Fall restraints, harnesses , etc. ??

[DC]

I'm thinking about switching from a climbing stand to a hang-on and using climbing sticks. What type of safety restraint do you use? With climbing sticks how do you stay attached to the tree as you move up? Thanks for any advice.

[Fletcher]

I have a Seat of the Pants Fastback full body harness that I find to be very good.  It goes on easy, quick and quiet and is a good design for catching and holding you should you actually fall.  

When climbing the stick, I just make sure to keep three points on the stick at all times, moving only one hand or foot at a time.  On stands that I use frequently, I leave a tether rope in the tree and hook up before stepping into the stand.  Otherwise I try to strap up before stepping to the stand.  Stepping on and off the stand is when the fall is most likely, so you want to be hooked up then.  I ALWAYS use the harness and belt when installing any climbing devices and the stand.

I applaud HSS for making the harness easy to use, but their harness has a major design flaw IMO.  Look a the leg straps.  They are really crotch straps and can really hurt you.  The leg straps need to pull out to the side, not up thru the middle.  Pat Lefemine did a harness test over at the Bowsite.  It's good reading and I'm sure it's still there.

[Roy from Pa]

I use the seat o pants climbing system. Either the climbing rope already attached to the tree, or use the lanyard wrapped around the tree and slide it ahead of you as you climb your sticks.

[Rico]

I make up prussic knots and use ropes of different length to fit the situation. This along with a web belt and lightweight aluminum carabineer is my fall restraint. You slid the carabineer to the front of you while climbing and slide to the rear while in the stand. I draw the rope up so that I really can’t fall below my stand.
    If I think I need a more secure system I do have a harness system but it is heavy and the web belt alone leaves me feeling secure. I might add that my tree stands  all have branches or pegs to allow me to retrieve myself if I was to fall. I know a fall would be painful it’s a calculated risk I’m willing to endure.

[coyote2]

any top end vest or safety harness you buy now days will have a linemans belt I have a hunter safety system pro series vest works great and I also have a Loggy Bayou transformer safety system it is also a great one the linemans belt is the way to go it gives you both hands to use when puting up sticks and seting your stand a good safety harness is the smartest money you will ever spend the most expensive one is about $130 your life is worth more then that good luck and stay safe

[DC]

Thanks for the recommendations and advice. I have a Seat of the pants harness now that I use with my climbing stand. I had been looking at the tether systems with the prusik knot setup but it looked like you pretty much had to have this set up ahead of time.

[brent d.]

The seat of the pants makes a great climbing belt also. I use a carabiner on one of the steel clip rings on the waist belt and attach the prussic knot to the other one. It is easily adjustable depending on the size of the tree. Used it dozens of times a year for hanging all of the stands. Without it I would be completely cooked after one stand. The carabiner I use is not really one for rockclimbing but an industrial one from home depot rated to 1000# and cost a couple of bucks.

[ber643]

Brent d., would you explain that a little further (more in detail) for this ol fog-brain? I have, and use, the SOP (Summit) Harness once I get up in the tree - but would like to also use it going up and coming down. I have a Carbiner or two around. Just haven't fully "fingered" it out yet.

[Talondale]

Bernie you would need to tie a rope off the first time you go up.  Make it tight below as well, I don't think a prussic knot will work on a limp rope, well it would in the fall but it would be hard to push it up the rope as you climb.  Then use a prussic knot or an ascender (about $80) to attach you to the rope.  Move it up with you as you climb.  Don't unattach until you are attached to the safety rope in your stand.

[brent d.]

I am not really talking about a fixed line ascending rope. If that is what the original poster is asking about then this is not the ticket. I am using it strictly as a climbing belt. My SOP is about 5 years old, maybe the new ones dont have the steel triangular clips approximately on each hip bone. but if they do, this will easily work. I just saw on another thread someone posting the one drawback to any climbing belt....LIMBS!
here is a little picture for fun! sorry if its too big.

 
 
p.s. I have only used the 2 rope setup for topping very tall trees.

[brent d.]

TTT for Bernie

[ber643]

Thank you, Brent. Not sure about the original poster but I was just talking about this, as opposed to a fixed line ascending rope (the best safety factor - no doubt). I have the newer harness (full body) and it doesn't have the triangular metal clips anymore but does have sewed in loops in the same places that are made for this purpose (and are triplydyjillion stich sewed in - LOL). Thanks for the diagram - that's a neat trick that I haven't learned how to do with computers yet.