Page Contents:
About Safety
JRB has compiled a LOT of information on this page and the subpages, links and videos. Don’t be in a rush; Take your time, go through it all, and THINK. This information could prevent a serious injury or even save your life. Click on this link to view the playlist on the channel dedicated to Safety, Recovery and Self-Rescue:
Safety is an Adjective
“Safe” is an adjective… It’s subjective. There is no such thing as being 100% safe. For example, we could fall down and get hurt just walking down the steps. The bottom line is that there is risk in any type of climbing and we owe it to ourselves and our families to minimize all forms of risk. The first step in pursuing safety is abandoning the assumption that we are safe. The next step is analyzing our system and methods and taking steps to minimize risk. Pursuing safety is about minimizing risk for all reasonably foreseeable problems.
It only has to happen once
Accidents associated with climbing are the leading cause of injury to deer hunters. When somebody tells you that they “have not had a problem with it in X years”, it’s pretty clear that they don’t know much about risk management. Risk is measured by considering both the frequency of occurrence and the consequences of the severity of the effect. The consequences of a climbing accident are life threatening; one person’s experience is statistically insignificant.
Suspension Trauma
Although falling is the main hazard, there are a number of scenarios which can leave the hunter suspended in a fall arrest (or saddle), unable to get to the ground without being rescued. For example, consider the possibility of a collapse or malfunction of a platform, stick, step, ladder or treestand, or the means by which it is attached to the tree. Anyone in this situation who is incapable of executing a rappel in a timely fashion is at risk for suspension trauma, whereby lack of blood circulation can cause unconsciousness or death in as little as 30 minutes.
Terminology
Refer to the Dictionary of terms to ensure you understand terms like Safety Factor, MBS (Minimum Breaking Strength) vs Working Load Limit (WLL).
Safety Self Assessment
Regardless how you climb, you can perform a safety self-evaluation of your system/method using the information on this page:
Safety Top Ten Lists
JRB has created a set of top ten lists, some of which have dedicated pages and videos.
Ten Rules for Climbing Safety
See dedicated page:
Ten Misconceptions in Climb Safety
See dedicated page:
Ten Safety Recommendations
Used properly, a hunting saddle can make us the safest climber in the woods, and can effectively eliminate both: 1) the possibility of a significant fall and 2) the possibility of getting stuck in a tree, something that happens too often by those using a Fall Arrest Harness. However, users must have proper gear, knowledge and preparation. Below are JRB’s basic recommendations for saddle hunting climbing safety. These recommendations pertain to ALL climbing methods:
- Use a quality saddle, worn properly. Do not use a rock climbing harness or anything that looks like one. Leg straps must be in place. If you don’t have a redundant bridge, consider how you would add one in an emergency.
- Use Triple Action Carabiners (not screw gates). Ensure that they are properly oriented and do not come in contact with the tree.
- Saddle Bridge must be connected to the tree for the entire climb. A lineman’s belt is in adequate. Use a lifeline or climbing rope (not a tether). It must be securely anchored onto the tree, equipped with a friction hitch or device on the rope, and connected to the saddle bridge using a carabiner.
- The anchor must be stable, and not easily destabilized out of its intended position during movement or cyclic loading. A conventional tether using a running loop is inadequate.
- Minimize slack at all times. At a minimum, after each step upward, all slack must be removed from the connection. In the event of a foot slip or failure of the device which is providing footing, the resulting fall should never be more than a few inches.
- Do not climb past the anchor. Many saddle hunters will climb past their anchor, allowing it to be at their knees or lower, allowing the potential of fall of several feet.
- Do not advance the anchor; use alternating anchors. If you need to raise your anchor as you climb, do not attempt to advance it. Leave it in place, under tension, and set a new anchor using either a 2nd rope or the other end of your existing rope. Then transfer over to the new anchor using a 2nd carabiner, load the new anchor, then remove the original.
- A rappel plan is mandatory. Even if you prefer to descend out of the tree another way, because anybody could experience a loss of footing, we all should be capable of executing a rappel (getting to the ground using only the rope) if necessary. This requires knowledge, practice, and appropriate means of connection to the rope.
- Beware of unbreakable friction devices. Most mechanical ascenders are not designed for a controlled release under the weight of our body. Friction hitches like the Prussik deliver the same experience. If these devices are used, the climber must have a plan for how to unload them and get to the ground after a total loss of footing is experienced.
- Anticipate the unexpected. For example, anybody could experience a foot slip, or a stick “kickout” or a platform failure. Anybody could drop something if its not tied onto us. Anybody could experience a friction hitch or device which is stuck or slipping. Anybody could become separated from our pack if we are not wearing it. None of these things should endanger our safety. Consider every part of your system, including every knot and moveable component and consider what could happen if it fails. For example, JRB recommends that saddle hunters add a 2nd / redundant bridge, or minimally have a means to construct one in an emergency.
Ten Examples of Bad Advice
When getting “advice” from a fellow saddle hunter, be aware that there are plenty of folks who meet one of these descriptions:
- They don’t know they are unsafe. They like what they are doing and assume they are safe because “it works” and they haven’t had a problem with it.
- They are just following the crowd. “Everybody does it this way, so it must be safe.”
- They are selling something. There is nothing for sale on this website. If you need to purchase anything, you will be directed to reputable products and sources.
Here are some things you might hear and a potential response:
| What you might hear: | Response: | |
| 1 | I have never had a problem with it. | Ok but is it possible to have a problem? And would you be ok? Make sure all foreseeable problems have been anticipated and mitigated. |
| 2 | If I slipped or my footing device collapsed, I could get hurt. | That’s a problem. Eventually, if we can slip, we will. Our safety should never be dependent on our footing. |
| 3 | It’s ok to remove the leg straps. | This is a person we need to educate and avoid taking ANY advice from. They don’t understand the dynamics of a fall. |
| 4 | Just don’t drop it. | Anything we need for our safety must be “undroppable”. Hands get cold, or we can simply fumble at any time. |
| 5 | You gotta trust your equipment. | Trust is earned. Critical components have a guarantee or an MBS… or a backup. |
| 6 | I can’t carry all that rope. | Everyone needs a rope that reaches the ground. Carrying the optimal amount of rope allows us to climb quicker, easier and safer than any other method. |
| 7 | That was just bad luck. | Luck represents risk. Risks have been mitigated. |
| 8 | Ya can’t worry about every little detail. | Wrong. We have to consider every detail. That’s how accidents happen. |
| 9 | I use a Lineman’s belt. | Ok, so get up there and step off your stick a dozen times. Sound stupid? It is… a Lineman’s belt is not a fall prevention device. |
| 10 | Rope climbing looks difficult. | Some methods are. But have you tried JRB? JRB has done it carrying 100 pounds. Can you do that on a stick? |
Ten Common Mistakes
JRB has been building this list for years, and shaping it after analyzing so many accident reports.
| Don’t Make These Common Mistakes | |
| 1 | Don’t assume you are safe. Even if you have been climbing for years and haven’t had a problem yet, that does not make you safe. Assume anything that is reasonably possible will happen. A willingness to learn is fundamental to improving safety. There is a difference between FEELING safe and BEING safe. |
| 2 | Don’t rush and don’t get complacent. Be methodical in everything you do on every climb and hunt. Double check everything. |
| 3 | Don’t assume you won’t experience a loss of footing. It can happen for so many reasons. Be prepared for it. Always remain anchored the tree via your BRIDGE. |
| 4 | Don’t climb without a stable anchor, connecting your bridge to the tree, at all times. |
| 5 | Don’t assume a Lineman’s Belt will save you in the event of a mishap. |
| 6 | Don’t allow more than a foot of slack in your anchor. Manage slack with every step. |
| 7 | Don’t advance your anchor up the tree. If you are advancing it, then it’s not cinched. It is better to alternate your anchors instead. |
| 8 | Don’t use improper equipment or equipment improperly. For example, don’t allow an aluminum carabiner to contact the tree. Don’t remove your leg straps. |
| 9 | Don’t hunt in your saddle until you have completed your education and practice. |
| 10 | Don’t climb without a rappel path to ground. Anyone could experience equipment failure and be left hanging, with nothing under their feet. Too many hunters perish in this situation, hanging from a harness, and unable to self-rescue. Don’t let it be you. |
Ten Hazards & Mitigations
In order to ensure your safety, we must identify and mitigate the hazards (the things that could foreseeably go wrong). The following hazards should be considered regardless of the climbing method / system in use:
| The Hazard | The Mitigation | |
| 1 | Falling, whether all the way to the ground or just a few feet. | The BRIDGE of the saddle must ALWAYS be tied into the tree and on minimal slack. |
| 2 | Getting stuck in a tree where we can’t get to the ground, typically after something went wrong. | Use a lifeline (not a tether) and remain on it at all times. Have a redundant bridge and know how transfer weight and to rappel on a Munter. |
| 3 | Stick or platform kickout or failure | If we are connected to the tree via our bridge and on little slack, the worst thing that should happen is a bump on our knee if we lose our stick or platform. |
| 4 | Equipment failure | Use backups / redundancy for foreseeable failures, including our bridge and friction devices or hitches. Have emergency supplies for repairs. |
| 5 | Falling objects: branches, trees, throwball, etc. | Survey the tree & scene carefully. Consider the use of a helmet. Don’t hunt in storm conditions. |
| 6 | Foot slip | Ensure your safety does not depend on your footing; Remain tied in and on low slack at all times. |
| 7 | Dropping something | Anything we NEED must not be droppable. It must be tethered to us or an integral part of our system. |
| 8 | Friction hitch/device slips | Friction hitches may need one extra wrap to hold in wet conditions. Belay devices frequently slip. Add redundancy for moving points of connection, such as friction hitches, Garda Hitch, Redundant Bridge. |
| 9 | Friction device is stuck | Whether it is stuck, jammed or frozen to the rope due to ice, have a redundant bridge and footloop and be able to abandon the device. See video below. |
| 10 | Bees / emergency | We could be halfway up a tree and encountered stinging insects. We could accidentally cut ourselves or feel faint. We need to be able to rappel quickly. |
Your responsibilities
Every hunter has to take the responsibility for some basic things.
Gear Check
Make sure you are using rated, tested gear from reputable suppliers. Details on these items are all covered on separate pages.
Emergency Supplies
Anticipate what could go wrong and consider what you will bring in terms of emergency supplies:
What Can We Trust?
This is a decision that every climber needs to make for themselves. JRB has selected these as the things he trusts with his life. (See the Dictionary page if any of the terms are unfamiliar.)
- A live, healthy tree. It’s our responsibility to inspect it and check for nearby hazards such as dead branches or trees.
- A rated, inspected rope
- A quality saddle from a reputable manufacturer
- A rated, triple action carabiner
- A rappel ring or Quick Link (or equivalent)
- A secure suspension point, or method anchor into the tree. Choices:
- a doubled rope over a strong crotch (for DSRT or MRS)
- a canopy anchor formed on a strong crotch (for SRT)
- a secure anchor affixed to the the trunk (various scenarios)
- a basal anchor used in conjunction with a strong crotch (for SRT)
What needs a backup / redundancy?
For JRB, everything which is NOT on the list above, JRB recommends that we should have fail-safe mechanisms (or redundancy) built into our system. This includes:
- Anything our feet are on. Rationale: Our foot could slip. A stick or step or platform could collapse, break, kick out or experience an attachment method failure. If any of this happens, we should never fall more than a few inches.
- The moveable point of attachment to our lifeline, whether it is a mechanical device or a friction hitch. Example: our point of connection between the saddle and the rope needs a backup. Rationale: Friction hitches or mechanical devices could slip or fai.
- The bridge on our saddle. As per the prior item, in order to have redundant points of connection, we need 2 bridges to attach to the moving points of attachment on our rope. Bridge redundancy greatly simplifies executing a transfer onto a different rope or anchor. It also makes rappel easier.
- Anything important that could be dropped. For example, many climbers use a figure 8 to rappel. If they drop it, they need a spare.
Don’t make assumptions
Did you know that even a triple action carabiner can open unintentionally? Think about everything that could happen, research best practices and prepare mitigations.
Safety Videos / Scenarios
Self Rescue After Loss of Footing
Consider that components that we put our feet on could experience a failure, or we could slip off of them. We need to be prepared to recover from that situation. Remember: It doesn’t matter if you haven’t experienced this situation; it matters that you could.
Unbreakable Friction Hitch
Most traditional friction hitches are very difficult (or impossible) to move (break) while they are loaded, which is a feature we want in order to initiate rappel. Although JRB has designed several which are breakable under load, we should be prepared for the possibility that we find ourselves on a hitch that is stuck, jammed, frozen and won’t budge.
Also, be aware that JRB never pushes his hitch all the way up until it can’t go any further. Leave some space. That way, we can always move it up enough to get it unstuck if that situation ever occurs.
SRT & Garda Hitch, Recovery Scenarios
The following video is relevant to any SRT method (including JRB Hitch Climbing) where the JRB Garda Hitch Footloop is employed.
Bees / Hornets / Wasps
In both our tree selection and our pre-climbing routing, we need to be aware of the possibility of encountering stinging insects and the need to get to the ground quickly.
DSRT Failure Modes & Mitigations
Although this video is specific to JRB’s DSRT method, no matter how you climb, watching this video may give you scenarios to consider in evaluating Murphy’s Law as it applies to your own climbing systems and methods.
Safety Toolbox
Below are some items for our Safety Tool Box.
Midline Munter Loop
Another tool that JRB discovered for self recovery scenarios… and you already know how to tie it.
One Handed Hedden Knot
The following video shows how a reliable friction hitch can be created using a Prusik Loop, and can be tied with only one hand.
Rappel on the Munter
Whether you have one bridge or two, every climber should be familiar with the Munter Friction hitch because it allows us to get to the ground using the carabiner on our bridge.