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Safety mishaps per climbing method
- Thread starter LAKY
- Start date
had a bolt loosen in the hole and slip to a downward angle. My other foot stayed on another bolt and the lineman belt held me. Happened twice in a row.
None of the above.
I've had more than a few ladder-stands twist around the tree and come crashing down over the years though...
I've had more than a few ladder-stands twist around the tree and come crashing down over the years though...
Only ever had mishaps in the rain. Foot in aider trying to get my toes to bite into the bark and foot kicked out. One of the scariest was my right foot slipped off a wet beast stick. Linemans caught me from a 15ft fall.
The one stick mishap was a combination of pretty dumb decisions on my part.
My aider mishap almost made me yell to my wife for help as I was trying a 5 step aider out in the early morning right next to the camper while we were camping. I had a kick out just above ground level that I had trouble getting myself out of and I even considered hollering to the wife for help but knew I'd never live it down so I fought my way thru it. Good thing I finally managed to free myself . . .
Anyone who's ever repeated used screw in steps has at one time or another had one break off at the tree when stepping up on it. Not a fun experience ever . . .
Lessons Learned - A Safety Perspective
As we all know @redsquirrel has declared 2019 The Year of Safety. With the rapid growth of this site and large number of new saddle hunters I thought it might be beneficial to start a “lessons learned” thread focusing on safety where we can share some of our close calls, lessons learned and...
saddlehunter.com
My aider mishap almost made me yell to my wife for help as I was trying a 5 step aider out in the early morning right next to the camper while we were camping. I had a kick out just above ground level that I had trouble getting myself out of and I even considered hollering to the wife for help but knew I'd never live it down so I fought my way thru it. Good thing I finally managed to free myself . . .
Anyone who's ever repeated used screw in steps has at one time or another had one break off at the tree when stepping up on it. Not a fun experience ever . . .
Have had stand offs snap off on me, awhile back I was on my top stick setting it and the stand off snapped and dumped me butt over teakettle 15 feet up. Luckily the tree was right next to a creek cuz falling in the creek is the only thing that saved me from a broken neck since I wasn’t wearing a harness. It should be noted I was using the stick in a method other than advertised.
Had a cheaply made aider come apart causing me to smash my face into the tree trunk, was picking bark outta my face for a week.
And since we’re in the confessional box I also had a climber kick out from under me and I slid about 10 feet down the tree grasping on for dear life, once again getting intimately acquainted with the taste of white oak.
The common theme here is idiocy on my part.
Had a cheaply made aider come apart causing me to smash my face into the tree trunk, was picking bark outta my face for a week.
And since we’re in the confessional box I also had a climber kick out from under me and I slid about 10 feet down the tree grasping on for dear life, once again getting intimately acquainted with the taste of white oak.
The common theme here is idiocy on my part.
Depending on how far this thread goes, it might show that a lot of us are wayy safer saddle hunting than we ever were before???
I know I am!
That’s the gospel truth right there. I look back at how careless I was with climbers and stands and think sheesh. Saddle hunting and one sticking has forced me to slow down and pay closer attention.
Like @boyne bowhunter mentioned, my mishap with one stick was my stupid judgement. I knew the stick wasn’t completely set but made my move anyways. Guess in my mind I was just trying to get to height for the hunt. Stick ended up kicking out and falling with me dropping roughy 2 foot. No injuries other than a few scrapes on hands. Definitely changed my approach and mindset!!! Been climbing slower and more aware ever since.
I had my top stick kick out and fall down to the next one. I was already on my stand so just hunted the morning figuring what I had in the pack. Pieced together the extra double and single step aiders and an extra tether in my pack and got down to the next step. I’ll count it as a safety situation. One of the handful of times I was happy I carried way too much crap, because I didn’t have cell service at that spot.
Not saddle related, but I lost the bottom part of my climber a few years ago when I was climbing down. Had to let myself down through the top part and wrap my legs around the tree….then let go of the top and slide 30ft down the tree like a fire pole. Zero cell service where I was at so I had no plan B.
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I have had two "close calls". Both were self inflicted. Luckily my guardian angel is pretty observant.
1st was an AM climb one sticking. Pretty sure when going around a limb down low I hooked into my bridge on the wrong spot. I'm not 100% where I clipped in at. If it was on the side prussic hitch of the bridge, or the tail end of the bridge that was rapped back into the side. If it was the second, only the stopper knot and pressure was holding me from falling.
2nd was a quick DRT climb in the yard this summer. I got about 5' up and realized I only went thru the one eye of the hitch cord. My hitch cord is double tied figure 8s on the ends So the knot pressure kept it from running out. I slowly went down and adjusted.
Both human error on my part and being in a hurry. So I will still say saddle hunting is safer if done properly. I'm sure I have had close calls messing around with stands I cant recall.
1st was an AM climb one sticking. Pretty sure when going around a limb down low I hooked into my bridge on the wrong spot. I'm not 100% where I clipped in at. If it was on the side prussic hitch of the bridge, or the tail end of the bridge that was rapped back into the side. If it was the second, only the stopper knot and pressure was holding me from falling.
2nd was a quick DRT climb in the yard this summer. I got about 5' up and realized I only went thru the one eye of the hitch cord. My hitch cord is double tied figure 8s on the ends So the knot pressure kept it from running out. I slowly went down and adjusted.
Both human error on my part and being in a hurry. So I will still say saddle hunting is safer if done properly. I'm sure I have had close calls messing around with stands I cant recall.
I was wanting to see of the different climbing methods, which ones people had the most mishaps with. I believe most of the time, people don't have accidents when climbing, and a lot of people have never had a climbing mishap. But, I was just wanting the poll to be about, if you had a mishap, which method(s) it was with.
Any number will probably be so low as to be statistically insignificant. Percentages of people that use any given method would also play a fairly large role in drawing a conclusion based on informal data. But I get it, ****z and giggles. Be interesting to see the result even if you can’t put much stock in it.
