Using Your FAS With a Lineman's-Style Belt and Tree Strap

Use your FAS full-body harness with a lineman’s-style belt or climbing belt when you are:

• Installing the climbing aids for a hang-on tree stand
• Installing a tree stand safety line system after you have installed your climbing aids
• Installing or uninstalling a hang-on stand or climbing stand
• Climbing up or down a tree

To attach your FAS full-body harness to the tree with the lineman’s-style belt before going up or down a tree:

• Attach one end of the belt to one side of the harness.
• Wrap the belt around the tree.
• Attach the other end of the belt to the other side of the harness.

With the lineman’s-style belt attached to your FAS full-body harness and using three points of contact with your hands and feet:

• Climb up the tree until you reach the tree stand platform.
• Put the FAS tree strap around the tree loosely and attach it to your FAS tether. You are attached to the tree in two ways at this point.
• If you are using a hang-on stand, remove the lineman’s-style belt after your FAS tether is attached to the tree strap. If you are using a climbing stand, keep the lineman’s-style belt attached to your FAS full-body harness.
• Continue to climb up the tree until you are above the tree stand platform, pulling the tree strap up with you.
• Step down onto the properly installed tree stand platform.
• Move the FAS tree strap so that it is at, or above, head level when you are standing. Then tighten it around the tree.
• If you are using a climbing stand, remove the lineman’s-style belt after the tether from your FAS full-body harness is attached securely to the tree strap.
• Adjust both the tree strap and tether so that you have no slack in the tether while seated in your stand.

Make sure the tree strap is installed at the highest point, above all other components of your FAS.

When you are in any type of tree stand, including a ladder stand, use the tree strap and tether to attach your full-body harness to the tree. If you fall, you do not want to drop below a level that would keep you from climbing back onto the platform.

When leaving a tree stand:

• Climb up from the tree stand platform onto the climbing aids.
• Loosen the FAS tree strap.
• Climb down, lowering the tree strap as you move. 
• Attach yourself to the tree with the FAS lineman’s-style belt below the tree stand platform. You are attached to the tree in two ways at this point.
• Detach the tether from the loosened and lowered tree strap.
• Climb down the tree using your FAS full-body harness and lineman’s-style belt. Make sure you keep three points of contact while you climb.