This all sounds cliche' I know, but it bears repeating. Especially after this morning's incident. Especially those of us that frequent the forums, we hear it time and time again. So often, in fact, we don't really pay attention to the warning anymore. But hear me out, I pray you. So I'm sitting in my climber this morning, minding my own business. You know how when you're sitting, and have been for a while, you just need to raise your arms up and let out a good stretch? Well, that's what I did when all of a sudden WHAM! The seat potion of my climber slides down the tree and pancakes onto the platform. Yes, WHILE I'm sitting in it. I don't really know what happened, but all I can figure is I must have hit the front rail with my knee and tipped that rascal just enough to dislodge it. I was lucky. I landed sitting on my platform, unscathed. In the past, I've been one to not wear my harness. "It won't happen to me. I've never even come close to falling out." But last year I decided that I dearly love bowhunting, and want to be able to do so long into the future. So I got in the habit of wearing my harness. I haven't been in the tree without it, this year. Fellas, you don't even know you're wearing it. I've started to climb down before I realized I was still hooked up. WEAR THE DAMN THING! Now, I don't know how all climbers work, but my Summit has a cinch strap that is used to hold the 2 pieces together while packing the stand. But that strap pulls double duty by securing the seat portion to the tree. Yeah, I never use that. But I did this evening, and will from here out. Use them fellas, they honestly could save your life.
I bet that was a bit of an adrenaline rush Mobow. Just recently a patient that presented to the ER after falling onto a treestep. He came close to disemboweling himself.
Thank God you did not fall any further. I have always used that cinch strap since my own top section of my Viper slipped a little once. Sure make you pucker up real quick. ALWAYS use that strap. It takes 10 seconds to install. ALWAYS wear a harness. Like Mobow, "I want to enjoy my next years of bowhunting also, and not from a wheel chair in a ground blind, or worse". It is not worth it to be unsafe out there.
I believe I would have messed my pants if that was me mobow. Glad everything was fine though. Use that strap and safety harness guys!
Glad you're OK! Yep, that harness saves lives, there's no doubt. When I get to hunting height with my LW sit & climb, I screw in a tree hook behind me and under the traction belt of the seat section to prevent it from slipping down the tree if and when (standing for a shot) my weight comes off of it.
I can totally relate. Two years ago my wife kept nagging me about wearing a saftey harness, I just pretty much ignored her. Then we were in Gander Mtn one day and she just up and buys me one. I hadn't worn a safety device in over twenty years because I thought if I was just careful, which I always was, nothing would happen to me. That was two years ago and I haven't gotten into a tree without it since. Good thing too, this year I have had 2 stand failures where if I had not been wearing the HSS, I would have fallen! Two stand failures in one year, who'd thunk it? Just goes to show, you can be as careful as they come but you can't do anything about equipment failure. Blessings.....Pastorjim
with that cinch strap hooked onto the seat portion of the climber it will never come loose from the tree. I have tipped mine up completely releasing the cable from the tree and she stayed put. it just can't fall. I always use mine. I really glad your ok. on a different note, I have had my bottom cut loose while I was climbing down. still ten feet up, and luckily I was sitting on my top section, rail. there is a smallish rope they provided to secure the two halves in case of this situation and yes it did prevent the bottom from falling all the way to the ground, but there I sit, ten feet high, the rope was attached to far back on the bottom to be able to tip the bottom up releaseing it so I could pull it back up...lesson learned. that was a pickle. i couldn't reach it. I was able to get ahold of a branch from another nearby tree and tug until it broke, thankfully long enough to hook the bottom and bring it back up. I was thinking I'd have to chance the bear hug and shinny down, but it worked out. again, glad your ok. it could have been much worse.
I'm glad you're OK Don. I had a buddy at the lease ask me this week, " Whats with the lifevest? Scared?" I replied, " Yes, I'm scared of my wife having to wipe my butt for the rest of my life because I fell out of a tree and became a quadraplegic. And its a safety vest, ya wear lifevests in a boat!" His attitude changed after my comment. He started asking me about comfort levels, etc. Then a couple wives started giving thier husbands grief about wearing them. I think we'll be seeing more safety equipment in camp soon.
Yes I can relate. I comented on this problem on another thread. Bungi the seat to the tree. It works. I can definetly relate to falling also. I went for a 14 foot tumble just last week out of a Jack Pine. My back is still a bit screwed.
And knowing John's land as well as I do, you could have been 25' up a tree but 45' from where you'd hit the ground! Glad you're ok bud.
Don'zo, I think that would wake a guy up real quick :D Im just glad it did not dislodge the bottom portion to. I have another tip for climbers. you know that rope thats between the to sections? USE IT ALSO, I made the mistake of not using it one year. I was 25 ft up and draped my feet around the lower section to scoot it sideways a bit and wham, it went to the ground with me sitting in the top section
Don.. I can't believe you just started wearing a harness last year. That's something I never got.. why would anybody not? Good thing you're doing it now.. falling to your death is what I consider a real drag.
I know it, Mike. I can't either, now. Arrogance my friend. It's gotten lots of people hurt, and unfortunately it's gonna get more.
