The Complete Handbook of Tree Stands

Chapter 1: Understanding Tree Stands

The Physical Reality of a Tree Stand

At its most basic, a tree stand is a portable or semi-permanent platform that allows a hunter to sit or stand at an elevated position relative to the ground. The elevation serves two primary purposes: it places the hunter above the typical line of sight of the target animal, and it helps disperse human scent, which rises and drifts rather than pooling at ground level. The concept is simple, but the physical demands on the equipment and the user are not. When you climb 20 feet up a tree and settle onto a platform that is not much larger than a kitchen chair, you are placing your life on a system of straps, cables, and welds that must withstand dynamic loads far exceeding your static body weight.

Consider the forces at play. A 220-pound hunter does not place 220 pounds of force on the stand. When he shifts his weight, adjusts his position, or lifts a leg to swap a boot, the load can spike to 1.5 to 2 times his body weight. When he steps onto the platform from a climbing stick, the impact can momentarily produce a force of nearly 1,000 pounds. The tree itself is not a rigid, unchanging support either. A mature oak or maple will flex in a moderate wind, and it will shrink and swell with changes in humidity. A stand that is strapped too tightly can dig into the tree's cambium