[Sticky] Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Ok i have put up this thread dedicated to tree stand maintanence.

I will give you all some pointers and tricks i use on my tree stand.

Ok first things

Safety

-Make sure you have a harness. Its very important that you use a harness at all times. You can get seriously hurt even falling from 3 feet if you land the wrong way. IT can possibly cause death.

-Make shure that your harness has not worn or frayed belts on it.
-Make sure you know how to properly put on your harness so it is fully effective in case of a fall.
-Make sure you have a "pull rope" attached to your stand with a locking clip so you can pull your bag and gun up when you are in your stand.
Do not climb up your stand with your gun in hand as it can knock the safety off and possibly miss fire.
-Make sure your gun is unloaded when pulling it up the pull rope and load it when you get it to your stand.

Your stand

-Check to see that all bolts are tight and not worn or rusted. If they look even questionable replace them. If you doubt me ask your self "are your arms and legs questionable?".
-Check all wires that wrap around the tree. On my stand its a steel wire with a rubber cover on it. If the covers are dry rotted and cracked you need to make sure that water has not gotten into the rubber cover and started to rust your cable inside. If it did you need to replace them. Those are the kind of things we all say "ah its good ill change them next year" well next year when your hanging form your harness from a tree (god forbid) you will thank me for reminding you.
If you ahave other kinds like thick plastic belts make sure that they have no cracks in them. Rubber will look nice until you flex it and then you can see the dry rotted cracks. Change as needed.
-Check the platform for rust and make sure if you have a steel mesh floor that its sturdy. Remember when you stand on your stand its holding your weight.
-Check over all for any rust on your stand especially in the joints. If theres rust.. Try to lightly sand it off and tough it up with a primer to stop the rust and paint if you feel like it.

The tree you choose

-Take a good look at the tree you choose. Make sure that there is no dead limbs on it or for that face make sure its still alive. A dead tree could look sturdy but be completly hollow inside it from carpenter ants and wildlife. The tree will be weaker as you go higher so if its dead and hollow it CAN snap in half when you put your weight on it. And harness or not if the tree is falling to pieces your harness is not connected to nothing and this can be bad.
-When you finally get up into the tree make sure to hook up and tighten your secondary tree straps. This will be your life line if the cables break.
-Make sure you have a head lamp on if your getting on or off on the dark. This is pretty much self explanitory.

Tip. Well i use a gorilla climber and i noticed that the rubber cover on the small steel cables that keep the stand attached to the tree clamps were dry rotted. I had taken the part off and taken off the dry rotted rubber and noticed that the cables under the rubber were still like brand new.

I went to the home depot and purchsed some rubber pipe and replaced the covers. It cost me only 6 dollars. here are the pics of what i replaced.

I hope this is imformative for you all and i hope i helped someone out somewhere.

Happy Hunting and stay safe

-cr0ck1