Fall tests

[strum]

i had purchased a HSS Pro Series Harness/Vest a couple of weeks ago ..
Today I set up a stand in my yard and did some hanging tests to see how it felt and what would i do if i ever fall..
I put a loc on type stand about 8 feet up and used some buck steps to climb. Now for the news,,IT SUX
not the harness it will save you life but to be hanging from 20 or 30 ft up would be a scary thing..I never just jumped because i didnt want to tear the break away stitching but i just eased down and let the harness take my weight..I tried both sides because one side had steps and the other didnt..
at first it was a ball buster let me say that again BALL BUSTER if the boys are not out of the way and the leg straps are not adjusted right you will squeal like a little girl but after an adjustment or two i got it so it felt pretty good hanging there.
Guys im no expert but what i was looking for was how to rescue myself ..let me say ..its not easy.
Im 170 lbs /46 years old and in pretty good shape but it matters where your hanging..if your close to the stand you can get back on with some effort ..if there is some steps close you can use them..but if you on a side with no steps your in trouble..It hangs you facing out and you have to get turned around and if you cant you better get your suspension relief strap in place and call for help. I found that with some effort i can get turned around and by facing the tree i got all the control i need to walk around to some steps. i know im saying a lot but i want every one who plans to hunt off the ground to try this at home ..its an eye opener..last thing i also tried my old one that just clipped around my waist and straped over my shoulders,,you would die in a matter of min with that one..you cannot breath..and to think i been using it since 93 or 94 wow

[georgiaboy]

Thanks for info on the test...i think
I just bought the HSS tree stalker, will watch the dvd again and pay more attention to the part about using your deer drag to take your weight.
Thanks again
Jimmy

[OkXbowHunter]

Good advice! And thank you and the "boys" for doing that test. Many people who use these vest think if they fall all they'll have to do is hang there until help arrives. But NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!

Even if the vest stops you from falling, you can still die from suspension trauma. That's due to the straps around you legs preventing blood from making it back to your heart. This is why you need to practice using that suspension relief strap! It's not as easy as they make it look on the video!

[sumner4991]

Great idea strum! If I ever get in a tree again, then I'll take the plunge too.

Good job . . .tell the boys we appreciate them taking the fall for us.

[xbowking]

Good advice! And thank you and the "boys" for doing that test. Many people who use these vest think if they fall all they'll have to do is hang there until help arrives. But NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!

Even if the vest stops you from falling, you can still die from suspension trauma. That's due to the straps around you legs preventing blood from making it back to your heart. This is why you need to practice using that suspension relief strap! It's not as easy as they make it look on the video!

yes very true suspenion trauma is very serious , you need to know how to keep your legs moving and shifting to keep the blood flow going.

[one shot scott]

An important tool to keep in the vest at all times is a knife. Small enough not to get in the way, big enough to cut straps in a hurry.

[strum]

An important tool to keep in the vest at all times is a knife. Small enough not to get in the way, big enough to cut straps in a hurry.

I agree but i will say if your hanging facing away from the tree and cant get your suspension relief strap in place you cant realy cut the only thing keeping you from hiting the ground. Frankly i feel for the big guys..I mean i cant see how a 250+lb guy is gonna get back on the tree stand..
they show how to pull that SR strap out and hook it on and adjust it to your leg length then get you foot in it and..heck by then you may have already passed out ..its a good thing if you have that thing aready adjusted and maybe even hooked on to the loop in the back of the vest..

[new2xbow]

Now i may be new to xbows but now you are talking about something i can chime in on. I always ground hunted until about 4 years ago so had never heard of suspension trauma. Now this might not sureprise you but i ama communications technician that has been wearing fall p[rotection harnesses for over 15 years while doing pole work and and boom lift work.

In all those years and training for fall protection suspension trauma was never more than a mention, i learned the hard way about it.

I was working on a digital billboard about 120 feet up with a boom lift. I had just clipped one fall arrestor to the guide wire on the catwalk, unhooked the one from the cage and was stepping over when a gust of wind swayed the lift and sent me flying. The harness and fall arrestor did their jobs and i was left dangling. My safety person on the ground was right on it using the ground controls to try to scoop me up but there were lines and buildings that wouldn't allow the mast down far enough for ther basket to get within reach.

My safety man radioed me and said he was going to bring it down and come up and drop a hard lanyard down to me to hook onto my harness so he could lift me with the lift that way.

"according to reports" he was able to get up there and much to his own hazard hang half way out of the basket and hook lanyard on me, cut my fall arrestor and lower me to the ground while dialing 911. the paramedic told me he had been there about 5 minutes when i woke up. they cleared me and i went home for the day (after all the OSHA paperwork of course).

I can tell you it feels like a full body funny bone hit when waking up.

Suspension trauma is NOTHING TO MESS AROUND WITH, it was only a matter of about 3 minutes and i was out and it was sudden. i was fine and then i was laying on stretcher.

Now when working off ground i wear what they call a linemans harness, it has the d-ring on back and one on each hip for belt. i keep a fixed lanyard around my waist, if it happens again ( and like said i have practiced) i unhook one end of lanyard drop it from around my waist and hok it back creating a rope swing for me to stand on.

And yes i have a modified full body harness that works the same for stands.

[vh64]

Mountaineer sports rescue one controlled descent safety system.

[houser52]

Even though I have never been left hanging I read somewhere that if you can get turned around but can't get to your steps or stand, put your feet against the tree and push off of the tree ever so often. This will keep blood circulating and help with suspension trauma until help arrives.

One thing that I started doing last year is to have a long prussik cord in my pocket so I can attach a foot loop right to my life line and use it as a step up if I'm ever hanging.

This year I've been trying to put together a safer and better plan for my self rescue if I ever need to.

[strum]

Mountaineer sports rescue one controlled descent safety system.

after my tests im thinking that system is looking pretty dogone good..
my big issue is ,,why dont they make em with a strap that goes around your butt..so if you fall those leg straps dont have all the weight..
i guess the best thing is ..Dont fall..

[vh64]

Whatever safety plan you come up with in my opinion needs to have the ability to self rescue without any help along with plans with help.

[Panhandler80]

I know it's bad, but I never use one form a ladder stand.

Always use one with my climber and with lock-ons. Climber I use it the whole way up, and on lock on I use the linemans belt until I get to top of climbing sticks... then I lash the main strap above the seat before making transition form sticks to chair.

I also make it a point of hunting only out of striaght up and down trees that I can get my arms around. Fortunately, (or unfortunately depending on how you want to too look at it), these are a dime a dozen in Florida.

I always have a knife in my breat pocket that is accessible. Biggest fear is having a mishap in a climber and then your just hanging there with nothing between you and the groud. That's when my plan would be to bear hug the tree and cut my hanging strap... Yeah... I'll get skuffed up on the way down, but it will be a whole lot better than suspsended trauma or a free fall.

I know I should use one with the ladder, but dang it's hard to justify it. Especially when you consider that the most likely time you'll get in trouble is going form ladder to seat... and at that point (at least with a a plane jane harness) you aren't strapped to tree anyway.

I guess the answer is one of those tree to ground systems that is hooked up intially to tree and you clip in on ground before our ascent.

I also hunt out of a 12' Trippod... there ain't SQUAT i cna do that one except be careful.

[houser52]

Mountaineer sports rescue one controlled descent safety system.

after my tests im thinking that system is looking pretty dogone good..
my big issue is ,,why dont they make em with a strap that goes around your butt..so if you fall those leg straps dont have all the weight..
i guess the best thing is ..Dont fall..

This harness ($45.00) is what I'm thinking about using along with prussik loops ($5.00 ea) and an ATC belay/repel device ($16.00). I already have everything but the harness and it should be here next week.

I won't know how it will feel while hanging but it's made for hanging for extended periods while rock climbing.

[strum]

Mountaineer sports rescue one controlled descent safety system.

after my tests im thinking that system is looking pretty dogone good..
my big issue is ,,why dont they make em with a strap that goes around your butt..so if you fall those leg straps dont have all the weight..
i guess the best thing is ..Dont fall..

This harness ($45.00) is what I'm thinking about using along with prussik loops ($5.00 ea) and an ATC belay/repel device ($16.00). I already have everything but the harness and it should be here next week.

I won't know how it will feel while hanging but it's made for hanging for extended periods while rock climbing.

that lookes good houser..hey when you get hung no pun intended..let me know how it feels..