Does your harness still fit over your November layers?
The buck, the why, and the gear
The Setup
How to Stay Safe on All-Day Rut Sits
This is the time of year hunters spend the most hours in a tree. Long sits, cold hands, and climbing in the dark add up. According to Hunter Safety System, 86% of treestand accidents happen while climbing up or down, or getting in and out of the stand.
This week’s gear notes come from Hunter Safety System, which has been making treestand harnesses for more than 20 years. Let’s get into it.
Harness
Wear It Like You Mean It
A harness only works if it’s on and connected. Put it on at the truck, not at the base of the tree, and attach your tether at or above head height when you’re standing so there’s little slack if you slip.
Check the fit over the layers you’ll actually wear in November. A harness adjusted back in September can fit very differently once you add a heavy jacket.
Gear note
Hunter Safety System Ultra-Lite
Weighs 2.5 pounds with a mesh upper body, and comes with a tree strap and a suspension relief strap.
From $134.99 Check price
Climbing
Stay Connected Going Up and Down
Most falls don’t happen while you’re sitting. They happen on the steps, or right as you step onto or off the platform. A lifeline keeps you attached from the moment your feet leave the ground.
Hang one on every stand you plan to hunt, so you’re never tempted to skip it on a cold, dark morning.
Gear note
Hunter Safety System Reflective Lifeline
Reflective rope that lights up in a flashlight beam, so you can find your stand in the dark. Comes with a carabiner and a sound dampener.
$39.99 Check price
Hunting Together
Bring Someone Up With You
The rut is a great time to take a kid or a partner along, and long sits go better with company.
If you’re sharing a two-person ladder stand, both of you need to be attached on the climb, not just the one going up first.
Gear note
Hunter Safety System Reflective Tandem Lifeline
Lets two hunters clip into the same lifeline. Works on stands up to 30 feet.
$49.99 Check price
Dale’s Take
“No buck is worth a fall. Clip in before you leave the ground, stay clipped in until you’re back on it, and tell somebody where you’re sitting.”
Do you run a lifeline on every stand, or just the ones you hunt most? Hit reply and tell me.
Clip in. Every time.
Dale Richey
Big Buck Journal
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