Tree stand harness?

[McDave]

I signed up to hunt at a private ranch in a few weeks.  They asked me if I had a harness to hunt from a tree stand, but said that if I didn't, they had some extra ones.  Having done all my hunting here in the West in open areas on the ground, I've never hunted from a tree stand before.  Should I worry about getting my own harness, or is any harness they might lend me as good as any other harness?

[Hill Hunter]

I would think due to liability reasons the harness they lend you will be safe, you can buy good harnesses that are much easier to get in and out of then what they will probably have. But if you will not use it any more I don't know if it will be worth spending the money on ($100). I wear one all fall and its money well spent.

[OVERDRAWING]

I recommend getting your own. Get one you have confidence in. I recommend something that has a low profile. Some of the vest type harnesses seem like a good idea but I have had problems with getting good string clearance with them when I shoot (but that's me). My personal favorite is a Seat O The Pants harness offered by Summit but there are many good harnesses available from other manufacturers. Very important, practice shooting out of a stand before you go if at all possible.

[metsastaja]

I too like the seat O the pants.

[Hopewell Tom]

I have a Hunter Safety System vest which I like and you can wear it under a tighter vest or some such for string clearance. Maybe find out what type they have,do the Google on it and see if it will suffice. The problem is it's your neck on the line and a $100.00 extra now might not be too much. If it's a one off you feel, you could always sell it here when done.
Also find out how high the stands are and try to duplicate it at home. They never seem as high from the ground, maybe it'll feel spooky up there. The shooting is different too, so as above practice some.

[Jim Jackson]

Nothing like knowing your own equipment and trusting that it fits and you can adjust, clip in and out all in low light.  I bring mine anyplace I hunt and use a prussic/climbing rope from the ground up.

I love the  Muddy Outdoors Safeguard  harness.

[Brian Krebs]

I can't remember the thread name; but a person that wears harnesses in his profession thought a good harness should have a strap across the chest; as the sudden stop can pop you out of a harness without a chest strap.

 I would suggest the system that is easiest and most comfortable to put on... because that will make the use of the system more likely to be used.

 Having a safety line with a prussic knot that you attach to your harness is a big help; as most falls I have nearly had have been when I was getting in and getting out of the stand; when your harness is not attached.
 The safety line attaches to the bottom of the tree and above the stand. You use a carabiner to attach to the prussic knot on the rope; moving the knot up as you go until your in the stand and can attach your system to the safety strap on the tree.

[Morning Star]

Harness are a pain in the ass if they don't fit right.  Getting in the way of your bowstring, tugging at your crotch and shoulders, restricting movement, and just uncomfortable at times. They need to be worn a certain way to be effective, some are way better than others in design.
 
Muddy Outdoors makes the best fitting and functional harness I've used.  I forget I'm even wearing the thing.  
I'm not affiliated with them, just trying to pass on some experience.  I've worn quite a few brands over the years.

[Bowwild]

I have Hunter Safey Systems. However, the Exo-Skeleton by Gorilla looks pretty good too - more expensive though. If you're going to do tree stand hunting much I'd recommend you get your own so you can practice with it. It is more difficult to turn in the tree and make certain shots with the strap attached.

[Weekend Warrior]

I wear a pretty yellow harness everyday at work 20-25 ft is a long way down.  


 If I were you would get one of my own.  I use a HSS for hunting, lots other good brands out there.

[LeverActionman]

I have used a sit of the pants for seven years now with no complaints.Very well made harness.

[Bowwild]

I'm also going to try a new contraption called, I think Fall Guy. It is a very long strap inside a spring loaded housing.  YOu have to safely get in your tree, above your stand. Then you hook into it and it comes down with you. When it is time to go back up you hook up and climb and it rewinds. If you fall it catches like a seat belt. It is expensive ($80).  Of course it is best for use in stands you plan to use several times.

[amar911]

I have the discontinued Loggy Bayou harness, and it is great. The Muddy Outdoors harness looks like an updated and improved version of the Loggy Bayou. Easy on/off, light weight, and low bulk are the three things to look for when picking among harnesses, because comfort is what seems to vary while safety is fairly consistent. I like being able to wear the harness either underneath or on top of my clothing, and generally wear it so that it is underneath any layer of clothing that I might take off during the hunt.

Allan

[Lefty]

David,
  I have a seat of the pants harness and really like it.  That said, most new treestands come with a full body harness now for liability.  I actually have two brand new harnesses still in the package that came with treestands I bought last year.  They are not the high dollar vests that HSS makes, but they will keep you from hitting the ground if you wear them.  My advise if you go with one that isn't the HSS vest style, just wear in under you last layer of clothes and have the strap come out your back collar.  Then it is never in the way and makes no noise.  If you want one of these I have, you are welcome to it.  Just PM me your address and I will mail one to you.  
Chris

[McDave]

Well, after reading all of your comments, I decided to go out and buy one, so I picked up a Hunter Safety Systems harness from the local Sportsmen's Warehouse.  They have several other types, and I can exchange the one I bought if I don't like it after trying it on for a while.

I asked my wife if she wanted to come along shopping with me today, thinking that she would probably say "no" since I don't think there is much in Sportsmen's Warehouse she is interested in.  But she said, "sure, and oh, by the way, I have a few other things I would like to pick up while we're out, if you don't mind."  Well, she hasn't pestered me about how much this hunting trip is going to cost, so of course I didn't mind, but the bottom line is, this turned out to be a very expensive tree stand harness by the time we got done!

[eddings220]

Good choice, I have one and bought the youth one for my son, and they fit well and are very suitable for bow hunting.

[hitman]

I have a safety harness that I believe is the best on the market. If you fall out of the tree and are hanging there you can pull on a strap and let yourself down to the ground. It has a built in brake system. You can watch a video of how it works and I'm sure you will be impressed. See it at  www.mountaineer-sports.com.

[Eugene Slagle]

I vote for the Seat-O-the-Pants too, I love the fact that you can have it around your waist til you get to your stand & in less than a minute with little fuss you can be harnessed & ready for the tree.

[mickeys4]

After your purchase educate yourself on what you need to know after you fall.A harness only stops your fall then proceeds to kill you if you have not formed a plan to get down or summon help.Check this video.
 
I'm not pushing this product nor do I own one,but the video give a good explanation of what happens to your body after the fall.

[amar911]

The Rescue One harness that Hitman talks about looks very impressive. The things I don't like about it are the weight, the bulk, and the inability to use it under your outer clothing. I do appreciate that it is safer and therefore better in that respect, but I would personally rather have a harness that I will wear all the time and not have to figure out how to take it off to get outerwear on and off. Also, the way my tree stands are set up, I can always get to the ladder or tree steps to take my weight off the harness. I think the Rescue One harness is brilliant, and probably the safest on the market, although there is the lowering device that will work with ordinary harnesses that would probably be a better solution for me if I went in that direction.

I have the Hunter Safety Systems vest and don't care for it too much. It is heavy, bulky, and needs to be worn on the outside of my clothing. It works, but not as well as some of the other systems. I would much rather use the Rescue One harness that has similar disadvantages but is safer.

Allan