Never do this

[etexun]

I had one of the first climbers that came out. It was a heavy thing that you carried to a tree and assembled it around the base. then you stepped into straps and with the use of a little hand bracket you climbed up the tree. I used it for several years and until I climbed one tree in particular I never had any trouble.
I had hiked into the woods way before daylight. I had the climber strapped to my back like a pack. When finally came out of the woods at the edge of a field I put it together and attached it to the base if a tree. Then still in darkness I climbed up the tree. I sat there for a while and it started getting light. The wind was blowing in from the correct direction and I was really getting excited about what might wander out in front of me. So I sat real still. After a while I felt myself getting stiff from sitting still so long so I stretched a little. As I was turning my head a little I noticed something at the base of the tree I was in. A TREE TOP. I thought no way. so I looked up and sure enough I had climbed a dead tree. The stub of where it was broken was just about 5 feet up from where I stopped. (at least I am glad i didn't decide to get another 6 feet).
But I can tell you this it was a lot easier going up that it was going down. Man I was sweating bullets hoping that old pine held together long enough for me to get down.
I sold that stand and bought a ladder stand that next week. Never had one since.

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[tbird]

Was that a Baker tree stand I still have mine I couldn't afford the hand climber thing so I had to hug the tree and go up like an inch worm.

[etexun]

I think it was a baker. I used it without the hand climber too. I used to sit up in that thing and think of ways to make it more comfortable. Anything would have been better. It was small compared to the new ones.