do you guys wear the harnest under your top layer of camo or overtop everything?

ORIGINAL: duncsdad

I now know why people don't use a harness.

When we installed my new two person ladder stand, it was discovered that one hole for a roof bow was not drilled into the roof frame.  Since yesterday was cool enough for the hike, I decided to go drill the hole and do a little tree trimming (as it turns out, Paul Bunyan would have been proud.)

Determined to be safe, I took one of the harnesses that came with the tree stand out of the packaging and tried to figure it out.

When accepted for my PhD, I should have continued with it because I might then have had the foresight to figure that **** thing out.  After 30 minutes, in my living room, in good light, well rested, and not in a hurry, I was able to decipher the instructions enough to figure out that whomever packaged the harness, twisted two of the webs, in opposite directions nonetheless, and ran one through the buckle backward and the other upside down.

So after unbuckling everything and laying it out on the floor, I understood how the thing went on.  I struggled my way into it and made all the adjustments.  The entire time I was doing that I was thinking that I am going to need to start getting my wife into her harness starting right after Thanksgiving dinner if there is any chance of us being in the stand on time the following Monday.

In addition, while I am a large person -- 6'2", 240 -- I am not huge.  In jeans and a long sleeve shirt, I had to use all of the back adjustment to get the harness to fit.  There is no way it was going on over winter hunting clothes.  In the video supplied with the tree stand, it states that one might need to wear the harness under your jacket.  That, in my mind, would not be very comfortable and having used the harness later in the day without a jacket, I now know that it wouldn't.

On my way to drill the hole, I stopped at a local sporting goods store to inquire if they had the HSS vests.  They did not, but pointed me to another local sporting goods store.  This one had the vest, but only in camo.  Since I don't archery hunt, I have no need for a camo tree stand harness vest.  They pointed me to a big box store.  They didn't have the vest and pointed me to a big box sporting goods store.  While they did stock the HSS, again, it was in camo only.  They suggested putting the camo vest over my hunting coat, then my orange vest over the camo vest.  I can just see my wife an I waddling to our tree stand like the little brother in "A Christmas Story."  At this point I had put on about 40 miles and still was no nearer my hunting area -- which is 45 miles away.

Thinking I might be prematurely panicking, I headed for the woods to get done what I needed to do and was determined to use the harness that I had in hand.  Well, I got it on easy enough, although threading the strap back through the leg buckle was a little challenging, it was again, very daylight out, there was no pre-hunt excitement, it wasn't freezing cold, and I was only putting it on over street clothes.

After climbing into the stand (I know Jon, we need to get together so you can show me the sliding knot), I secured the strap to the tree and then then to the harness.  Since it is a two person stand, there was plenty of room to move about -- if the length of the strap would have permitted it.  I could barely reach both sides with the strap secured at the center.  If there were two of us in the stand, I don't think there would have been enough slack to reach the other side.

In any case, I went about my business of drilling the hole and in the process noticed the very restrictive nature of the harness when reaching for anything.  The leg strap on one side would tighten and the one on the other would slip.  I was constantly pulling and tugging one one side or the other.  I kind of felt like one of those hip hop dancers that has their pants falling down one minute and the next I was swearing that I would never buy my wife a thong again.  Again, I imagined the even greater difficulty there would be if this thing were under a hunting coat and vest -- pulling the zipper into my neck every time I moved a few inches.

I determined that I need to purchase two HSS vests and I can't get them locally.  I hate to order stuff like this because of sizing -- how big do I need to fit over hunting clothes -- but I don't think I have any choice.  The camo vests at the store are in a clam pack and I don't want to open one (it will never go back in correctly) just to try one on.  I worked in retail and usually wanted to strangle folks that did that, especially with zero intent on buying.

So the price of deer meat just went up again.  $250 for the new stand.  About the same for two reversible (the only way to get orange) HSS vests.  And then, I need to finance a box or two of .240 WBY.  That first deer out of that stand isn't going to be cheap.

 
Yep.  There are confusing no doubt.   I actually use one that came with a treestand.  It it superlight .. not even a buckle on it.   WEighs a few ounces.  I've used it enough that it's simple to put on now.   People still laugh because I have a procedure to get it on.  But trying to step someone else through how to do it, it almost impossible for me.    I wouldn't suggest those screwy ones for someone who hunts a few days a year.   The vest ones are nice but I found myself sweating more in them...  you shouldn't have that issue in late season.
 
I actually wear my harnesses under most of my clothes, except the base layer.  Should be able to do that with HSS too if you want.

Photos of said deer, please.
 
Glad you got it back finally.

Shawn
 
I was just thinking .... leighty's hunting outlet HAD HHS two weeks ago.  They are a summit dealer too so they could have SOP.   You always forgot the places two miles from yer house.