Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
I made a post about my ladder stand in the general forum under the "another tree stand accident" post but thought more people might see it here under it's own post.
I would think that most accidents involving ladder stands happen as the hunter climbs up to secure the stand to the tree... and you have to climb up first to secure a life line if you're using one. In any event my ladder stand design eliminates much of this worry.
First of all I'll describe my ladder stand and it's unique. It's a single pole ladder stand adjustable from 5-20 feet high with four 5 foot sections plus the seat/platform section. It weighs in at about 38 pounds and packs and carrys over the shoulder. It's so well balanced as a package you can carry it hands free doing so. I haven't seen any others like it and I'm really surprised it didn't catch on but since then the Louisiana based company has gone belly up. Anyway, it's how the stand goes up that is so unique.
The stand itself is put together while on the ground in front of the tree it's going on. The base of the stand is placed against the base of the tree and you literally pick the stand up from the seat end and walk under it raising it as you go until it's leaning up against the tree. Then you scoot the base out away from the tree. Now you're looking at the stand leaning "unsecured" to the tree as you do with almost every other ladder stand I'm aware of. I understand most other ladder stands and especially 2 seaters are much heavier and this isn't possible but they also make a winch type device you can use to achieve this step. Ask scn about it. This is where the neat part comes in. As with other ladder stands there's generally a brace about 5 feet up that mounts between the legs of the stand and the tree. My stand is no exception to that that. Up top mine has 2 pivoting heads; 1 mounted on either side of the back of the seat platform. They resemble bent surveyor spikes. There's a rope attached to one of them with a short rod built into the stand directly underneath it.
Using a telescoping pole made from PVC you reach up and catch the rope pulling it across the backside of the tree, over the spike on the other side, and then back across and around the short rod. Now you're able to pull directly down on the rope and the harder you pull the more grip the spikes have on the tree. Bring the rope around the tree, around the leg of the stand, back around the tree again, and tie off on the leg itself. Again the harder you pull the tighter the grip on the tree and the more secure the brace is between the stand and tree. The first time you climb up the stand is to hunt. There's nothing else to do it and it's very secure at that point. What this does is eliminate the possibility of the stand falling while you're climbing up to secure it to the tree and it allows you to hang a life line from a secure stand rather than a wobbling, unsecure stand. This system also allows for taking the stand down reversing all steps. You never have to "unsecure" the ladder stand while up top and climb down a stand that may fall. Everything is done from the ground. Granted your ladder stands may not go up the same way mine does but once it's leaning against the tree this same pivoting spike type system should work on any ladder stand. A little customizing on your part and you're all set.
I would think that most accidents involving ladder stands happen as the hunter climbs up to secure the stand to the tree... and you have to climb up first to secure a life line if you're using one. In any event my ladder stand design eliminates much of this worry.
First of all I'll describe my ladder stand and it's unique. It's a single pole ladder stand adjustable from 5-20 feet high with four 5 foot sections plus the seat/platform section. It weighs in at about 38 pounds and packs and carrys over the shoulder. It's so well balanced as a package you can carry it hands free doing so. I haven't seen any others like it and I'm really surprised it didn't catch on but since then the Louisiana based company has gone belly up. Anyway, it's how the stand goes up that is so unique.
The stand itself is put together while on the ground in front of the tree it's going on. The base of the stand is placed against the base of the tree and you literally pick the stand up from the seat end and walk under it raising it as you go until it's leaning up against the tree. Then you scoot the base out away from the tree. Now you're looking at the stand leaning "unsecured" to the tree as you do with almost every other ladder stand I'm aware of. I understand most other ladder stands and especially 2 seaters are much heavier and this isn't possible but they also make a winch type device you can use to achieve this step. Ask scn about it. This is where the neat part comes in. As with other ladder stands there's generally a brace about 5 feet up that mounts between the legs of the stand and the tree. My stand is no exception to that that. Up top mine has 2 pivoting heads; 1 mounted on either side of the back of the seat platform. They resemble bent surveyor spikes. There's a rope attached to one of them with a short rod built into the stand directly underneath it.
Using a telescoping pole made from PVC you reach up and catch the rope pulling it across the backside of the tree, over the spike on the other side, and then back across and around the short rod. Now you're able to pull directly down on the rope and the harder you pull the more grip the spikes have on the tree. Bring the rope around the tree, around the leg of the stand, back around the tree again, and tie off on the leg itself. Again the harder you pull the tighter the grip on the tree and the more secure the brace is between the stand and tree. The first time you climb up the stand is to hunt. There's nothing else to do it and it's very secure at that point. What this does is eliminate the possibility of the stand falling while you're climbing up to secure it to the tree and it allows you to hang a life line from a secure stand rather than a wobbling, unsecure stand. This system also allows for taking the stand down reversing all steps. You never have to "unsecure" the ladder stand while up top and climb down a stand that may fall. Everything is done from the ground. Granted your ladder stands may not go up the same way mine does but once it's leaning against the tree this same pivoting spike type system should work on any ladder stand. A little customizing on your part and you're all set.
