A friend who used to be the caretaker for Botany Bay before the state gained control recently had the cable on his climber stand pop. He fell and broke his back in multiple places and severed his spinal cord. It is looking like he will, at best, be wheelchair bound the rest of his life.
Wear a safety harness when your feet leave the ground and keep it attached to the tree. No matter how careful or good a climber you are, there is no reason to bet your life on the integrity of the equipment you use. Don't let an equipment failure land you in the hospital or funeral home. With a climber, you can use a lineman's belt type rig. If you suffer an equipment failure like this, you will still probably get scuffed up but you may not fall to the ground and cripple or kill yourself.
I also know people that have suffered serious injuries after a fall from ladder stands. Even if you are careful on the ladder, you never know if a critter or animal rights whacko has sabotaged the straps that hold up the stand. If you leave the ground, wear a harness and keep it attached.
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