Tree stand broke

[nybuckboy]

Glad you're OK. No climbers for me. Had one once and just didn't feel safe in it. Sold it. Hope the guys OK.

[tughillhunter]

glad ur ok too. i get sketched out on some tree stands myself sometimes. i must admit, i dont use the harness system as much as i should, you just never know.

[Lawdwaz]

The stand was Ameristep. Forgot the name of the model. I don't think they sell it anymore. Bought it for like $120 or something like that. Will have to hunt on the ground for the rest of the season. Might go with steps and hang on or saddle next year but money is tight this year.

The bottom platform as you well know should be completely straight. It bent where that white part is at. The white is due to the paint cracking off due to the bend. Fortunately it dropped right when I was hugging the tree as I was trying to get the harness around the trunk. Also fortunate that I was only 12 to 15 feet up.

Is (was) that a folding climber?

What do you weigh?

[Elmo]

WNY - It wasn't an oak tree but it wasn't completely smooth.

Lawdwaz - I weight 172 lbs.

[wdswtr]

Sure glad you are okay. It sounds like you didn not have the tether attached to the seat and the platform. If they were connected this might uave been avoided. Always use a climbing belt and dont disconnect it till you are tied in the tree. Sorry you went through this.

[phade]

bad luck....that belt was not tight enoguh for your weight so close to the tree rather than leverage on the front of the stand. i agree that it may have bent during the fall. i have three climbers...wonder what the cost would be to ship you one to borrow for the season.

[Elmo]

I removed the tethers because I was starting my descend. I removed my harness because I had tied the harness above a branch sticking out of the trunk and was in the process of tying it back under the branch.

Yes, it could very well have ben on the fall. I was standing on the platform tying the harness back to the trunk and next thing I knew I was standing on the ground think "holy craps! What just happen?". The big mistake I made was tying the harness above a branch. This forced me to remove the harness from the trunk to get down, even if it's temporary.

I think I'll go without a climber for the season and get a climbing stick and saddle next year.

[Elmo]

I removed the tethers because I was starting my descend. I removed my harness because I had tied the harness above a branch sticking out of the trunk and was in the process of tying it back under the branch.

Yes, it could very well have ben on the fall. I was standing on the platform tying the harness back to the trunk and next thing I knew I was standing on the ground think "holy craps! What just happen?". The big mistake I made was tying the harness above a branch. This forced me to remove the harness from the trunk to get down, even if it's temporary.

I think I'll go without a climber for the season and get a climbing stick and saddle next year.

[Elmo]

Thanks, Phade for the offer.

[dave6x6]

Elmo, Sure glad you only got a nasty bruise. Could have been a disaster for you and your family. I must say though that i agree with WNY and Phade in that it sounds like the platform lost its grip on the tree when you had you weight and feet to close to the trunk of the tree. This is a no-no with most climbers. You have to keep your weight from the middle of the platform - out or the grip may be lost.

[wdswtr]

Your one lucky dude. Those aid in stopping what happened. They shouldnt be removed. I also have 3 climbers, 3 different brands and although none are an ameristep the tethers are either lengthened for the climb and descent, or the strap is long enough so they are not touched on mine. If ameristep need to be taken off for climbing I would change that around. Just losing your platform in a climb isnt good as you are screwed. I do agree though to much forward weight probably was big cause but those straps would of shortened the fall by all but a foot or so. Always strap in even if unstrapping. Cant be too safe, no such thing. A unfortunate thing but something we all certainly can learn from. Stay safe and good hunting to you!

[Doc]

There is no excuse for designing and selling to the public, a unit that can malfunction putting the consumer's life and body at risk when the unit is being properly used. It just shouldn't happen. You should be able to stand on any part of that platform without any danger of the gripping parts of the stand parting from the tree. You should absolutely send a scathing note to the manufacturer.

[growalot]

Elmo that is a nasty bruise and I'm very glad your body didn't get hung up on anything on the way down....just wondering...is that the base of a beech tree I see in pic? and you don't tether your base to the seat part always?

Please reconsider climbing "sticks"I know someone that his harness saved him but the climbing stick tore him up!! in the short fall he took...ladder sections I think are safer...You have a safe rest of the season...protect those other 8 lives you have left...

[crappyice]

Scary an some nasty bruise, but thnk I'd th is all.

I have a summit and exclusively hunt from it and feel absolutely safe (an I have you by 60 lbs!). It's amazing how quickly bad crap can happen

[Kot2B]

Elmo, glad you are ok. I had a fall with a climber when I first started hunting and was "too tough" for a harness. Similar situation slid down the tree and got scratched to hell luckily it was only 10 feet up. I've never been in a climber since and only hunt out of ladder stands now. They are light enough to carry on your shoulder and move them to different spots, but if you are hunting state land you'd have to set it up every time you go out. Good luck for the rest of the season and maybe try ground hunting in a brush blind.

[hunter]

Elmo, sorry to hear about the fall but thank God you're OK.

[Suilleabhain]

Wow, thank God you are okay. Been there, my own fault, I know how the ride down feels.

[Elmo]

Grow, I see your point about climbing sticks.

Looking at climbers now with the inherent danger of standing to close to the base makes me lean more towards an alternative unless this was more due to the quality of my stand. I skimp and bought the more affordable model. Maybe a more expensive model might be more forgiving of human error?

[Jeremy_K]

Are you sure that's an Ameristep stand? It looks identical to my climber which is a Field and Stream Primetime lite, sold at Dicks. Mine is aluminum and painted black but I remember there being green ones too. I thought the Ameristeps were steel which can support more than aluminum but makes the stand weigh around 30 lbs. Either way it's probably made at the same Chinese factory. Just last year I noticed a slight bow in the platform of mine. I'm about 285 lbs before gear and it's always been a rock solid, comfortable stand. I'm planning on buying a Summit Viper SD tomorrow to replace it. The newer Summits aren't bolted together. Bolts rust, stretch, wiggle, and squeak. They're welded all the way around and made here in USA. I compared the Field and Stream that I have to a similar Summit and they're not even in the same league. I'm guessing you got your weight a little too close to the tree causing the back of the platform to slip down the tree and the back cable caught all of the weight causing it to pull up on the front of the platform. I never really thought of this being a possibility until now. I've done what you did dozens of times. I've just been real lucky with my weight being what it is. On a side note, Notice the rounded teeth on the diggers of your stand. Mine were rounded like that from the factory too. The first thing I did was take an angle grinder to those teeth and made them sharp like shark teeth. They started making these stands to appease the tree huggers and sacrifice hunter safety. I don't appreciate the DEC agreeing with this stance either .

Edited October 7, 2012 by Jeremy_K

[Jeremy_K]

Here are a couple shots I took of mine last year. Notice the gap under the level. I added the Summit Rapid Climb stirrups to this stand because the factory foot straps broke the very first time I used it.

[Elmo]

Jeremy, you're totally right. It is the Field and Stream Primetime Lite. I never thought about it after I bought it and threw out the box but the moment you mentioned the name, it rung a bell.

[phade]

There is no excuse for designing and selling to the public, a unit that can malfunction putting the consumer's life and body at risk when the unit is being properly used. It just shouldn't happen. You should be able to stand on any part of that platform without any danger of the gripping parts of the stand parting from the tree. You should absolutely send a scathing note to the manufacturer.

I don't think elmo had it tight enough. He had it taught with pressure in the middle or end, but not when his feet moved into the tree, which creates a tiny amount of slack in the straps and pushes out the base from the tree. It very well could have been one or two clinches tigher and it wouldn't have given out.

I'm not casting stones, but Elmo may have simply thought he ahd it taught enough. I know I've done it before myself and it's scary at times.

Elmo, Saddles are not made any longer and are hard to find used. You may luck into one but they carry a premium since they are no longer available. Guido's Web is nice, they are about $340 new. I like mine.

Offer still stands..I have practically anything you'd need...sticks, steps, hangons, ladders, climbers...My hunting room looks like an end of times bunker for deer hunting.

Edited October 7, 2012 by phade

[Elmo]

I really appreciate the offer Phade. I'll see how my season changes. All my raucous has cause the deer I'm targetting to shift to a new area where a stand won't do me any good. It's open field of tall grass and I haven't identified where they're coming in from yet. I don't want to take a stand off of you and not use it. If the deer shifts again into a spot where a tree stand would give me a clear advantage or I identify where they're entering this field from then I'll definitely take you up on your offer.

[dave6x6]

Elmo. I would certainly not write off climbers because of this episode. They can be a very valuable hunting tool that you will come to appreciate some day if you keep it in your bag of tricks. Climbers simply require a different level of concentration and skill. The same way using a hang on with screw-ins requires different skills and concentration then a ladder stand. And please don't write off climbing sticks either. They work great. Remember All, We are hunting. There's some risk.

[ny hunter]

I also think that is up side down.If you look at the photo.Glad your okay Buddy.