Safty Harness-Life Line-Linesmann Belt........What Safety System do you use and how?

[23feetupandhappy]

I know that this is the time of year that we are all looking for the harvest posts on here but if you can give us all a couple minutes to tell us what your Safety System is for Climbing, Hanging and Hunting I would sure appreciate it        

The purpose of this post is to get your rendition of the Safety System you use from ground to stand and back again.....

As Traditional Bowhunters I know there are some who have customized stuff they bought to make it work for them so please share your invetions        

Ben    

[Dave Pagel]

I use a Hunter's Safety Harness and Lifelines for my hunting and my old Screaming Eagle harness for hanging stands.

D.P.

[reddogge]

I have three different systems depending on the stands.

For a climbing stand I use a handmade system consisting of a 11mm climbing rope, 7mm prusik knot, locking carabiner.

For a ladder stand a handmade system consisting of 25' of 11mm climbing rope, two 7mm prusik knots, locking carabiners. I hook into the one prusik on the ground and stay hooked in all the way up and back down.

For a hang on I use a handmade linesmans belt consisting of 11mm climbing rope, 7mm prusik knot, two locking carabiners. I intall the stand using the linesmans belt and then hook my tether into my rope I made for the climbing stand and then disconnect the climbing belt and climb onto the stand. Then I adjust the tether above me.

[The Night Stalker]

Pretty much the same as Richard and Dave. A big screw eye at the top and bottom of the set up makes the rope taunt and easier for the Prussik to slide.

[kennyb]

Benjamin-First off I want to say I am glad you are okay as this incident could have killed you! I'm glad you thank the Lord for your blessing!
I use the Tree Hopper lineman's belt. This unit awesome and the best out there in my opinion. I have climbed professionally for over 23 years. I am a journeyman lineman & tree trimmer, so I got the experience! To be clear, there is a moment where you are vulnerable to a fall and that is when you unbuckle to climb into or out of your stand. The only way to eliminate that moment is to have a second belt/strap to eliminate that vulnerability.  I know there are other systems out there that work great but, the important thing is that you never hunt out of a stand without some kind of safety belt! Good luck to all and be safe! Great subject! Safety first!

Kenny    

[STICKBENDER98]

I use a linemans belt for hanging my stands, I have started using life lines for climbing up and into my stand and always use a safety harness when on stand.  My safety harness is a gorilla, and I use the rope loop and prusic knot that came with my summit viper climber...just my preference.  My linesman belt is the same summit loop and prusic knot, again just my preference.

[mparks]

This is the one I use.  The lineman's belt is a huge help in hanging a stand.  A big help to be able to adjust the length with one hand.  It's not only safer but let's you use both hands to hang the stand(or take down) faster and easier.

  http://www.lonewolfhuntingproducts.com/shopping/Products/Alpha-Tech-6-pt-Fall-Arrest-System__ATH.aspx

[mparks]

[Ray Lyon]

Hunter's Safety System(HSS) has a nock off like the spider harness. Used to have the HSS vest, but it was bulkier. The Spider or HSS nock off is easy, low weight and has a linemans belt attachment available.  I also use a safety line with prussic knot on all my stands that are not ladders.

[Tique]

I pretty much use the same belts,lines and harness as mentioned above but I also use a rope with a hand loop tied above my stands. I tie a piece of rope around the tree about as high as I can reach with a cinch knot. Then I tie a good size loop in the tag end about shoulder height. This gives me something easy and solid to hang on to when getting in and out of my stands or just moving around on the stand. I think we all agree, preventing the fall is just as important as wearing equipment to catch us if we do fall.

[NittanyRider]

Check out this link from Jason (LB_hntr):

  Lineman belts, etc...  

For ladder stands I made life lines from 11mm climbing rope... also used this rope to create a shorter tether to use with my climber.  I replaced the prusik knot with a Ropeman ascender and I bought a locking carabiner from a local backpacking store.  So far, I love the ascender and buying the rope in bulk as Jason suggested is really cost-effective.

[NittanyRider]

p.s. glad you are ok!  

[Altiman94]

I've been thinking about this the last couple days.  I already use a lineman's belt when hanging my tree stand but there's 2 times that I'm not 100% tied in:

1) After setting my last stick - moving from that to my treestand.

2) Moving from my tree stand to my last stick.

Being that I hang and hunt - a lifeline isn't really going to solve that issue for me.  So, I'm thinking in order to avoid completely unhooking myself during those 2 times - I would need to set my safety tether from my last stick - prior to hanging the stand, then removing the lineman's belt and hopping into the stand - and the opposite on the way down.

I think a lot of guys are untied during those 2 times when initially setting a stand, but they get the lifeline up for the times they return.  But, if you hang and hunt setting a lifeline after you've already stepped into a stand not tied in- you defeat the purpose.  I don't leave anything in the tree what so ever when I leave (hunt public land and things seems to disappear).

I think that's the solution I'm trying to get after.  I'll try it on my next hunt and report back if my plan is successful or not.

[Ray Lyon]

Altiman94,

When I set my sticks up the tree, I'm using my linemans belt.  I always set sticks up above my stand so that I'm always stepping down onto the stand.  Once I've set my last stick in place I attach the top of my safety line (which I attach to the harness clip on my harness before I start up attaching climbing sticks) just above the last climbing stick and drop it to the ground (I tie off the bottom when I get back down). Next I take the haul line string, which is attached to the back of my belt, and pull up my stand and set it in place (I'm still attached with my lineman's belt). Once it's solidly in place I take the clip from my safety harness and clip on to the safety line and undo my linemen's belt. I now step onto the stand to double check everything and then proceed back down sliding the prussic knot as I go.  I no longer use a belt around the tree at the stand to clip my harness to, since I'm always attached to the safety line from the minute I leave the ground and get into the stand.

Reverse the process for removing the stand.

[2treks]

John has some great products. Check him out.
Made in the USA.

  http://safetreehunt.com/

[longbow fanatic 1]

I use a couple techniques and systems, all of which keep me connected to the tree the entire time.

First, my system for setting my treestand. Using a linemans belt and harness, I climb the tree to the desired height. Then, I leave my linemans belt in place and connect my safety harness, back tether to the tree. I pull up my stand and set it. Before climbing on the stand, I keep my linemans belt connected below the platform and connect my tether above the tree stand seat. Then I disconnect my linemans belt and step on the stand. When I climb down after dark, I use the same process in reverse.

This yr I began using the safety line and prusik knot combination. I climb the tree the same way as listed above, Set my other safety line above the stand, then clip the prusik line into my tether on the back of my safety harness. Only then will I disconnect my additional tree harness tether from my back tether and unbuckle my linemans belt. I only have to do this process once because once I decend with the prusik knot and safety line, I only have to clip into the prusik knot and ascend, hunt and decend each time thereafter.

[23feetupandhappy]

Originally posted by NittanyRider:
Check out this link from Jason (LB_hntr):

  Lineman belts, etc...  

For ladder stands I made life lines from 11mm climbing rope... also used this rope to create a shorter tether to use with my climber.  I replaced the prusik knot with a Ropeman ascender and I bought a locking carabiner from a local backpacking store.  So far, I love the ascender and buying the rope in bulk as Jason suggested is really cost-effective. [/QUOTE

What a great video, that's exactly what I was hopping for!

Thanks for sharing that with us