I was praising the Field & Stream Timberline I bought a few weeks ago as I have ventured from private to public land. Well the metal "V" behind and just below the seat broke and I fell from the tree. Thank God I had my HSS life line set up to catch me and only fell 8-10" but it scared the crap out of me. After a few sits I was already regretting the weight so I returned the stand and got my money back and bought a much nicer climber, open front for bowhunting and WOW what a difference. So much more comfortable and much quicker getting up a tree and set up, plus I'm saving about 40# on my back. No more getting to the tree and hanging sticks, then hanging a pulley system to pull up the stand and wrestling with the straps. Bottom line is wear your harness and clip in from beginning to end.
Oh man, now you have me nervous! I had a timberline and used it on multiple carry in/carry out sits and never had a problem this season. But that was one of the stands i had stolen from me, but i planned on buying a new one in the future! Now i dont know if that would be a good idea! I loved the seat comfort and the platform size though. Plus it was pretty cheap on sale! But glad to hear youre okay! I fell about 10 feet to the ground last year when i slipped off one of my lone wolf sticks. Shredded my hand up a bit on the sticks and hit the ground pretty hard. That was before i was using a linemans belt during setup, bought a new harness this season so that wont happen again!! Hunt safe!
Glad to hear your ok sir and it's a reminder to everyone to wear their harness. I have fallen in love with my Chippewa Brutus maximus, so easy to hang and dead nuts don't move and roomy even for a big boy like me. I dont want to fall so thats why i wear my linesmans belt and tree strap while climbing and setting steps makes it take a lil longer but makes me feel so much more secure.
That's one thing I'm really loving about the climber. I take my one HSS climber rope that goes up the tree as I do and that's it. I was carrying two of those and using one as a lineman's belt, plus a rope to pull the stand up. I probably hauled my weight in ropes and straps. I first hung the stand on my property getting used to it, but was riding my ATV up to the tree and had multiple ratchets in my ATV bag and secured the stand. The seat was comfortable and the platform was huge and it felt like a HUGE upgrade from ladder stands. About 10 days ago was the first time I tried a mobile public land hunt. After getting to my spot and then after getting it hung without all of the extra stuff I had on the ATV, I was ready to go home. All my ratchets were still on the ATV and not with me, so I hung it with the seatbelt strap up top that came with it and the cam buckle strap at the bottom. The platform tapers into two tubes with no teeth about 3" wide. I noticed the stand kept sagging and the platform pivoted a lot without my extra straps. Short sit that day. This past Friday I hauled all the extra straps in on me. I stepped on it to test and it was fine. Put foot #2 on and it dropped about 4". It felt settled and I sat down. Maybe 10-15 min in I hear a high pinged snap and the blount, non digging into the tree "V" up top sheared at the bolt that attached it. One of the two slots where the belt clipped on spun and down I went. I bought the Field & Stream climber the day before that hang on and it just felt "deathly." I spent a bit more on this climber with the Summit stirrups, Thirdhand straps, etc. I like how it has teeth and wrap around the tree and is so stable.
There are many hunters maimed or killed every year from elevated stand falls. You sir are one of the lucky ones who had the good sense to wear their safety gear. Good gear is worth the price but it all needs checked for quality of workmanship and wear and tear often. I went the other evening to set for a few hours in a ground blind. Setting there for about 30 minutes when I realized I had slipped my safety harness on when I got out of the truck. Don't know that it would have helped much if I fell off my stool. :>)
When I bought my new stand Friday night I made sure to pick up a new harness since my old saw service action. I actually liked my harness' vest so I cut all my straps off with a solder iron and kept the vest part.