Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Advice needed on a harness for stand hunting

I am getting back into bow hunting after 30+ years. When I last toted a bow into the woods, safety harnesses weren’t really a thing. Fast forward to today and it seems like a
necessity. I’m older, hopefully a little wiser and have more people counting on me than I did back in my younger years.

I’m seeking advice on what I should look for and also what to avoid in a harness. For reference, I am 6’4 and 280ish & will be hunting out of some
stand sets hung off of pine trees 15-18’ up.

My thanks for any pending input.

Strosfann

I switched to a rock climbers harness 25 years ago. I would recommend one with about 7 or 8ft of 8mm climbing rope for your tether, a sewn loop of 6mm for a prussick and a quality carabiner connecting the harness and prussick. With this set up I am hooked up at all times and very comfortable. Always keep tether above you and with minimum slack.

I use a rock climbers harness also, they are the safest and least restrictive....I don't use a safety guide rope going up the tree into my stands, which a lot of guys have added to their rigs.

Fall Arrest Systems - as they are now known - have changed from "one size fits all" to sizing - which is good for the larger sized hunter.

I'm similar in your size category and use a couple of different brands for putting up stands, and for hunting.

Hunter Safety Systems - you're going to need to check the sizing, but they have safety systems that are built for bigger guys.

You can go minimalist with basic straps and nylon, or get one with pockets and a dozen places to stash and carry stuff - I use number of these with Wounded Warriors as I never know what body size I'm getting for a hunt.

I use my older HSS for deer dragging and stand hanging - don't have to worry about scent control at that point.

Their tree strap tether is a solid folded stitched nylon web belt - there's no give if you lean on it.

I use a Muddy Ambush for hunting - light, minimalist, and has a decent suspension relief strap that I can get to.

The tree strap tether is bungeed - so there's some stretch and give if you are leaning around tree, etc.

I’ve also been using a rock climbing harness for 10-12 years. The one I use is a Misty Mountain Gym Dandy. The reason I like it is because the leg straps aren’t padded so they don’t bother you when sitting, it has a waist belt that opens all the way like putting on your pants belt. That works out good in the winter if you have have on bulky insulated pants.

I also use a safety line from the ground all the way up and back down, I’m never unclipped while using any stand, lock on, ladder or climber.
For safety lines I use arborist climbing lines that are made to take a fall and Prusiks made from TenexTec cord. Aluminum carabiners made for climbing such as Petzl, Black Diamond and others.

I’ve never taken a fall but I practice( at ground level) rolling off the stand, hanging in the harness and getting back on the stand. With a full body harness that’s tethered high on your back it would be almost impossible getting back on a stand.

Thanks for the info guys - will look into the rock climbing gear option.

Not if the fall arrest system is worn correctly, and used as designed - we demonstrate and teach every student in Hunter Safety how to get back in the stand should they fall out.

The typical fall injury / fatality is too much slack in the tether to the tree - the hunter falls below the stand, and can't get to the suspension relief strap, or isn't physically capable of pulling themselves to the climbing sticks or stand.

Rock climbing harnesses aren't designed to reduce shock from a sudden drop/stop - they rely on the climbing rope stretch to absorb most of the force.

Fall arrest systems are designed with break away panels to reduce the force transferred to the hunter, and prevent further injury.

If you chose a rock climbing harness - you do you - but understand that there are other risks that come with using one.

This is something I switched to last year and prefer it (the safety guide rope). I have one at each stand site and use them exclusively as soon as the stand is hung. as AH64guy mentioned, the best fall restraints are not rock climbing gear but again, to each their own. I simply choose to go with the tool designed for the job at hand. YMMV