Product Review: Hunter Safety System Ultra Lite Safety Harness
Treestand safety is something I constantly promote. Far too many hunters have fallen out of their stands and injured themselves because they didn’t wear a safety harness. Some have been paralyzed and some have died. I have known a few guys who have fallen out and broken bones. Even if it is the harness that is provided with the treestand you bought, Use It!
Recently, I was selected by the North American Hunting Club (@nahuntingclub on Twitter) to field test one of the new HSS Ultra Lite Safety Harnesses. I have used many different safety harnesses over the years. Some of them simple chest straps and some were the full-on harness that came with my treestand. They all worked, but each one was uncomfortable and bothersome in some way. With the chest harness I never felt fully secure. With the harness that came with the treestand I constantly had to figure out where to put my arms and legs. It was very difficult to get on and it wasn’t very comfortable. Each felt super bulky, too.
Along came the Ultra Lite harness, which is an excellent harness on many levels.
First off, the harness is completely adjustable. As you can see from the photos, I was able to adjust the leg strap to a snug, but comfortable fit and then clip in the buckle for a seat belt like lock. I prefer this style much more than having to step through predetermined loop. This is very user-friendly, and I felt more secure in this style. Within a few minutes of reading the manual and putting the harness on, I was able to figure it all out. That’s a first for a harness! Not sure what that says about me, but let’s just move on, shall we?
One thing I really like about the Ultra Lite harness vs. the older HSS harnesses is that this one is ‘body-fit’ to you. The other HSS harnesses had loose fabric around the edges that flapped in the wind. The older ones also felt bulky to me. This one does not have extra fabric, it does not feel bulky and I REALLY appreciate that. There is no extra noise and that is great for archery hunting. Sure, with this harness you don’t get any pockets to put things in, but that’s not what I am after when looking at a safety harness. I wanted ease-of-use while also being safe in my stand. I also like the padding in the harness. It has a bit of cushion against your shoulders and doesn’t dig in, like other harnesses do. Nice!
A bonus with this harness is that it comes with a Lineman’s Climbing Strap (that’s a $19.95 value, although the packaging says it’s a $39.95 value). I utilize this each and every time I am in a stand. I had to purchase a climbing strap separately with my last harness, so this was great.
The HSS Life Line is likely one of the best safety features on today’s market for elevated hunting and a “MUST HAVE” for all treestand hunters! Simply connect the Life Line rope at hunting height, attach your tether to the carabiner equipped Prussic knot on the Life Line and slide the knot as you go up or down the tree. Prussic connection slides easily with one hand yet stays ready to stop any fall should one occur. 30′ of rope with 1 carabiner and a Prussic knot is included.
* Packable and Portable at only 2 pounds.
* Padded shoulder straps for added comfort.
* EXTREME ventilation for warm weather.
* New lighter, quicker leg strap buckles with silent rubber coating.
* Single front buckle.
In the stand, after getting everything locked in, I needed to see if I had good range of motion. I kid you not when I say this, that for the first time ever, with a safety harness I not only had full range of motion, but it felt comfortable. There was no rubbing, straps getting in the way of my shot and once it was locked onto the tree (which took little to no time) I was ready to rock. It was fantastic.
The Ultra Lite also takes up much less surface area than other harnesses and that alone makes it cooler (temperature wise). It breathes and out here in SoCal you need that breathability. Major bonus points for that!
The harness comes in three sizes up to 3XL (chest up to 60-inches and weights to 300 lbs). I tried it on when I was 252lbs and now down at 206lbs it works just as well. The DVD that is included with the harness shows all of the features in detail. That alone makes the DVD worth watching.
The harness is very quiet, solid construction and at a price of $99.99 it’s a great deal. The model # is HSS-310 if you plan to order one.
I am not sure there is anything I would change on the harness. Seriously, the design is excellent and is very user-friendly. It functions better than any harness I have tried and the price point is great. When it comes to your safety 20′ up in a tree I highly recommend the HSS Ultra Lite safety harness and this season I’ll be wearing mine each and every time I am on stand.
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Disclaimer: The reviews on The SoCal Bowhunter are solely my honest opinions. These products were either provided to me for the purpose of review or I purchased them myself. I receive no monetary compensation in exchange for these reviews.
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