Just wondering about thoughts on different hanesess.
Ihave been using a waist belt for 30 years with no problems.  I am now looking at some other options.
I tried the HSS last year and didn't like the vest style. Just bought a SOP harness and don't like leg straps going between the legs. Going back to my old waist belt.  Seems like when falling from the tree the waist belt suspends you facing the tree and then it is just a matter of climbing back onto the stand.  No hurt body parts and the boys stay unharmed.
Any ideas or comments would be appreciated

HSS is about the best one out there now... I used the waist belt once, that was it for that one.. I have a full body harnes, but want to get the HSS.

I've got the SOP and really like it.  Took a little bit to get used to, but now I don't feel comfortable without it.  If it ever was needed, I would feel much better in a full body harness of some type than a waist belt.  From what I have read the waist belts can be very dangerous if you hit the end of them with any type of force at all. (As you would in a fall from the stand)  They can cut off your air supply, and you only have as long as you can hold your breath to get back in the stand.  I think that would be much harder than it sounds after a sudden drop out of one.
Be safe!

I'm in Whip's camp on this one,a hard fall with only a waist belt could leave you with a lacerated liver,or so I've heard.The full body harness may be a hassle & take some getting used to,but at least you'd still be able to hunt after a fall.

I really like my loggy bayou harness.  It has a lineman's belt to hang stands which is very nice.  You forget it's there after you put it on.

I always used a waist belt but a few year ago I got a SOP and have been using it lately. I hate the restriction the harness creates but it is better than the alternative. Its one of those things you just have to get used to...or stay on the ground.    Pat

I switched to the HSS last year from the waist belt. Hunted from trees without either in my younger days (long past). I have never done an honest test of the HSS, waist belt OR bouncing off the ground - but I know the HSS sure makes me feel better about heading into the trees. If I am going to be hanging above the ground for any length of time - I sure want those leg straps.

A hunter was found dead hanging from a tree in a neighboring county last year (by his son). He was wearing a harness that did not include leg straps. He reportedly suffocated as internal organs pressed on the lower side of the diaphragm.

I am adding a safety rope and prussic knot to my system this fall. One mistake is all some of us will get.

They teach in bowhunter ed around here the waist belt type can cause injury or suffocation by isolating the pressure. A full harness is the safest type to wear because it's not just grabbing your body in one thin area like a belt. I wear a HSS vest and love the simplicity, plus it is reversible for the times we have to wear orange in the PA archery season.

Even a full harness can be deadly if you don't get out of it within about 15 minutes after falling. I keep a sharp knife attached to the strap of my harness.     Pat

KC- what size did you get?

Steve

Another danger of the waist belt is that when you fall out, depending on how high or low you have it on, it can suspend you in an upside-down position. If you hang that way for long, you will lose consciousness. They are better than nothing, but the vest or full body harnesses are much safer.

That's what I wanted to hear some good opinions of the harnesses. Maybe I'll give the SOP another chance.I'm a tree climber by trade so I just need something to keep me from falling to the ground. after that I'll figure out how to get back unto the tree. My problem with the full body harness and I may be wrong is: You have potential to fall further down the tree  than with the waist belt, since it is secured to the tree above the head. My waist belt with a two foot teather only aloows me to drop that two feetand then I should be hanging against the tree facing it.Do they make something like a hyprid combining the best of both types?

This is what I tried. Set your platform up about 2 foot off the ground and slowly step off with the waist belt and try hanging there, either around the waist or up high around your chest. Now imagine falling out of the stand. Now try the same thing with SOP harness, then decide. No comparison in my mind.

Maybe I'll try getting a smaller SOP or try the loggy bayou.  My first HSS was a large and my second one was a small medium.  the vest just seems too large. I guess dropping 45 lbs this off season had it's drawbacks.   The SOP that I'm trying is a medium. I'l try again with a small.Irish's SOP is stored in a waist pouch and then is put on from there Mine did not have the pouch. Did I get the wrong one? Mine is called a sop fastback.

Hunter saftey system

I have my strap set so when I sit down it is just starting to tighten. So if I fall I can't go far. My strap is pretty far over my head to do this but I feel safer knowing I won't be able to drop far. I stand mostly when in the stand so I don't notice it being adjusted tighter.

Be careful of testing your harness by stepping out of your treestand. If its a SOP or HSS the tether has a section thats sewn together that's designed to pull apart in the event of a fall, it slows your fall and acts as a shock absorber. The tether will have to be replaced if this tears apart during "testing". BTW I have the SOP and my son has the HSS. The HSS also has a strap that you can put down for your foot after you fall. You can put your foot in and stand up and it takes all the pressure off. They are both very nice, but the HSS is a little easier to get in and out of. I think the SOP is more comfortable in the stand, however. I used the old style waist belt for years, but there is no comparison to the modern full body harness.

David

John, Like someone else mentioned, I also added a safety rope and prusic knot to all of my stands last year.  I tie the safety rope to the tree or limb above my head.  While seated the harness and strap are pretty much tight.  When I stand there is some slack of course, but that would be the extent of any drop I might make.  Attach your harness as high above you as you can to minimize any drop you might take.
I made a commitment to myself (and my wife) that I would learn from the mistakes of others.  I've just heard to many horror stories of guys you were badly hurt or worse from something that is completely preventable.  It does take a little effort and expense, but is good insurance in my mind.

whats a sop harness

Seat O' the Pants.  It is a brand name that I think is manufactured by Summit?  Most of the major sporting goods outlets that carry treestand safety gear sell them.