OK how many time have you got to the stand only to find you have forgotten to dawn your safety harness? Go up the tree with out.

[nebfrost]

OK how many time have you got to the stand only to find you have forgotten to dawn your safety harness? Go up the tree with out. I use a climber and for the most part I use a harness, but I have in the past used the climber without a safety harness on a tree I am familiar with. Go up or go home? Second question do most of you use a ratchet strap along with your climbers?

[bamaoutdoorsman93]

I did the same thing last week. I went ahead and hunted. If your close to home and you have time i guess you could go get it but it depends on how high your goin, if you could get help if you fell,etc. Somtimes I use ratchet straps, somtimes I dont.

[buckhunter]

I would never reccommend sitting in a treestand without a safety harness but I have on occassion been guilty of leaving it behind and have gone without. I do however have a couple stands that are really high I would never consider sitting in without a belt.

I use rachet straps with all of my strap on stands but not with my climbers.

[gman3186]

i never use straps and safty harnesses thats just me

[steve182]

On a couple occassions over the years i have forgot and hunted anyway. As a rule i always wear my harness. I'm not sure what you mean about the ratchet strap on a climber, but i do on my lock on stands.

[steve182]

btw, i leave a belt attached to the tree(s), and keep an extra in my pack. If i forget to put my harness on i use the extra strap as a waist-belt,...better than nothing.

[shane]

Had a friend that always wore a safety harness. Didn't have one just one time; decided to climb and hunt anyways. The tree wasn't very high, and he got help pretty quickly, but none of that mattered. Now he's in a wheelchair forever. Any Questions?

[nebfrost]

I think we are all gulty as charged. I will take the advice from steve and shane and wear one and pack a extra. As for the ratchet strap I started doing this about 4 years ago, you can lean on the sides without worring about the top half of the stand moving, also I feel pretty safe with the climber straped down. The winds in Nebraska can come up fast and send you over the sides sea sick. I also found it handy when packing in and out.

[turk]

i use to if i didnt have it but i got to thinking one
day one little slip and iam a gonner or paralized for
life and thats all it would take just think about it
your in your stand it has been raining you stand up and go to turn around and you loose your balance on
the wet surface of your stand and there you go backwards out of your stand over in a flash before you can even react so yes i wear mine if i dont have
it then iam on the ground for that hunt.

[MLH]

I'd be hunting on the ground that trip. No way it is worth the risk.

[gman3186]

the reason i dont use them i hunt in climbing tree stands the type where your back is away from the tree the harness would be coming over my shoulder and infront of me.

[whiteriverguide1]

I usually leave a harness in the tree for each of my stands. Also have an extra or two in the toolbox of my truck for just in case. Always wear your harness.