ladder stand hunting

[moooose102]

for the first time, i am going to try ladder stand hunting. i want a safety harness, as usually, when i am out hunting on the ground, i end up taking a nap or 2 during the course of the day (i hunt from before dawn, to after dusk, without comeing back out for anything). if this happens @ 15', it could end up disasterous! i want a good quality harnes, that is EASY to take on and off. but i have no clue as to what is good, and what is not. the salesmen just want to steer me to the most expensive thing in the store, which if that is truely the best, is fine, but i do not want to just pad their paycheck. i am a big guy, 250# @ 6'1" tall. i basicly have 2 requirements. 1) it HAS to be able to hold me if i fall, and 2) it HAS TO BE EASY to take on and off. any recomendations?

 

[BFE]

The Hunters Safety Harness is about as nice as I have used. It's a vest with the harness sewn inside it so it makes it easyer to put it on and off.

 

[EatBugs]

I just use the harness that comes with the stand and buy a climbing quality carabiner to make hooking up to tree easier.. they don't seem to be any harder or take longer to use than those vest ones(I've tried out friends vests) those vest ones are hot in the early season...besides who can argue with free..

 

[Olympus]

I only stand hunt. Normally a climber but sometimes ladders. I use a plain old belt harness. I too tend to nod off. But I've found that up in the air I don't seem to sleep very long or very deeply. The belt is all I've ever thought I would need. It probably wouldn't hold me for very long, but I'd say it would hold me long enough for me to realize what's going on. I've tried the vest type safety harnesses and they're just too much trouble for me. Trying to get a vest on over all of my hunting clothes in a huge pain. With the belt, I just step into it and put it around my waist and when I'm done, I just step out of it. My hunting coats are pretty big and puffy so even getting my blaze orange vest on requires someone to hand me the other side so I can get my arm in. Vest type safety harnesses are even worse for me. I'd say if you were bow hunting or hunting with light outerwear, it wouldn't be much of a problem.

I'm probably right at your size. I'm 6' 1" and 225 and definitely not the most agile or graceful person, especially with layers of clothes on and standing on a small little platform. The belt type harness is by far easiest for me to get into and out of.

 

[3pairs12]

I just use the harness that comes with the stand

Same here. They are close in design to the ones that I wore when climbing wind generators and it will hold you. I can put the one that came with my stand on in less than a minute and off even faster. They aren't to uncomfortable either, so you can still nap.