Hanging from your harness..Now what??

[Live2Hunt]

After reading the "Broken Stand" post and plenty of time to think in the stand this AM.

I had this thought:

Ok were all strapped in and up 10,12,18 feet off the ground. The stand breaks and your hanging by our harness.

Now what??

No one ever tells you how to get down. LOL

I carry a screw in step (sometimes) but left that behind today.

Shimmy down the tree ?,,Was great when I was younger but can't picture doing that at 52.

Remember, you have the strap above you and have to climb up to loosen it.

Thought we all could use some help on this one.

Any suggestion??

[Cabin Fever]

My stands are setup with climbing sticks or screw in steps, so that would be an easy out. I don't use climbers anymore. Guess you just better remember that screw in step that they tell you to carry in your safety harness and keep a cell phone in an outside pocket, so it's easy to get to.

[Nomad]

Good question and one the needs to be covered more. I feel that a stand with screw in steps I'll be able to reach them, why because I've tested doing it. I do test my equipment by hanging from it ect.If not I'm tied into a rope with a Prusik knot, a second closed loop is on me ,i can then tie a second Prusik on the line for a foot hold,stand,slide top one down,hang from top one ,slide foot one down untill on the ground. At work we've gone up and down 5 stories in training by doing this .

HSS has the straps you carry on you to remove tension from the leg straps too if one prefers to hang untill help comes. Keep your cell on you as well as numbers of folks who know where your stands are. I have a photo with stand locations and my wife knows which one I'm in and I call when my boots are on the ground .

The main farm makes you check in an out each hunt. I have thought of leaving an old ladder near by for the people I call to bring to me also.

My climber, I'll be hanging till help comes ,if I drop my cell,that could be awhile BUT my wife will call if I don't.I don't answer she'll call the farmers and tell them what stand to go to or in the case of the climber area to check.

Now a ladderstand seems to be the hardest your hanging along the tree and its hard to reach the ladder which is a fair distance away. I put a couple screw in steps where I can stand on them to make it easier to reach the ladder.

Bottom line practice, before you fall,train like you fight so to speak .

BTW I'm 53

Edited October 6, 2012 by Larry302

[biggamefish]

I think another big thing is to stay in shape. I know round is a shape but if you can lift your body weight you have a better chance.

[Nomad]

Right on biggamefish ! I just got home from the gym,sat. is deadlift day for me.Sumo's, snatch grip, reg. deads 225lbs 5x5 then a few sets of chin ups .

[ants]

A lot of older guys just are not in that kind of shape. I use to live in the gym. now Im lucky if I work out twice a week. And because of an injury back in May work outs are even harder..Just the way it is. You younger guys will see.

[agross]

Believe it or not it can be deadly. I watched (once after all the stands i bought and the free dvds that comes with it) a dvd and showed how when you are just hanging there in your harness the straps around your legs actually act like a tournequet (spelling???). Your blood gets pumped into you legs and actually pools there because of the pressure from the legs straps around your thighs.

That is why with all new harnesses you get that additional little hook and strap that they claim can also be used to drag deer. Your are supposed to hook it to the rear of the harness and then step into it with one foot and stand up in the strap to relieve the pressure.

I was completely shocked when i saw it Never thought that could happen. I think that you really only have a matter of a few minutes hanging there before you pass out. Also that is why i think some companies are now making the leg straps with an additional strap across your butt so you really are sitting instead of hanging by your legs.

[agross]

Oh and also i think they suggest wrapping the tree strap up as high as you can reach so if you do fall out of the stand you are just out of the stand and actually at stand level to make it easier to climb back in.

[nyslowhand]

Edited October 6, 2012 by nyslowhand

[Guns&ReligionCop]

I have my harness set so its taunt when I'm sitting and loose when I'm standing. I won't fall more than a few inchs and will be able to use my stand to get righted again. The largest danger I feel is while climbing

[bubba]

I do not use a harness. if I fall out of the chair in my ground blind, I will just get back up.

[kzcycle]

The vests from Hunter Safety System come with a suspension relief strap. Thankfully I've never had to use it. From what I understand you hook it to one of the lower buckles on the vest and use it as a step to right yourself. Doubles as a deer drag strap too.

[Moosemaple]

I do not use a harness. if I fall out of the chair in my ground blind, I will just get back up.

I aree with you, I only hunt from a ground blind.

[Paula]

good video

Edited October 7, 2012 by paula

[growalot]

Things to keep in your breast pockets...or side pockets...CHARGED Cell phone...and a knife....extra line...a whistle around your neck

[tughillhunter]

I think you should just use some common sense. Use your brain and prepare. Its not cool to be a statistic. And, like learned in hunter ed, mechanical devices fail, such as rifles, bows, etc. So, if you think its so funny on how no one taught you to get down, you didnt pay any attention. This stuff is not a joke.

[Doc]

Ha! maybe there's a reason why my fear of heights came on me a bunch of years back. This whole thread has convinced me that it may all have been a fortunate thing.....lol. I always thought the main thing was to have a safety strap. Then they explained that that wasn't enough you had to have a harness. A simple belt will kill you. Ok that's fine. A bit of cash involved, but safety is where its at. Now they are talking about blood pooling in your legs and feet if you don't have some additional strappy-thing. And then there is the prospect of dangling there until you die of starvation. And now there is a whole survival kit of phones, knives, etc. that you should be carrying in order to survive a fall.

Look, to me there is no deer that's worth all that kind of risk. And even if I was not afflicted with my fear-of-heights thing, I think at this point I would be coming back down out the trees, back to a place where man was meant to be ...... the ground. Over the years I have proven to myself that I can still get deer from the ground. It may be a bit of a handicap, but it sounds like an additional challenge that I am able to live with.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

Ha! maybe there's a reason why my fear of heights came on me a bunch of years back. This whole thread has convinced me that it may all have been a fortunate thing.....lol. I always thought the main thing was to have a safety strap. Then they explained that that wasn't enough you had to have a harness. A simple belt will kill you. Ok that's fine. A bit of cash involved, but safety is where its at. Now they are talking about blood pooling in your legs and feet if you don't have some additional strappy-thing. And then there is the prospect of dangling there until you die of starvation. And now there is a whole survival kit of phones, knives, etc. that you should be carrying in order to survive a fall.

Look, to me there is no deer that's worth all that kind of risk. And even if I was not afflicted with my fear-of-heights thing, I think at this point I would be coming back down out the trees, back to a place where man was meant to be ...... the ground. Over the years I have proven to myself that I can still get deer from the ground. It may be a bit of a handicap, but it sounds like an additional challenge that I am able to live with.

A few years ago I would have agreed with you as far a ground hunting being a handicap but then I hunted a little bit from a ground blind. Mind you its a pop up not natural but I sit back relaxed, reading, eating , moving freely without fear of being seen. i still do both depending on what the situation dictates but I find ground blinds a lot more pleasurable. Heck my father has taken it a step further and he uses the elevated blinds now. Best of both worlds!! hmmmm think I'll start a thread on this?

[mtbuck]

i keep a spare knife in the pocket of my vest so if the worse happens cut the strap while hugging the tree with your one free arm and your legs. thats the best soulution i could come up after the bottom of my climber fell while i was sitting in the top , so it got me thinking , what if.

[hunter49]

i keep a spare knife in the pocket of my vest so if the worse happens cut the strap while hugging the tree with your one free arm and your legs. thats the best soulution i could come up after the bottom of my climber fell while i was sitting in the top , so it got me thinking , what if.

If you don't already, Tie your seat & bottom together on both sides,towards the front of the 2 parts, that way you won't lose your bottom part. Also when you get where you want to be tighten those 2 lines up at the front corners of the seat part & when you stand up to take a shot your weight will put pressure on the front of seat part & stop it from slideing down the tree too. There is a Co. that makes adjustable straps that do this same thing but I can't think of its name.

Also check out the Q- Safe climbing system at blindedhunting,com I have one & it works great . J M $.02

Edited October 9, 2012 by hunter49

[Guns&ReligionCop]

Safety tip, Do not leave screw in steps in the tree year round because as the tree expands it weakens the metal. Its common to have them just snap if they have been left to long. My father had the experience but lucky he was holding on with both hands at the time