Tree Stand Safety Harness Question

Ok last years post by Jeff Heeg on Safety Harnesses has got me wondering. This topic seems to be a big push in the last 5 years or so in our sport. I have made the switch from never wearing one to wearing one sometimes to now always wearing one in that span. I love my Go Muddy Harness. I don’t even know when it is on and it is very light weight and simple to put on. The best of all it is quiet, it also gives my wife and family a piece of mind when I’m in the woods. How about everyone else?

I would like to hear; If you wear one, do you like wearing it? Which one do you wear?? If you don’t wear one, what are the reasons you don’t?

Perhaps even some suggestions on how manufacturers could improve their diesgins???

I’ve been meaning to buy one for the last couple of years, just never got around to it yet…. Always have the best intentions, just never leave the store with one.

Guess you never really need one until its to late.

Jami

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Guess you never really need one until its to late

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Ain’t that the truth.

Ritt, check out the Go Muddy harnesses. You can purchase direct from their site. If you have any quesitons feel free to PM or call me!

I never leave home without mine. I’m not a big fan of heights so it gives me piece of mind. However, I have some buddies that are not bothered by heights and they rarely use one. I tell them each year, people die falling out of trees…. I’m single and wear one religously, they all have familys and don’t??? Every time we have this discussion, it ends with “If you won’t wear one for yourself, wear one for your family!”

I always wear mine when in a portable. I grew up hunting permanents and will never wear one when I have 4 rails and walls around me. I wear a hunters specialties safety vest and what I hate about it is most of my hunting jackets have well thought out pockets and I can never use them because they are covered up I also hit my bottom cam on the industrial metal leg strap latch on my first draw ever on a deer and needless to say didn’t get that shot off I wrapped it in tape now and it is quieter but still too loud if I bump it

I’m like Jami….I’ve been meaning to buy one for the last few years, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
I looked at the Hunters Saftey Systems, but they were heavy and uncomfortable. But after checking out the Go Muddy’s last year, I’ve decided that’ll be the one I get.
Now that I have a 1 year old at home, I’m sure the wife (thankfully) won’t let me forget about it this year.

I also have spooked deer while wearing them and that’s why I don’t wear them as much as I should. Any one have a solution for the strap to the tree? I have busted a few bedded near my stands while trying to put the strape around the tree. Buying a stape for every stand and then for double sets will break the bank! And not having them will break the back!

I wear a vest style system with the leg straps. Never used to, must be getting more cautious in my old age. My stands are not nearly as high either. Besides…….its a lot easier to take a little nap with one on.

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Guess you never really need one until its to late

---

Ain’t that the truth.

Ritt, check out the Go Muddy harnesses. You can purchase direct from their site. If you have any quesitons feel free to PM or call me!

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I’ve put it on my list! Now with kids in the picture, its time to think ahead a little more.

I never wear one but in my climber I should Otherwise I hunt all 17 ft ladder stands and don’t feel I need a harness in those type stands

I refuse to hunt out of ANY tree stand without a harness. My number one priority is coming home safe!

I understand lots of your thoughts and perspectives on wearing them. I think of them like seat belts in a car. You may drive for 30 years and never need them, but the one time that you need it, you REALLY need it. Falling 17 feet from a tree stand will all but guarantee that you will hit the ground head first. Simple physics will pull the densest part of your body(your head) to the ground first. IF you survive, you will be seriously injured. No deer is worth that. Not to mention that after an accident like that, you’ll probably be done with your hunting career.

Now that I’m done preaching , I wear an older shoulder type harness. I leave a strap in every set I have. I have a ring attached to the tree strap and a carabiner on my harness. Easy and quiet to clip in and be safe. I dipped both parts in plasti-dip coating to quiet them down.

I’m leaning towards buying the 30′ rope with the prussic knot attached to it. It allows a guy to stay strapped to the safety rope while climbing up and down. Its more likely that a guy will fall climbing than they will fall out of the stand. At $40 each, it will get expensive, but far cheaper and less painful than a trip to the ER ward.

Always wear one so that I can hunt another day. Just use a full body that came with one of my stands. I got it to fit and just jump in once I have my long underwear on or shorts then put my camo over top never know it’s there, and I can keep layering all day as the temps drop.

Those Go Muddy are awful quite IMO compared to the HSS. I used to own a HSS and never wore it because it was bulky, heavy, & loud. I do understand that HSS has a new one out to apparently address these issues but I still like the Go Muddy design better.

As for straps to the tree they newer ones mostly come with a rope w/ purssic knot that is absolutely a breeze to strap to the tree and extremely quiet. I have only found one tree that was too big that I could not attach to and had to attach to a big limb.

Lastly, I used to also hate wearing one because it would take all my pockets away. Well when it gets to be October my Gamehide Drenalin jacket has a slit in the back so I can wear it under my jacket to help with scent and any chance something hitting a lil buckle.

Some valid pints and great discussion here boys!

Last year was the first time that I’ve ever worn one and I was really impressed with the muddy harness. Previous to that I wore a linemans belt which is great for hanging sets but I know that they are dangerous if you do happen to fall.
I had zero complaints with the muddy harness and I won’t ever think about climbing a tree without it.

It would have been interesting to take this poll a few years ago, then compare to now, and then again in a few!

Stay Safe Guys & Gals! Thanks for the input an keep it coming. How about anything different Manufacturers can do to make them more user friendly, etc?

Go Muddy

Dude, that sucks!

Love the life line climbing ropes. Makes me feel so much better climbing in/out of a stand…

On a few stands I have the 20′ Fall Guy Safety line!

I do like the seat belt system that Fall Guy uses.

Me too I just wish it didn’t cost so much.

I used to have one where ever I would have the Ol Man (My Dad) sit! I will probably have to do it again or something similar when the Lil Wild Man (Gage) grows up!

Cute little fella!

Great picture!

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Cute little fella!

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Thanks, he gets that from his Mom I’m told.

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Cute little fella!

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Thanks, he gets that from his Mom I’m told.

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Cute part from Mom Little part from Dad

i fell out of an old stand when i was little, i was 10 and i was being… a normal ten year old, and i was curious about what it looked like from a tree stand. turns out this tree stand was an old man build stand of 2x6s and some plank boards that hadnt been used since i was born. my dumb self made it to the top then fell through. luckly it was only about 14 foot high and all i did was break my leg. but i just got over the fear of hieights a couple of years ago. i now use a saftey harness when im hunting out of lock ons and man made stands, i usually never use one out of ladderstands because i feel safer, but even then you never know what will happen.