I remember having one of the Baker Style Stands lose it's grip and slide about 3 ft down the tree before it bit again. Never forgot that feeling. First systems were simply a rope tied around your belt and onto the tree. Then came the strap to the tree and a strap around your waist connected by another strap. I personally lost a shot opportunity due to one of these as I couldn't turn enough to do the shot. These also caused several hunters to die by suffocation when they fell and were hung by their waist upside down.
Anyways, these new full body harness are by far the best that have come along. The newest ones are more like wearing a vest and the newer yet are very light and you really don't notice them.
I used climbers for years without anything, but never again. Even in my ladder stand I wear one.
The only time I ever came out of a stand was in Texas. I was in a damned tripod for the first (and only) time. I got all the way to the top, sat down and the damn welds broke and I fell straight down. Broke a rib and had to wait several hours with my friend shooting deer on the other end of the field 'till I got picked up. Not sure how a harness would have helped me....
Tripods are little different animal. Don't know if wearing a harness would do you a bit of good.
If I do an all day sit sometimes I get tired and need to do a cat nap. That is when I'm glad I have a harness. I snug it tight and just doze for a little while.
Every year you hear of someone somewhere falling. Jut the other night on one of the hunting shows they were dedicating the show to one of their guys who died from a tree stand fall accident. I have never fell and I don't want to. Think about it. If you Did Fall and you Got Hurt, how you gonna get out of the woods? Cell phones today make it easier for sure to get help, but if your like a lot of guys you hunt alone and no one knows for sure where your stand is. Waiting for help to find you would not be fun.
Lastly, for each of us it is our choice to wear or not to wear. For me I'll take a little bother over being paralized or dead anyday.
BPS, did you tip the guide for picking the cactus thorns out of your butt, or blame him for putting you in an unsafe stand?
Man that's sad to hear. I fell out of one last year while taking it down and it scared me but not bad enough to wear a harness. The multiple limbs will break my fall and all of my stands are only 16' this year. I'll take my chances.
