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Safety Line

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Safety Line

Postby Swede » 10 23, 2015 •  [Post 1]

OK tree stand hunters, I have an important question for you. Do you use a safety line, so that you are attached securely to the tree from the time you leave the ground, until you get both feet planted securely back on terra firma? If you will admit to not using one, why not? To be fair, I have the only safety lines I see out in the woods these days. I find it amazing. I apologize in advance if I sound a little preachy, but this is something I want you to think about.
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Re: Safety Line

Postby hike2hunt » 10 23, 2015 •  [Post 2]

Absolutely. Once everything is setup, I run a line from the bottom to about about shoulder level when sitting in my stand.
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Re: Safety Line

Postby Indian Summer » 10 24, 2015 •  [Post 3]

I have never used a line from the ground up. So on the way up I'm thinking about the fact that most accidents happen while ascending or descending. lol

I use the "be freaking REALLY careful" method. But once up there this is a nice safety line to attach to your harness. Quite often guys die even when using a safety system and falling. This pretty much eliminates that possibility by lowering you slowly to the ground if you fall. The only down side is it is a once time use device. But hey.... most life insurance policies are right!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXy1Aeg1jjg
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Re: Safety Line

Postby T.B. » 10 24, 2015 •  [Post 4]

I absolutely use a 100% tie off from ground to stand. The lifelines are just not that expensive and the most dangerous time is transitioning from ladder to stand . If you won't do this for your self do it for your family!!
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Re: Safety Line

Postby Swede » 10 24, 2015 •  [Post 5]

Joe: Hunter Safety Systems makes a strong safety line you can attach your safety harness to on the ground, and easily stay secured to from the time you leave the ground until you get back down. I liked their old ones better than these new ones. The line used to be 35 feet long. Now it is just 30 feet long. I could wrap it around the tree above my head when I first set up my stand, and I would tie it off on the bottom rung of my ladder, or the lowest tree step. With the shorter line I may need to secure the lower end by passing a rope around the tree and going through the lower loop.
Often in the past I would take a safety belt and wrap that around the tree above my head, and run it through a loop on the end of the safety line instead of looping the safety line around the tree. Either way works. By using the safety strap or the lower tie off rope, I effectively lengthen the line, which on high stands is an asset. Almost no one goes so high that 30 feet is not enough, especially if you use a safety strap to go around the tree at the top and a tie off rope at the bottom.
A person can buy high strength line from other sources, but I have found it more expensive than HSS's and it is not camo. I like the camo color because it is not seen by people as easily. Unfortunately there are some rascals that will steal a hunters safety line.
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Re: Safety Line

Postby ElkNut1 » 10 25, 2015 •  [Post 6]

swede, good question? I only use the safety line when I'm hanging a non climbing stand, once it's up I climb up the installed pegs to the stand then install my harness to its clip already secured to the tree. I generally do not use a safety line after installation, maybe I should! (grin)

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Re: Safety Line

Postby Brendan » 10 26, 2015 •  [Post 7]

The only time I don't stay tethered while climbing in are the big fixed ladder stands - they're about the easiest to get into.

Every other time I either use an ascent line with a prussic knot, or just move my tie-off up the tree with me if its a climber or use the lineman's belt if I'm setting the stand for the first time.

I'm primarily a whitetail hunter - so spend a lot of time in and out of tree stands in the dark.
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Re: Safety Line

Postby Old school » 10 26, 2015 •  [Post 8]

Great topic - I use a safety vest by HSS but not the safety line. Just this year I've been thinking I need to protect myself and my boys while climbing into and out of our stands. I have a few questions but I've yet to find someone at Bass Pro Shops who has any remote idea how to answer my very simple questions - All they know is what the package says. I'll try with the experts here.

1. The first time hanging a stand - when using a "safety line" - do you basically have to climb and install the line and stand without tying yourself off?

2. When you leave that safety line and the belt or line tied around the tree (above your stand) - do you have an issue with squirrels chewing it up and fraying it? I ask this because the squirrels are terrible where I hunt and will completely destroy padded seats - or wooden ones for that matter. Just don't want to be strapped in to a safety line that's attached to a belt up high that's been chewed up - that you wouldn't notice in the dark while climbing into your stand.

3. What system do you recommend or do you make your own safety line and tie your own prusik knot and attach to your safety vest.

--Mitch
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Re: Safety Line

Postby Swede » 10 26, 2015 •  [Post 9]

Pastor: Unless you can advance the safety line all the way up, while it is looped around the tree, you will need to hang it up when you get to your stand height. The answer to your first question is normally yes. You can get a safety harness from HSS that will secure you while you climb and rig your tree. I build 17 foot wood ladders and start going up from there. Still I am hooked up with the safety line from the ground except when I first rig the tree. Sometimes when I go to rig the tree, I climb my ladder and rig the safety line just above that. Then I advance it up the tree as I place some screw in steps to get higher.

Squirrels have never been a problem for me. They have chewed up plastic items, but never have touched my line or the seats on my stands. Do the squirrels chew up your stand strap or other line? You could make rat guards, if chewing is a problem. Rat guards are easy to make. The Forest Service places them on their super trees. Just take a one foot wide band of galvanized steel and wrap it snugly around the tree trunk about four feet above the ground with a little overlap, and nail it in place. Of coarse you will need to tie off the lower end of your line above the rat guard. You will also need to place another rat guard above the top end of your safety line, or have a tree that is out in the clear so that the squirrels cannot go from one tree to another through the tops. I would not use a wooden ladder where squirrels are a problem. I have watched squirrels climb my ladder and scurry right past me. :D BTW: The squirrels we have are the little the Pine squirrels. Pesky critters, but fun to watch.

I have purchased the HSS lines. I went shopping for strong line that I could make up on my own, but there was no savings when I found line of equal strength.
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Re: Safety Line

Postby Old school » 10 26, 2015 •  [Post 10]

Swede - The squirrels in my woods seem to chew anything that isn't metal. On my hang-on stands the seat is made of plywood with some foam for cushioning. They will totally destroy a seat - foam and wood in one year. I do hunt out of some homemade wooden ladder stands that I've made - they will chew on the seat portion of it as well (its only plywood or Advantech) - they never seem to mess with the ladder portion though.

Do you use the "treestand lifeline" by HSS? - thats what I was looking at when I was at Bass Pro Shops.

Thanks for your insight Swede - I always appreciate it.
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Re: Safety Line

Postby Swede » 10 26, 2015 •  [Post 11]

Old School, I think treestand lifeline is what it is called. It costs about $36 each or three for $100 through main retailers. Anyway they say they are for a 30 foot high stand. They have put a plastic bell around the carabineer to help silence it.
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Re: Safety Line

Postby ABQ_Chica » 11 02, 2015 •  [Post 12]

Being a newbie to stands and a total weenie about heights, I used a harness, lineman's rope, AND lifeline last year. And will use all three again. But that's just me.

My hunting partners use a lineman's rope around their waist once they're in the stand, but they were all really impressed by the lifeline.
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Re: Safety Line

Postby Tigger » 11 06, 2015 •  [Post 13]

I have a system that is retractable like a seat belt. You have to get it up the tree the first time (I use a linemans belt for that). then it extends to ground level. I hook on there and it retracts as I go up. The only think I dont like is that because it is 25 feet long, it is about the size of a large orange up on the tree. So when you move, it moves and makes a wee bit of noise. So I switch to a standard strap when up in the stand. But going up and down, this system rocks! No, I cant remember the name off the top of my head, but if someone is interested I will look at it tomorrow morning!
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Re: Safety Line

Postby ishy » 11 07, 2015 •  [Post 14]

OK never used one, actually don't know if I've ever heard of it. Not much of a tree stand hunter till the last few years after getting into bear hunting and seeing how much of an advantage it was. Taught by a buddy just to always keep three points of contact minimum at all times while climbing in and out. I'll have to get one. I see the consequences of hunters falling working in Radiology. The last one was a blown up calcaneus on a guy ironically checking that his stand was still safe.
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