treehopper climbing belt

[e alexander]

Anyone use the treehopper climbing belt, as a safety belt.  I'm pretty certain a harness is safer, however I'm not a harness fan.  What's you thoughs?  I primarily use climbing stands, so I'm not interested in the product to help set hang-on stands.

[lpcjon2]

I use a climbing seat for rock climbing and love it.Check out REI,or eastern mountain sports and get a look at some .

[rastaman]

I second the climbing seat if you aren't going to use a harness...the treehopper or any safety belt that is just a waist belt are pretty dangerous in a fall situation if you are stranded on the tree.

[e alexander]

I've serously been considering the rock climbing gear.  Does the fact that it attaches to the front of the belt cause any problems.

One thing I like about a basic saftey belt, is I feel like I'm almost strapped to the tree, as the link is short and at my back, I can lean against it a little. If I want to rotate in my tree, I can simply rotate the link around the belt. You can rotate 360 degrees if you want to.

However, I do want to be safe, I've got a wife and kids to think about.

[lpcjon2]

I use a web tree strap(they come with the cheep harnesses when you buy a stand) and make it go around the waist belt at the back and have a carabiner on the other end to clip into a belt on the tree.

[Bowmania]

Can you do a pull up???  You don't need a harness.

Bowmania

[rastaman]

There are a couple of things that come to mind that could prevent him from doing a pull up.  Why take the chance?  Do it for your wife and kids if not for yourself.       Safety Belts:  A safety belt is a single strap or rope, worn either around the waist or chest, with a lanyard that secures the device to an anchor on the tree.  The safety belt is sometimes described as a waist belt, chest belt, body belt, safety strap, single strap, or fall arrest belt.  While a number of manufacturers include full-body harnesses with the purchase of their treestands, a few may still provide safety belts with their stands.  Safety belts can be purchased separately as an accessory item.  Safety belts are among the simplest and least expensive of fall protection devices sold to hunters and range in cost from $10 to $20.  Hunters are subject to serious injury using a device around the waist or chest and can become inverted.  They can lose consciousness in less than 2-3 minutes.  When hunters fall with a belt around the waist or chest, self-recovery or self-rescue may become impossible.  In January 1998, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) prohibited the use of safety belts as a personal fall arrest system.  The decision to prohibit safety belts around the waist was based on extensive studies showing the hazardous effects of the initial fall impact forces and the pressure exerted on the body by these restraints.  

[njloco]

I like the Loggy Bayou, once you get use to it, it's like you don't even have it on, check it out.

Ken

[hvyhitter]

I have been using a treehopper for about 8 yrs now....I like it.

[stagetek]

Use a full body harness. A saftey belt can/will kill you in a fall. Your air supply will be cut off, and all the talk here will be...just talk. A full body will keep you up-right, AND, able to breath and function. Watch a "fall arrest" rigging video. You'll be amazed what happens in just a "few" feet.

[HB3]

used to use one, well made product. I have switched to a full body harness.

[AMB]

I've used one for several years and like it.  I use it to put in the steps and also for a safety belt if hunting out of a loc on, if hunting out of my Guido's web, I still use it to hang the steps.  Well made belt.

[Clint B.]

A safety belt can kill you in a fall if you don't right yourself and get hold of the tree quickly enough, so I wear a full-body harness. That being said, I believe a safety belt is better than not wearing anything at all when you're up 15 ft. or higher. I wore a safety belt for years before the harness was available. I kept myself on as short of a leash as possible - just enough slack to stand & sit. I actually leaned out and pulled against the tree strap to brace myself for better shooting. The short leash also meant I didn't drop as far if I lost my balance.

[Dry Creek]

If your interested I have one I need to get rid of.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=65&t=001070#000000