First thing...I am glad to hear that you were not seriously injured from any of your multiple mishaps. That said...Dude! You either have giant balls or a giant heart to keep going back up after a major fall. I know a guy who fell backwards out of a tree from just 12' or 14' up. he landed square on his back. Missed a busted sapling by a foot. He still has occasional back pain issues 20 yrs later. You must be a lucky guy. In 25 yrs I had my seat climber come loose from the tree one time that should have dumped me 20' to the ground. My safety harness rope was all that kept me in the tree. I have been paranoid ever since. Luckily I have not had any more close calls.
So switching to the saddle made all the difference for you then? I am feeling better now. If a repeat tree jumper like you feels safe, I should be fine.
Thank's man, In reality I'm to stupid to be scared of anything and don't like being beat.
I had never been in a tree stand growing up out west. my first fall I was in a tree with no harness, no pull up rope nothing. I decided right then if i survived i would learn everything i could about tree stand safety. To be honest, I really think i fractured my hip during this fall. i was nearly crippled for quite sometime.
My climber incident i was sitting with my legs on the foot rest that was attached to the top of the climber, Catman has that stand today he knows what i'm talking about. i shifted my weight a little bit and hit the lower piece and it just dropped, in slow motion, to the bottom. i used my harness and tree tether to get down much like guys climb with a hand climber and saddle.
The ladder stand was one i put out on public land we were going to move it. when i started climbing i got 3/4 the way up and the top ratchet strap popped and the stand twisted and just laid its self on the ground, im not sure how it didn't flip over and me land on my back I guess the Grace of God, Bigasports was 40 yards clearing shooting lanes and watched helplessly at my stupidity. He had told me to hold on he would come hold the stand and I got impatient and thought Heck I've done this 1000 times i will be fine. I was after I cleaned out my pants.
Bigasports sent me an aero hunter pic sometime in 2014. I got on here in 2015 looking at Aero hunters and was searching the web(at work) and came across a sit drag on Ebay. The rest is history I was already using a rock climbing harness, had some old API climbing sticks. I went for it. I have had the same set up until Saddlepalooza 2018 .
My sit drag with my Erniepower belt and a molle kidney belt is REALLY comfortable. the way I use a back belt is a game changer. I shared it with a couple of guys at Saddleplooza I think they cant attest to the comfort it adds, it is also another point your tied to the tree.
Be safe and enjoy it when you become accustomed to it and get in saddle shape you wont want to hunt any other way.