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Operation Safety Maintenance

Hoytmania

Hoytmania

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
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Gods Country
Well this thread actually starts last season. I was moving a set and while I was setting up my climbing sticks I had a strap break while tightening it down. Once I thought about it, I realized theses straps and stick are ten plus years old. So I decided that any sticks and stands that I know aren't 5 years or newer are getting a complete hardware upgrade, just for safety sakes.

So yesterdays last bid ended about a mile as the crow flies from one of the sets I knew needed an upgrade. Went and pulled that set. The stand is only about 3 years old so its good to go.

uploadfromtaptalk1428781177994.jpg

The old hardware disassembled. Old cam lock straps I will keep just for strapping down a cooler on the cargo carrier and such. Old hardware scrap pile.

Went to the hardware today and got all grade 8 bolts nuts and washers for the hardware replacement. I got enough to do 3 dozen sticks, which should cover my 6 24' sets of sticks.

uploadfromtaptalk1428781225984.jpg

I will also be replacing all the cam lock straps. I am not sure where I am getting all them. I did pick up a set of 4 from harbor freight but that isn't nearly enough to do the job.

I am going to check into a local company here in my home town of Bellville. They are called Ratchet Strap U.S.A. If I get get them all custom made the way I want and help support a local small business without it costing me substantially more than getting them online somewhere that's what I want to do. I will keep you all updated as it goes.
 
Good post and idea. Be careful on trusting your life with Harbor Freight straps.
 
Good post Steve! A great reminder of how weather,time and critters can decrease the safety and performance in equipment that we as hunters take for granted sometimes.
X2 on the Harbor Freight straps being reliable for very long.
 
This is a great thread. I usually rotate every couple years a few sets and do what you did. I know of 2 stands I need to tear down currently and re paint, nuts and bolts and straps. One of them is my best stand that we kill most our bucks from. It was a bitch to get that stand set, so I probably waited a year too long, luckily Im still here
 
This is a great thread!! Definitely something I NEED to spend the time doing this year. I've got a couple sticks that need to come down and get the once over to clean up the rust and replace some bolts along with replacing straps.
 
Good thread.

It's odd how many guys will spend all year shooting/tweaking their bow or upgrading clothing and boots yet neglect this very important subject. I'm guilty of it myself. I need to get a couple Versa buttons and straps from LW and replace some hardware.
 
I was very fortunate to get the wake up call that I got. It could have been a whole lot worse. If you look closely at the pic of the sticks, you will notice the one on the far right is tweaked a little on the top. That stick was the third stick on the stack. The section that the strap broke on was connected to the one that is tweaked. So when the strap broke my feet where a good 11' off the ground. I was able to push away and land on my feet, but came very close to tweaking my ankle pretty good.

Having this happen sure put some skepticism in the back of my mind about some of my equipment, and with me having "guests" every now and again I couldn't live with myself if I had a friend get badly injured or killed because of my lack of regular maintenance.

I will definitely feel much better about things this fall.
 
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