Fall tests

[houser52]

I'm just hoping it's not going to be a knut crusher like the commercial tree stand harnesses.

[j.krug]

Not sure whether I prefer to fall on me noggin' or smash me berries?? Probably less harm done to land on me noggin!!

All kidding aside I have my relief strap preadjusted and attach it to my harness before going into the tree. I also attach my tree strap up high so I wont fall past my tree stand platform and I have a step in the tree on both sides of my stand located in such a way that it will assist me with getting back on the platform. Hopefully, knock on wood, I will never need to use any of this stuff.

[houser52]

Not sure whether I prefer to fall on me noggin' or smash me berries?? Probably less harm done to land on me noggin!!

All kidding aside I have my relief strap preadjusted and attach it to my harness before going into the tree. I also attach my tree strap up high so I wont fall past my tree stand platform and I have a step in the tree on both sides of my stand located in such a way that it will assist me with getting back on the platform. Hopefully, knock on wood, I will never need to use any of this stuff.

Hey that sounds like a pretty good plan.

[strum]

Knockin on wood sound better than knockin on those coconuts
its been a day or two and my little friends are still abit sore
thats realy why i started this post because i know most guys(me included) never try this stuff out ..we just put it on and climb away..now that i know ill be sure and adjust my straps good and snug (not tight but snug)..I found that loose straps tend to ride on up to the pain region..
so yall keep your straps tight and the boys will thank you

[Normous]

I'll report back soon with Patti's hanging feeling and findings for the female forum members here.

[strum]

I'll report back soon with Patti's hanging feeling and findings for the female forum members here.

thanks Norm..im sure all this talk has been driving those gals nuts
sorry i just couldnt help myself

[vh64]

Don't feel bad panhandler80 up until now I hunted out of everything mostly my climber and never used any safety device at all. Many years of disregard for my safety and not to mention causing great hardship to my family. Thank God my brain finally developed enough for a seed of common sense to spring up. Still have a grand canyon of room to go before I can say I'm pretty smart now.

[papa bear1]

Hey strum you might wan to try what i do, get you some adjustable straps and hook them to you'r lineman belt (D) rings, then when you get in you'r stand safely' take the other ends, which,have adj.loops and put them around you'r feet adj. them while you'e sitting down, so if you (heaven forbid) do fall!! all you have to do is stand up... but as with every thing else you do,,,, PRACTICE!!!!! Hope this might work for you,,,,See ya in the woods papa bear1

[houser52]

Strum- As requested here's my test results while wearing the climbing harness-

I got my Edelweiss climbing harness today, the one I had posted a picture of, and had a chance to practice self rescue this afternoon. The harness is used for rock climbing, zip lines and climbing in the gym. It's rated for this and can take a fall out of a tree stand.

For safety while practicing I had my hang on stand just about chest high off of the ground. I connected to the tree by looping a 11mm dynamic climbing rope around the tree as high as I could reach while in the stand and a prussik loop which to attach my harness tether. It's like the life line that HSS sells.

The tether was located on the rope about neck high while sitting down. The tether then ran down from the tree on my right side and over to the attachment point on the harness in the front. This allows for enough slack to turn in either direction to shoot and the tether is not in the way at all.

Instead of jumping out I eased over the side of the stand and kinda let the harness take my weight. I could touch the ground if I stood on my tip toes but was high enough to sit in the harness. Like strum I had to make some harness adjustments to get more comfortable while hanging. Even then it's not that comfortable since the leg loops aren't padded. A harness with padded leg loops would be more comfortable but you would have to sit on that padding the whole time you hunted and I don't know if that would be any better.

Something that I had been concerned about was being attached to the harness at the waist, in the front and whether I would be able to stay upright. Well, while hanging from the harness I tried to turn upside down and couldn't do it no matter how hard I tried. If I would have dove off of the stand like a diving board I might have been upside down for a second but I don't think hanging while being inverted is going to be a concern at all.

With the climbing harness self rescue went off without any problem at all. When hanging I was just below the stand's platform. Since I was attached to the harness in the front I could stretch out my legs by pushing against the tree. I then reached down and attached a loop, using a klemheist knot, to the rope just high enough to still get my foot in the loop. Once I put my foot in the loop I just grabbed the rope just below the prussik/tether and stood up and on to my stand. I did this numerous times from both sides of the stand and it was not that hard to do.

After trying the Edelweiss harness I tried my HSS Ultra Lite harness. Comfort while hanging was about the same. Getting turned abound to face the tree wasn't hard but forget about trying to attach a prussik loop to the rope and stand up. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't get my hands on my lifeline to attach a loop or to pull myself up. I stood on my tip toes to take the weight off of the harness and unbuckled the leg straps to get out. In my opinion self rescue with the full body harness would be very difficult if you didn't have a ladder or steps.

It looks like a climbing harness is going to be what I will be using from now on. I might have to try a climbing harness with padding for comparison though.

I'm not trying to recommend anything to anyone but I just wanted to share my results and what I'm doing to help be safer while in the stand.

[vh64]

Houser52 that was an excellent post. The most important thing is you know that you have a self rescue plan doesn't matter what you use as long as it works
I really enjoyed reading your test and strums also.

[houser52]

I finally had a chance to take a few pics of my harness in use.

This is while in the stand and waiting.


This shows when a deer might be approaching and up for the shot. Notice how the tether is out of the way for any shot to the left, right or forward.


If I do fall out of my stand I don't actually fall very far at all. I just climb back onto the stand, step on my ladder or steps or use another prussic loop as a step back onto the stand.


One last thing... I ended up using a padded harness instead of the Edelweiss. It's a Petzl Aspir rock climbing harness with light padding on the legs and waist. It's very comfy while wearing or hanging.

[j.krug]

Thanks for posting those pics houser52.
Is there any concern that if you fell out head first, think of a diving position, that you would stay hanging head down and not be able to right yourself?

[houser52]

If you can tell from the pics, when hanging the tether is above the center of my body. This puts most of my body's mass below the attachment point.

I guess if I had on a heavy pack it could be possible to invert but getting right side up would be easy. I'd just reach up and grab my lifeline and right myself.

I've tried to turn myself upside down while hanging and can't do it.

[strum]

i like it..whats the cost of one of those?..i may want to try one. it would be nice to have an option to use whichever one needed or wanted for the situation..or have a spare to let a friend or family memeber use..

[Dash]

You've raised a pretty good point about these harnesses strum. I work offshore from time to time, and suspension trauma has become quite an issue in the industry. Its very important how its setup. Being an emergency safety device, no-one used to think how do we get the guy down after he's left hanging'in it. Its not funny for long. Any time time suspended in one of the these and your blood flow is cut off. Your crown jewels could be the least of your problems.