I've never had a near fall in my climber, but I was up in my climber last night in a tree that was not round at all in the middle. A couple times I had to reposition it so it evenly attached to the tree due to it's irregular shape. While it never became a problem I was thinking to myself as I descended to post on here of any stories of climbers that have slipped or fell on you? If I would of done this in the dark and didn't notice the shape, could the stand of turned and fall? Or maybe turned and caused me to lose my balance? I don't know. If so, what brand do you have, and what happened? If you simply dropped your foot section, no need to post, I know how to prevent that. :D This may help me and other posters to learn from your mistakes and prevent a fall or a near fall. Obviously we are all wearing safety harnesses when using a climber right?
I've climbed trees like that in the dark before, several times. The key is to simply make sure the stand is engaged fully. It's easy to do by feel, even in the dark. Takes a few more seconds, but that's ok.
x2 I have a Summit...as long as you keep tension on bottom and platform pretty level - I dont' see how it could ever slip. Safety (and comfort) is the #1 reason I would pick my summit for a long hunt over anything else...I attach the safety belt as soon as I jump on - I'm secure all the way up and back down - and the stand just really "locks in" once I'm at my desired height. So no mistakes here yet - fingers crossed.
Fell from about 2 feet once when I thought i postioned the pin in the right hole but actually missed the hole of the cable in the dark. It was the top half so as soon as i stood up on the bottom half and lifted the top half while leaning back too much I ended up on my butt holding the top half in my hands. All I can remeber thinkin is god I hope i didnt land on my bow. lol NEVER happened again. Still shot a doe 30 min later.
My Summit Goliath slipped once on an oak tree that didn't have climbing friendly bark. I got about 10 foot up and the climber's teeth just wouldn't grip the tree. I slipped about a foot down. I was really uncomfortable on that hunt.
when I first got mine I was learning to climb on it and got about 15 feet up and I thaught it was steady sat down and it slid down and stoped on the foot rest and I hated them ever since.
Yes. I climbed up the tree and pulled my bow up, only to realize my release was still on the ground. So back down I went, got my release and back up again. Sat there for about 4 hours before shooting light faded. As I started down, I sat on the rail to move the bottom, and the seat slipped. I still had one hand on a limb so I was able to keep my balance. It scared the crap out of me though. Took the stand back esoon after, and haven't used one since. I didn't really feel comfortable in it before that, but this made up my mind.
I figured some people would take this thread as a rip on climbers. I love mine. Never had a problem. I just want to keep it that way. I was just thinking last night in my stand how sturdy my Summit really is. I feel the same way about hang-ons as you feel about climbers. Good discussion.... keep the stories coming.
Been there, done that, still have one hanging in my barn......:D I pick my trees based on their bark, and use a stand that is similar to a Lone Wolf, yet it was made 4-5yrs before Lone Wolf existed. The "gripper" belt along with the toothed "V" do a pretty good job, best of any stand I've owned or tried, but there are certain trees that I just plain WON'T climb because the bark can make for an unsafe situation. I tie the top and the bottom together no, ever since I picked a "wrong" tree to climb about 8yrs ago and ended up "shimmying" my way down the tree and my bottom of my stand slid down the tree on me. <----(That's what I wanted to do with that stand, until I refocused and realized the problem was the guy in the stand, not the stand. ) The old Baker's were DANGEROUS, but if you got one in the right tree, they weren't quite as bad, but I slid down more than a couple trees trying to use one.
When I first got into bowhunting 11 years ago I used a summit climber, one afternoon I went out with my brother and put the climber on a huge tree, I made it up, but coming down it was pitch dark and the cable came undone on the platform, I was hanging onto the climber part and feet wrapped around tree, my brother came with his ambusher and got me down. The tree was so big that when I went to bend my knees to angle the platform, the cable pinched hard on the back of the tree and jarred the cable free, I was scared to death, luckily my brother came and checked on me.
Quit your BRAGGING, if the rest of us were unemployed with a SUGAR MOMMA like yours, we'd hunt more too, unfortunately some of us have to WORK for a living......
when I was 18, my stand slipped from my feet when I started to climb down .. I was 15' in a tree. Those were the days when you just got the platform and your climbing aid was your arms I had a waist belt on that quickly turned into a chest belt ... I hung for what seemed like forever, but was prolly less then 10 minutes .. I had dropped my pack which had me knife in it. I smoked at the time and I pulled out my lighter to burn the strap, as I was getting very light-headed. It took forever to get the lighter to stay on as it was windy out. Eventually the flame got the plastic from the belt burning which helped keep the flame on. I was just about to pass out when the belt snapped and I fell 15' straight down. Because I was so lethargic, I walked away from the incident with some cuts and bruises and was very sore ... no broken bones and I don't think I died I was hunting alone and I thinK the stand was a Baker with a wooden platform ..... Smoking saved my life (maybe I should pick it back up )
Wow! Me too! It's a wonder I'm still living as many times as my Baker slipped a few feet. Very dangerous stand and I still have mind but NEVER use it anymore.
