Review: Hunter Safety System Harness and Lifeline
OutdoorHub Staff 08.23.16
As with any type of hunting, safety is key, especially when hunting from a treestand. Having proper gear in the stand to keep you comfortable and safe is important, and in my opinion it also needs to be easy to get on and off once out of the tree.
During a recent black bear hunt, I had the pleasure of using the Hunter Safety System Ultra-Lite Black-Ops harness. This $99.99 harness comes in three sizes for the small- to large-framed guys and gals. HSS has incorporated their FLEX technology into the harness, and it is pretty lightweight. One of my favorite features in the buckle system that allows you to put the harness on, set the straps according to your liking, and then simply unbuckle and step out of it easily. The harness comes with a few other items such as a lineman’s climbing strap, adjustable tree strap and a suspension relief/deer drag strap.
During my hunt, I also used the HSS Reflective Lifeline, which can be seen as you approach your treestand in the dark with just a grazing of a flashlight. The $39.99 Lifeline keeps you safe not only while hunting from the stand, but also while climbing and descending. In other words, if you ever fall asleep in the treestand, this combination of harness and Lifeline, when set properly, will prevent you from falling to the ground.
The harness was very easy to adjust and so comfortable that I forgot I had it on. It’s also tough, and it better be because this 250-pound guy trusts his life with it. I did not test its functionality, mainly because that would require me to exit abruptly from a perfectly good treestand, but the comfort and secure feeling it gave me helped me focus on the bear hunt and not an accident.
I think a Hunter Safety System harness and Lifeline are affordable must-haves for the hunter who values his or her safe return home.
Check out the video below for a demonstration of the Hunter Safety System Lifeline in action.
