With all of the vests, harnesses, zip lines...etc, how many of you just use a simple safety belt? Meaning one strap around the tree and one strap around you? It's all I use to be honest, and if I do fall, I'm sure it's going to hurt a bit more with all of the weight going to One area of your body, but will it not still serve the purpose it is designed to do? I like the mobility and freedom of a single strap, but I don't want to be hunting in a noose either...
You're damn straight that's gonna hurt more. I'm assuming the strap goes around your chest and under both arm pits OR is it around the waist? Either way...that might hurt a little. I'm still using the cheapo harness that came with my summit 4 yrs ago and I'd hate to think what it'd feel like if I fell...with that.
That's all my buddy wears too. He has even fallen in his once, just to test it. Said it certainly wasn't pleasant but it did atleast catch him. I wear a HSS just so I don't have to carry a pack. Everything I need fits in its pockets, AND it acts as a lifesaver.
Those things are awesome... but I pack light,(call, light, knife, binos, rangefinder) a vest would be more burden than help...for when I hunt here behind my house. Everything I carry fits in my jacket, and those things are pricey, not to put a price on safety I would likely buy one if I had the funds at the time a good deal arose. I do have a(2) full body harnesses, I just like my belt so much better, Im just wondering how much that would change, dangling 20ft in the air...
I wore an HSS till I got a Muddy. Don't like the Muddy, anyone want to buy it LOL? Now I wear a standard 3 point harness that I've had till my HSS comes in from Andy at Ultimate Camo.
Probably change alot seeing you have a great chance of crushing your chest and possibly killing yourself. You do know those are not a regulated TMA certified belt. You have a good chance of ending up dead so I don't think it's a much better choice than wearing nothing. They quit making those belts for a reason. Guys this is no joke get a vest. If your too cool to get one for you get one for those that love you. You are STUPID if you take that risk.
I used to use the single strap untill I saw what happens when you fall with them..not a pleasant site to see. Now I wear my Gorilla Full Body Harness. Its not hard to put on and can wear it under my coat so it doesnt constrict my movement.
Yeah what a adrenaline rush falling 20 feet face first to the ground and hoping I live or walk ever again.
The constriction created on the chest by a single strap can lead to you hanging up there dead pretty quickly. When all of your wight is hanging on that strap, your chest can't expand. You hang there, you suffocate, you die. I have a spare harness if you want it. Wear it for your mom.
I used to go free and easy because I was young and invincible. After I got older and wiser I used the single strap set up since I had about a dozen of them from all the stands I bought through the years. One day I bought a Summit climber and had to watch the DVD to assemble it and the safety stuff was in it. I switched to the harness and now plan to get a HSS just for ease of use. I shake my head every time I think about all those years up a tree without the protection of even a single strap. Reports are that one in four hunters will fall some time in their hunting lives. Not good odds when you think about it so my suggestion to everyone is wear all and the best the safety equipment you can. That first fall can put an end to your hunting season ....forever.
There is NO noise from using a harness correctly. I have several harnesses, but have settled on using the harness that came with my Summit climber. Takes me 30 seconds to put it on. I used to be an idiot and not wear a harness, then I changed my tune when I my mother told me her boss felt out of his treestand about 10 years ago. He broke multiple ribs, strained his back, and basically had to crawl out of the woods to live. F-that.
I only wear a safety belt. It's in proper set up. I set it so that when I'm seated, it's snug. I cannot fall farther than my seated position where I can simply access the stand. I've tested it relentlessly. As a telco lineman, we've also undergone training to these effects, even purposely was to fall off poles to test safety equipment and see how the belts and harness's react to extreme weight and falls. None of which are pleasant and I commend you guys for wearing vests but please, be sure to properly install them as well.
Rob's quote reminds me of the fact that I use one of my old lineman's belt to hang my lock on stands. It is way easier to just lean back and have 2 hands available for the job. When I get the HSS I will probably try out their lineman's lanyard that works the same way but is more portable.
I wear a HSS, I find it comfortable , and I can move around well in it without making any noise. Works just fine for me!
Well .... I use a belt as well ... AND I had a tree stand fall 15' to the ground below when I startted to descend ....this was 20 years ago ... you guys remember the old, "Grab the tree and bend your knees" stands? I hung from the belt that slipped under my armpits .... I smoked at the time and my knife was in my pack that I had lowered already ..... I ended up burning the strap with my cigarrette lighter because I was losing oxygen to somewhere :D ..My limp body fell to the ground once the strap melted and I was ok .... I wonder if they had harnesses back then what would have happened?
With those belts, if one puts them on wrong, you get a great gift if you fall. You get to die slower as it chokes the air out of you.
For those of you that wear single belts or chest-only belts you really need to read up on suspension trauma and how it effects you should you fall from a stand. There have been extensive studies done on this. Most guys who wear only belts or chest-type harnesses do so b/c they prefer additional mobility or ease of use. To that effect, they generally position their tree strap much lower than it should be. After all, don't want to get caught up when the time to shoot comes..... With a standard single strap, should you fall and not be able to get back to your platform or a step easily you have usually less than 3-5 minutes to live. The strap will put pressure on your diaphragm and not allow you to breathe. You'll be dead pretty quick. In most cases they say you'd have a better chance of survival not wearing any belt at all than wearing a single strap. Chest straps have a similar effect. They will choke you out in somewhere around 8-10 minutes. Full body harnesses give you a much better chance of survival, and usually give you 15 minutes or so before suspension trauma kicks in. All TMA approved harnesses now come with a suspension relief strap to help combat this. If you get a new harnesses with a relief strap PLEASE read the manual and make sure you know how to use the strap and that you have it available to you while hunting. Read about suspension trauma here: http://www.gomuddy.com/publish/posts/3/is-a-harness-for-hanging-or-hunting.html and here http://www.mountaineer-sports.com/suspensiontrauma.php
