Use this page to perform a Climbing Safety Self Assessment on your system, regardless how you climb. Remember “safe” is an adjective; there is always going to be some risk when we climb. Our job is to minimize the risk to a low and acceptable level.
Used properly, a saddle CAN provide an unprecedented level of safety, but please put aside what you have been told and what everybody else is doing and just THINK it through. This exercise could prevent a serious injury or even save your life. A recent publication (source link) stated:
… nationally, 300 to 500 hunters are killed annually in tree stand accidents and another 6,000 sustained injuries from falls from elevated hunting stands. About 80% of those injured require surgery, 60% have fractures, 30% have spinal fractures and 10% have permanent disabilities or paralysis…
Consider what could happen
It only takes ONE accident to change our lives. We can’t guarantee cell phone reception or that anybody will be able to help us. Assume we are on our own. Think it through. Regardless of what climbing method you are considering, and no matter how many times folks have done it successfully, the accidents experienced by others have taught us that at some point, any one of these events could happen to us, and so please assume they will:
- Our foot can be misplaced or slip off of something.
- Our hand can slip or drop something.
- A stick, platform or stand, can shift, kick-out or break entirely. The weight limit is just a recommendation. It is not a GUARANTEE, and we can’t afford to find out the hard way.
- The attachment method could fail on our stick or platform or stand. Straps break, buttons break, etc.
Consider the primary hazards
A hazard is a situation that can lead to harm. For example: a fall itself doesn’t hurt anybody… it’s the sudden stop when the fall it over.
- Falling to the ground. Quite obviously, the consequences could be severe. A Lineman’s belt is inadequate protection from this hazard. Simply put, we must be tied to the tree via our bridge and make falling out of the tree virtually impossible.
- Falling a few feet or more. We don’t need to fall all the way to the ground to be hurt. In a restrained fall of a short distance of a just few feet, we could get impaled by whatever is under us, or the impact force could break our back, or flip us over and cause us to hit our head, or any number of scenarios. A saddle is strong, but is not designed for fall arrest. A Lineman’s Belt is inadequate protection from this hazard. A lifeline secured to the tree will prevent #1, but will cause an incredible impact force when the fall is arrested. Simply put, we must make a fall of this distance virtually impossible by tying in and managing slack.
- Getting stuck in a tree. We could survive a mishap and be left suspended, unable to get to the ground. Many hunters have perished in this state in a Fall Arrest Harness, having survived a fall, but having no plan to get to the ground without assistance. A tether is inadequate protection from this hazard. A saddle, lifeline and rappel plan can get us out of this situation.
- There are other hazards too, like falling objects, bees, even a heart attack. Those are not addressed here and are your responsibility to consider.
Safety Self Assessment Checklist
Below are the checklist items that JRB recommends for climbing safety. Carefully ask yourself each question, with a goal of YES for all.
- Is all of your GEAR is inspected, current, intended for the application and sourced from a reputable supplier?
- Is your saddle BRIDGE connected to the tree via a secure and cinched anchor the entire time you are off the ground? Note: A Lineman’s belt does not fit this description. The anchor must be stable and therefore not easily destabilized. If the anchor is being moved, it’s not a cinched anchor during the move.
- Is the connection between your bridge and the tree on less than a foot of SLACK at all times? A fall of a foot is more than uncomfortable; more than that is dangerous.
- Do you have a ROPE (lifeline) which reaches the ground? A Tether does not. If using a tether and a separate lifeline, be sure the Lifeline can’t be dropped or become out of reach in an emergency.
- Do you know how to rappel or get down using only a rope with nothing under your feet? This is a skill every climber needs. We must be capable of executing a transfer over to the rappel rope with nothing under your feet to stand on. A redundant bridge may be necessary to do so.
- Is it impossible to DROP anything which would affect your safety? Consider your rappel rope, rappel device, tether, etc. If you can drop it, you will. If you really need it, it has to be impossible to drop; tied onto you.
- Are you certain you have not forgotten anything before you start your climb? Consider your lifeline, rappel device, tether, etc. Consider if you could forget to lock a carabiner. If you can forget it, you will. If you really need it, its absence must be detected before you start the climb or it has to be an automatic component in your system.
- Are all friction components equipped with a backup or fail safe mechanism? Besides basic things like a stopper knot under a friction hitch on a bridge, we also need a backup for the friction hitch or mechanical device on our lifeline. Consider that any friction device or friction hitch could potentially slip.
- If any friction device became stuck, can you bypass it? Consider a friction hitch that is frozen or a mechanical device that is locked up or broken.
- Have you surveyed the climb site for falling hazards and deem it safe to climb? Consider that this is impossible in the dark… dead trees or branches could be out of reach of a flashlight.
- Do you have all necessary emergency gear? Consider: Cord for friction hitch, knife, first aid, extra flashlight, batteries, backup gear, etc.
- Do you have a communication plan, sharing your location and timeline? Consider that cell phone service is not a guarantee.
Address the Gaps
If there were any NO answers, this website has plenty of details on HOW to turn them into a YES. But the bottom line is that you need to:
- Make sure you have a long enough rope (a Lifeline)
- Choose an anchor(s)
- Choose a slack management method
- Choose a rappel solution
- THINK about everything else and make a plan
Be aware that if we advance our anchor up the tree as we climb, it’s not actually anchored while we are advancing it. It’s up to you to decide if you accept that risk or want to use an alternating anchor system like JRB recommends in his Hitch Climbing and Stick Climbing methods. Don’t be surprised if pursuing SAFETY turns you into primarily a Rope Climber. Consider that arborists climb trees for a living… and they don’t use climbing sticks.