Lessons Learned.
1. If your climber has an elastic heel bungee to keep your feet from coming out of the stirrups, use it.
2. Replace your existing tether line that comes with your stand if it comes with a plastic connector, make sure it is secure. Don't take it for granted
3. Always carry a knife where is is immediately accessible
I went out bow hunting Sunday morning Zone 6, I love the cold. I was about 13-15 feet up when I heard a SNAP and then a crash. I have a Summit viper and use the carry straps as a tether between the top and bottom sections. The plastic connector split, probably due to the cold, and the bottom of my stand went straight to the base of the tree. Ok nice, what the frig do I do next. The tree was small enough where I could squeeze my thighs againt the side and provide enough leverage so I could slide my linemans strap down. raise the top section and slide it down. The first moves went ok, then the strap got hung up on something behind the tree and try as I might I could not get it to slide down, too much weight and pressure on it. Now I have my arms on the arm rest of the top section and the strap is about 10 inches hihger than I am and my body hanging. Stuck, can't pull myself up due the to bulky clothing and boots, can't move down because now the strap has pulled the harness too tight. I look down, about 9 feet to go, and of course nothing but rocks and fallen branches below, not the safest place to land. I slowly begin to undo my harness, chest buckle, then each leg strap, I step my left leg out , then try to step my righ leg out. Can't get my right leg out, the linemans strap has pulled the harness too tight on the right side, so now I'm really stuck, left leg is free and right leg is bound up in the harness. Ok, I can cut away the linemans strap, where's my knife? Yep on my pants belt, under my overalls, covered by my jacket which is now bound up because the harness is pulled tight.....nice. I remembered I have another knife in my backpack so I begin to awkwardly pull up the haul line and eventually pull my other knife out. Making sure I have a grip on the upper portion of the stand I slice through the linemans strap, making sure that no other piece of the harness is caught anywhere I hang straight down as far as I can, staying as close to the tree as I can to slow myself and slide down to the bottom portion of my stand. If I was a smoker I would have had a cigarette, took me about 1/2 hour to get loose. I used a dead branch to free the upper section. I now have a fold out knife attached to my harness and a 5 foot length of rope attached to both sections of the climber with rubber coated caribiners and an "L" tatooed to my forehead to remind me to use the rubber heel bungee. I can't wait to see what lessons I learn next week
1. If your climber has an elastic heel bungee to keep your feet from coming out of the stirrups, use it.
2. Replace your existing tether line that comes with your stand if it comes with a plastic connector, make sure it is secure. Don't take it for granted
3. Always carry a knife where is is immediately accessible
I went out bow hunting Sunday morning Zone 6, I love the cold. I was about 13-15 feet up when I heard a SNAP and then a crash. I have a Summit viper and use the carry straps as a tether between the top and bottom sections. The plastic connector split, probably due to the cold, and the bottom of my stand went straight to the base of the tree. Ok nice, what the frig do I do next. The tree was small enough where I could squeeze my thighs againt the side and provide enough leverage so I could slide my linemans strap down. raise the top section and slide it down. The first moves went ok, then the strap got hung up on something behind the tree and try as I might I could not get it to slide down, too much weight and pressure on it. Now I have my arms on the arm rest of the top section and the strap is about 10 inches hihger than I am and my body hanging. Stuck, can't pull myself up due the to bulky clothing and boots, can't move down because now the strap has pulled the harness too tight. I look down, about 9 feet to go, and of course nothing but rocks and fallen branches below, not the safest place to land. I slowly begin to undo my harness, chest buckle, then each leg strap, I step my left leg out , then try to step my righ leg out. Can't get my right leg out, the linemans strap has pulled the harness too tight on the right side, so now I'm really stuck, left leg is free and right leg is bound up in the harness. Ok, I can cut away the linemans strap, where's my knife? Yep on my pants belt, under my overalls, covered by my jacket which is now bound up because the harness is pulled tight.....nice. I remembered I have another knife in my backpack so I begin to awkwardly pull up the haul line and eventually pull my other knife out. Making sure I have a grip on the upper portion of the stand I slice through the linemans strap, making sure that no other piece of the harness is caught anywhere I hang straight down as far as I can, staying as close to the tree as I can to slow myself and slide down to the bottom portion of my stand. If I was a smoker I would have had a cigarette, took me about 1/2 hour to get loose. I used a dead branch to free the upper section. I now have a fold out knife attached to my harness and a 5 foot length of rope attached to both sections of the climber with rubber coated caribiners and an "L" tatooed to my forehead to remind me to use the rubber heel bungee. I can't wait to see what lessons I learn next week