I'm glad you made it out of the woods ok!
Thanks for sharing your story!

God is good. Glad you're ok.

Original Ol'man stand had flat slats that made contact with tree that would slip especially on hard bark trees. Had that happen to me! Also, I had about a foot of bark peel off a pine tree with this stand. Luckily top did not slip and I pulled up bottom part that bark slipped on. Few years later they added more aggressive grips at contact point with tree. Later their was a recall on the pins. Lock nuts were added to the pins. Rust can get inside tubes and cause rust too. Ol'man went out of business and then they came back in business under new ownership with new design. Don't know if old recalls are listed on site? Check recalls under government website or internet periodically to make sure your stands or equipment does not have recalls.

Glad your ok

I did the same thing 2 years ago in the same stand. I broke both feet where they were in the stirrups. I was alone and 15 ft up a pine. I kept praying please God don't let me die on a pine. I had my harness on but like you I have way too much slack. Lesson learned. I had a knife on my harness and was able to cut the safety line and then the stirrups. I fell hard but didn't hurt anything else. My wife throws a total bf now if I hunt alone. I still use that stand but I contacted ol man about it and they sent me new pins for free. Glad ur ok

Really glad your ok

WOW!! I'm glad you made it out. That sounds horrible. I was real close to having the same thing happen to me.

I think a tight tarp strap on the foot climber instead of webbing would be a good idea.

Also everyone should use this as a reminder to keep their safety line tight enough that you don't end up trapped upside down with your feet in the climber.

Glad you made it. My bottom section on a cheap climber that i used to leave in the woods slipped but thankfully I had a Para cord tying them together. I was about 30 feet up and the pucker factor was off the charts. I threw that stand away and only hunt in my summit now.

Sounds like older Ol Man stands are death traps. I'm sure it's a tough decision to throw away equip you've previously considered useable, but you read too many stories of old Ol Man climbers failing.

Dang Clark...Glad your OK...

man..glad youre ok!

Glad you are ok.

Also glad you're not injured! A guy fell where I hunt two weeks ago and compound fractured both legs and crushed a heel. I hear he's gonna recover, but he fell about 30'. I don't think he was hooked to the tree yet...foot part broke and he sorta caught himself with his arms on the top part, but couldn't hold up. That's how it was told to me anyways. I'm just as guilty to not always (heck, not even most of the time) climb or descend with my strap around the tree. But I DANG sure have every---single----time since then. I have just grown skeery about falling now, realized how quickly it can be over. I owe it to myself, my family, and others to be absolutely 100% safe when hunting.

I had an Ol Man for many years (wasn't my primary climber though) and it's the only stand I've had an "accident" in. I climbed a power pole one day, had climbed them countless times, and after I got about 10' off the ground (just above some wire mesh the power co had put around the poles) the foot portion slipped and it made me lunge forward into the pole. Bounced the side of my head HARD off the pole, split my ear and scuffed my face up pretty good. Luckily the bottom caught and didn't fall totally out from under me. I sat there for a minute, and when I realized I was bleeding pretty good I just came on home.

I bought an Amacker 2 piece climbing stand when I was 15 years old. Loudest, heaviest most dangerous thing out there but it was mine. Id hook it around a big old pine before daylight and climb till I hit limbs. Sometimes when the sun came up I would have to climb down a bit just to have a clear look at the ground. I killed dozens of deer out of that thing and NEVER owned a safety strap. As I got older and wiser I bought a safety vest and wouldn't hunt without it now. After my kids were born I wont go nearly as high up a tree as I once did. I felt like it was my job to provide for them and be a good father,not to die from a tree stand fall or worse. Be careful out there, Im really glad it turned out well for you!

Glad you are ok!

Glad you are ok

I haven't hunted from an elevated stand other than a shooting house in 5-6 years. I hunt from the ground if at all possible. Not due to a fear of heights or any of that. Hunting from the ground fits my hunting style better. Easier to get in and out undetected, much more versatility, etc.

Having said that, I have several places that I may have shooter's show up at this year that are going to require that I get airborne. And honestly, I ain't looking forward to it....

Years ago I came out of a climber 20+ feet up a tree. Was wearing a vest. No doubt it saved my life...or at least catastrophic injury.

This is a public service announcement brought to you in part by Slim Shady:

WEAR YOUR EFFING SAFETY VEST IF YOU CLIMB A TREE.

X2!!
And if you have webbing straps for your feet on the foot climber, cut them off and replace with a tight bungie strap!!

Glad you are okay!