This was my biggest problem with the life line. I now own multiple lifelines and will be buying these.
I guess now that I am looking at it again This would be extremely easy to make at home or even in the field in a pinch.
You have all seen the sticks with the loop in the end they use to get the V-belts down from the rafters? Take an old small handle about 5-1/2' long. Drill a hole in the end a little smaller than a #9 wire. Bend the wire to form the hook or loop to hook the lifew line line. Lay the long end on something steel and use a cold chisel to put several cross nicks in the wire. Epoxy the wire in the hole, let it set up and your good to go. Makes a good walking stick on the way in to the blind also. Probably cost about $.50 and 1/2 hour of your time.
Doesn't work for me as most of the trees I'm in don't have branches in them besides what is well above my stand. Still gotta hook it to a step that I gotta install on my way up the tree. Your friendly neighborhood Bow Hunter
Seems like a waste of money, more to carry and absolutely no use in coniferous trees....Use your lifeline WITH your lineman's belt WHEN you hangs stands or put up steps. This double security system keeps you twice as safe and allows you to always stay hooked in even if branches are encountered. I hunt a lot of cedars, with two tie in placements, I shift the safety line above me as I move up the tree. When I encounter a branch or several (in the case of cedars) I undo the lifeline, shift it up 6-8 branches (as far as I can reach) and reconnect my back clip... I am still using the lineman's belt and therefore still tied in. Once I have the safety line shifted up, I undo the lineman's belt and shift it up.... always tied in with at least 1 connection. When the stand is set, I climb down to the platform, and then set the lifeline at the correct height all the while still tied in with the linesman belt. When all of that is set, I decend to tie the safety line off at the bottom of the tree.... tied in from ground, back to ground.. no extra gadgets to carry. I do this for any stand I leave up for the season. For R&G, I use two lineman's belts for dealing with branches. T
I could use a short set maybe. Sometimes I would like to fasten the lifeline higher on the tree than I can reach from the sticks or stand
Would be a real hard task with the cedars we have in this area. From 6' tall on up to 30-40'. Branches are real thick and start at the ground. Darn near impossible to climb up let alone with a belt and gear. Will get some pics next time I go out and check the game cameras. Forgot to grab the camera today.