PSA! Wear your harness....Straps break!

[Live2huntt]

My brother just sent me this pic. He was taking down a stand that had been out since last year. The sticks we're not out all year and had been stored in a barn. He said he looked over the straps before hanging them to get the stand and didn't see anything that worried him. He was on the way down when one broke. He fell 4-5 feet before his foot caught a step below him. Luckily he just has some scratched and bruised arms. He said his linemans belt was pretty loose because he was leaning back while taking everything down. He also said he is not sure the lineman's belt would have caught him if his foot hadn't caught on the step. This was on a pine tree he said was too big to reach around. It broke on the back side of the strap...Looks like a really clean break, but he said he doesn't know of anything that would have cut it.

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[DaveT1963]

Exactly why I do not like nylon like the military straps uses - it does decay and weather does effect it over time. I certainly would never use it on a stand I left out. Amsteel is far better for sticks IMO and I still replace mine every year just because.

Glad he is OK

 

[Ctclimberguy42]

Damn. Glad he is ok.

 

[kyler1945]

Bump. This is not as uncommon as some folks might think. Thanks for posting, and very glad your brother is well enough to post pictures to help the rest of us.

Even if you check your gear, and even if it is good gear, things can still happen. This is why it bears repeating that a lineman's belt is not a fall restraint device. It is a fall prevention device.

Thank you again!

 

[DaveT1963]

Looking at the pic, those straps definitely look "weathered" to me. I would highly recommend replacing all of them..... and I would not recommend nylon - use some of the rot resistant straps.

 

[tbowers]

Our pre-set stands have the straps dry rot out from the sun about every 2-3 years. They turn to dust when you put pressure on them. I had the top ratchet strap blow up on a 20' climbing stick a couple years ago- that was exciting.

 

[elk yinzer]

Yeesh! I really don't like those flat nylon webbing with the looser weave.

Is it some kinda frankenstrap? It looks like an XOP stick but broken piece is most definitely not the XOP webbing. But it leads to a cambuckle that is heavier webbing that looks like its OEM?

 

[Live2huntt]

Yeesh! I really don't like those flat nylon webbing with the looser weave.

Is it some kinda frankenstrap? It looks like an XOP stick but broken piece is most definitely not the XOP webbing. But it leads to a cambuckle that is heavier webbing that looks like its OEM?

They were Lone Wolf sticks. I assumed they were the original straps, but the buckle side does look different now that you mention it. He did say they were older, but hadn't been left out all year and still felt fine....Not brittle and stiff like they had dry rotted....

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