above the branch before I remove the first one.

Some folks may say it is too much stuff to carry, but it works for me and I am ALWAYS attached to the tree.

Good point, Larry! I use a lineman's rope as but honestly never thought of using two in case the need arose to unhook one.

I was very lucky one time that I didn't fall. I was done with my morning hunt and was gonna climb down and take my lone wolf hang on with me. While I'm hunting, the lineman's rope goes into my pack so it's not dangling and scaring away deer. Anyway for some reason, I temporarily attached one side of the rope to one of my belt loops on my pants. Packed everything up and sent it down the tree. Then I attached my lineman's rope around the tree and proceeded to remove my stand and climb down and remove my sticks. Got to the bottom of the tree and went to unhook the rope and realized that I never attached the one side of the lineman's rope to my harness. It was still attached to the belt loop of my pants! The good Lord must have been watching out for me that day because the loop held up even with all my weight on it while I was using both hands to remove the stand.

Be careful out there people and think about what you're doing!

 

[bwlacy]

I use an HSS Pro lite I think. It is just the harness and not a vest. Nice and light and very easy to use. I also have lifelines on all the hang on stands for us to use. When hanging stands, sticks, and the lifelines I use a lineman's belt. The lifelines are great. If you have a lot of hangons it can get expensive at around $35 per line, but in the long run that is cheap insurance against a fall.

 

[wapitibob]

I use the one that came with my Summit but added a Spider Wire.

 

[tipsntails7]

If by "lifelines" you are referring to a rope that is already attached to the tree at the height you are moving up to, then I would suggest a better way to stay attached while you are ascending. You can fall while attaching the lifeline too, unless you are already attached to the tree.

The method I use, and teach at hunter safety courses, is to use two lineman lines that are attached to your safety harness. The line goes around the tree and you move it up before you make your move in your climber. That way you are always attached to the tree should the climber (or tree step or ladder stand or whatever) fail. I use two of them so that if I run into a branch I can attach the second one above the branch before I remove the first one.

Some folks may say it is too much stuff to carry, but it works for me and I am ALWAYS attached to the tree.

Larry you must have been a tree topper in another life. That's solid advice right there.

 

[Lawnboi]

This thread has only made my decision harder now. Climbing harness or regular hunting company one?

 

[Jeff Martin]

buy a Muddy or Spider and forget it.

 

[larryschwartz]

Larry you must have been a tree topper in another life. That's solid advice right there.

Nope, but my Scoutmaster from when I was a kid was a telephone company lineman and that was how they did it. It just made sense.

 

[StrutNut]

Spider for me, I love it. It is so light and comfortable and very easy to put on. I do want to pick up the spider descent attachment too. For $35 it seems like a great investment. It is a one time use that slowly brings you to the ground. That would probably work with those rock climbing harness too. I used to hate those cheap free harnesses. My son has the HSS Vest and although he likes it mine is lighter and more comfortable in warm weather. I would get a harness over a vest style.

 

[larryschwartz]

This thread has only made my decision harder now. Climbing harness or regular hunting company one?

Lawnboi,

I would suggest you go with a vest style fall arrest harness rather than a mountaineering/climbing harness, and here is why...

I say a fall arrest harness rather than a safety harness because you want to get one that has the S-loop stitched into the strap; the stitches break when you reach the end of the strap and this helps to cushion the shock on your body which can be significant. All new tree stands from the Treestand Manufacturers Association (TMA) should come with a harness and it should have this feature. Check out the TMA safety page here, http://www.tmastands.com/safety/, it has a lot of great information on it.

Get a vest style for two reasons. First, it puts the straps above your center of gravity so that you will hang with your feet downward and facing the tree, both of which you want. Second, I have found that the vest design greatly reduces the spaghetti effect that Lostarra mentioned above and makes it easier to put on.

Also, regardless of what style you get, add a pouch with a fixed blade or assisted opening knife in it so that you can get the knife and use it with one hand. There may come a time where you need to cut yourself out of the harness or cut the rope/strap that is supporting you; if that happens you won't want to have your only knife trapped under a bunch of belts and straps while you are hanging 15 feet above the ground.

Hope this helps,

Larry

 

[Mike7]

Larry, for background, I have never used a tree stand, but have a small amount of mountaineering and rock climbing experience. If/when I use a treestand, I will likely not have cell reception or a rapid emergency response time even if I have cell service.

Also, I have been to a class, where a doctor from the midwest talked about the people he had seen or heard die in his state due to suspension trauma (without any other injuries) from hanging right side up in a full body treestand safety harness and waiting for help. On the other hand, I have seen people fall while rock climbing and they fall facing the wall where they can use their arms and legs to avoid trauma against the wall, and they fall or pop up right immediately...and don't suffer suspension trauma if they are conscious because they can push away from the wall and sit back in their harness, rather than hanging from the top of their back with all of the force on their thigh straps.

So, I understand how the full body harness systems with the controlled descent emergency attachment/release would be the safest way to go for using any treestand.

But I don't understand how I would be safer in a full body/vest type harness than a climbing harness, if I don't have a controlled descent system attached to my harness? With some safety rope foot loops and lines around the tree available separate from the tree stand, and my whole stand fell off the tree, it would seem that I would better be able to utilize these to lower myself down safely in my climbing harness? If I am wrong, why am I wrong to think this? I might want to get a stand system someday, and already have an Alpine bod climbing harness, but I would not use this, if it would not allow me to self rescue.