To the guys that use hang on stands....a friend of mine was hunting in a screaming eagle tree stand years ago. (They had an ad that showed three or four elk hanging from one of their stands to show how much weight it could hold...after animal rights protests, they changed it to show a Volkswagen Beetle hanging from it). The cables that held the platform rusted from the inside out after many seasons of use during rain and snow. He didn’t have on a safety harness. He was standing up in his stand and in his words...”the next thing I knew, I was sitting on my ass on the ground”. It happened so quick, he didn’t even have time to react. Thankfully, he just bruised his ego, but it could’ve been much worse. I inspect my cables every year before and after the season...and change the cables every 4-5 years wether it looks like they need it or not. Better to go a little overboard with safety and ensure that you come home to your family. Look at it a a necessary evil...like going to the dentist. No one likes going to the dentist, but it’s a chore that you need to do.
