Ratchet straps replacement

[crappyice]

A News Years resolution I want/need to keep!

Planning on replacing the ratchet straps on ladders and hangers around my buddy's hunting property.

Anything in particular that you "must have" in your strap? Weight limits? Color? Brands?

Shamefully we have not taken great care of many of the stands and many often go unused as a result.

 

[mowin]

All of my stands have two straps.  The oldest gets removed or cut off, and replaced every yr when I check the stands in late summer.  This way I know there is a fresh strap on each stand every yr.  Color to me doesn't matter.  I've got red, blue, black, florescent green on my stands.  

Straps are cheap compared to hospital bills. 

[Skillet]

7 minutes ago, mowin said:

All of my stands have two straps.  The oldest gets removed or cut off, and replaced every yr when I check the stands in late summer.  This way I know there is a fresh strap on each stand every yr.  Color to me doesn't matter.  I've got red, blue, black, florescent green on my stands.  

Straps are cheap compared to hospital bills. 

Stealing that idea. Thanks. 

[Robhuntandfish]

We replace our straps every season. We use 3 straps on each stand.  One at the top, one on the foot plate and one on the stabilizer bar.  I've seen them chewed by squirrels and won't risk not having a backup when your climbing up them in the dark and have no idea. 

Also when moving a stand we take the lower two off and just cut the top one from the ground with a pole saw. 

And when putting in a new stand my feet never go up past a strap.  I put one up on the way up on every ladder section til I get to the top.  

For $3 a strap not taking a chance 

[Wolc123]

One other thing, that you might want to consider as you get older, is removing the lower ladder section  and lowering your stands.  I have never heard of a fall, as a result of a broken strap, but gravity is not your friend.  The closer that you are to the ground the safer you are, when it comes to a fall.  
 

Many deer are killed from the ground every year.  I am most comfortable, up about 8 feet.  I use pt 2 x 4’s, attached to metal ladders with U-clamps, to extend slightly on some of the “shortened” ones:

 

I only worry about replacing the straps when they look bad, and that hasn’t happened yet.  I do check them out each fall and adjust for tree growth as necessary.  I might be inclined to replace all each year if I was up in the stratosphere, but no worries at less than 10 feet. 

[Robhuntandfish]

9 minutes ago, mowin said:

All of my stands have two straps.  The oldest gets removed or cut off, and replaced every yr when I check the stands in late summer.  This way I know there is a fresh strap on each stand every yr.  Color to me doesn't matter.  I've got red, blue, black, florescent green on my stands.  

Straps are cheap compared to hospital bills. 

 

1 minute ago, Skillet said:

Stealing that idea. Thanks. 

The second strap I suggest putting in a different location. If they overlap they can both get chewed.  

[mowin]

1 minute ago, Robhuntandfish said:

 

The second strap I suggest putting in a different location. If they overlap they can both get chewed.  

Most some of my stands that is possible.  One on the seat, one on the foot platform, as long as the foot platform hits the tree. 

Oddly, I've never had a strap chewed up.  Cushions, padding and even seats, yes.  

[mowin]

9 minutes ago, Wolc123 said:

One other thing, that you might want to consider as you get older, is removing the lower ladder section  and lowering your stands.  I have never heard of a fall, as a result of a broken strap, but gravity is not your friend.  The closer that you are to the ground the safer you are, when it comes to a fall.  
 

Many deer are killed from the ground every year.  I am most comfortable, up about 8 feet.  I use pt 2 x 4’s, attached to metal ladders with U-clamps, to extend slightly on some of the “shortened” ones:

 

I only worry about replacing the straps when they look bad, and that hasn’t happened yet.  I do check them out each fall and adjust for tree growth as necessary.  I might be inclined to replace all each year if I was up in the stratosphere, but no worries at less than 10 feet. 

Unfortunately, a very good friend of mine is still recovering 3 yrs later from a fall from a ladder stand because the single strap failed. 

[mowin]

22 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

We replace our straps every season. We use 3 straps on each stand.  One at the top, one on the foot plate and one on the stabilizer bar.  I've seen them chewed by squirrels and won't risk not having a backup when your climbing up them in the dark and have no idea. 

Also when moving a stand we take the lower two off and just cut the top one from the ground with a pole saw. 

And when putting in a new stand my feet never go up past a strap.  I put one up on the way up on every ladder section til I get to the top.  

For $3 a strap not taking a chance 

Forgot about the strap on the stabilizer bar.  Few of mine have rope on them.  On stands that have a very small foot platform that doesn't come close to the tree, I add a second stabilizer bar up as high as I can. Definitely helps with the rigidity of the stand. Those small foot platform stands are slowly getting replaced.  

Edited January 7 by mowin

[crappyice]

Our biggest mistake (besides sheer negligence) is not loosening the straps at the end of each season resulting in hooks that broke as pictured above or straps that cannot be removed due to tree growth. 
Does loosening the strap at the end of the year to allow for growth aid in the duration to the straps' durability? Or does a strap In the elements really lose that much strength over one year? 

[mowin]

2 minutes ago, crappyice said:

Our biggest mistake (besides sheer negligence) is not loosening the straps at the end of each season resulting in hooks that broke as pictured above or straps that cannot be removed due to tree growth. 
Does loosening the strap at the end of the year to allow for growth aid in the duration to the straps' durability? Or does a strap In the elements really lose that much strength over one year? 

Most of the straps that are on for a yr look almost new, the ones that are 2 yrs old are definitely faded and showing some fraying on the edges.  However, it's the stitching I'm mostly worried about.  

[Rusty]

1 hour ago, mowin said:

All of my stands have two straps. 

[Robhuntandfish]

1 hour ago, mowin said:

Most some of my stands that is possible.  One on the seat, one on the foot platform, as long as the foot platform hits the tree. 

Oddly, I've never had a strap chewed up.  Cushions, padding and even seats, yes.  

I put one one the foot platform whether it touches the tree or not. I make it just tight enough to help hold the stand against the tree if the top strap fails.

With that and the stabilizer strapped the stand is rock solid.

This is just a 9ft and we still put three straps on it. Stabilizer bar isn't on this one yet in pic as we had to shorten one to fit this tree as it was so close. Came back out to put it on.  

Edited January 7 by Robhuntandfish

[Robhuntandfish]

28 minutes ago, crappyice said:

Our biggest mistake (besides sheer negligence) is not loosening the straps at the end of each season resulting in hooks that broke as pictured above or straps that cannot be removed due to tree growth. 
Does loosening the strap at the end of the year to allow for growth aid in the duration to the straps' durability? Or does a strap In the elements really lose that much strength over one year? 

For us new straps go on about a month before season during last stand check on labor day weekend so they are new while we are hunting in them.  For $3 a strap at minimum change out the top one regardless how it looks.  I take the old ones and use them in my truck for gear or on stuff in the 4 wheeler or on my deer cart etc.  

Edited January 7 by Robhuntandfish

[mowin]

Couple year's ago I bought two double stands from Wally world on clearance. They have the jaws that close around the tree at the seat platform.  Wow do I like that system.  I use a short strap to lock the jaws closed as added insurance.  Those stands are rock solid.  Only thing I don't like about them is the seat has a top and bottom cross bar in the back, so you can't lean against the tree.  Not the most comfortable stands, but I'd buy more if it find them for $69.00 again.