I went to Wal-Mart and picked up a hang-on the other day. I took it to one of my better properties to hang. Doesn't it figure that the best tree to put it in was a silver beech. Have you ever tried to screw steps into a silver beech? MAN, they are hard trees and a bum shoulder isn't any help! Well when I got to the property I had left my Hooyman pruning saw home so I'll be going back this week to finish. One thing I did do this year was to put a safety rope from above the stand to the bottom step and a prussic knot on it. Alright, com'on Saturday. More stump shooting tomorrow.
You run a rope that will hold your weight from above your head, around the tree. Attach it to the base and make the rope taught. Then you attach a prussic sliding knot to the rope. As you assend or desend the tree you attach your safety harness to the prussic knot and slide it as you go up or down. If you fall the prussic knot cinches tight preventing a fall.
VA Try taking a drill in with you and pre drill the holes with a smaller bit, you'll be amazed at how fast your stands go up and also use a linemans waist belt so that you can have both hands free to help install the stand. Got to save those shoulders as we age, LOL. Rocky
