replacement tie down ratchet straps for treestand

[akalma]

I saw this old thread from gon.com at https://forum.gon.com/threads/chains-and-turnbuckles-for-ladder-stands.846841/ about ratchet straps. In my case the chains might be too much so I'm looking for recommendations what straps to buy. Is it necessary to use 2" wide or 1" are OK? And UV resistant straps are mandatory.

 

[Bountied]

Amazon product ASIN B00FH3XR28
I think the weight capacity is more important than the width of the strap. We use 1" straps and they have held up. When I put them away I lubricate the ratchets with fluid film and store them until next year.

 

[Archeryrob]

1" is fine and I buy the 4 packs at lowes like shown above. I'd like the 8' - 10' ones but always get the longer ones. Never paid attention to UV ratings and none have faded.

 

[Bountied]

I saw this old thread from gon.com at https://forum.gon.com/threads/chains-and-turnbuckles-for-ladder-stands.846841/ about ratchet straps. In my case the chains might be too much so I'm looking for recommendations what straps to buy. Is it necessary to use 2" wide or 1" are OK? And UV resistant straps are mandatory.

What kind of stand are you using? For our aluminum portable stands we use ratchet straps. We have some permanent stands made out of wood that we use chains and turnbuckles on. For the permanent stands we loosen the turnbuckles at the end of the season and put a piece of foam in between the tree and the chain so the chains don't get broken when the tree grows, then in the Fall we tighten them back down. I guess it depends on the stand you are using what kind of attachments you need. The permanent stands weigh a ton. They are 15' tall and have a chair rail around them. It takes a crew (5-6 guys) and a tractor to move them and set them up.

 

[akalma]

What kind of stand are you using? For our aluminum portable stands we use ratchet straps. We have some permanent stands made out of wood that we use chains and turnbuckles on. For the permanent stands we loosen the turnbuckles at the end of the season and put a piece of foam in between the tree and the chain so the chains don't get broken when the tree grows, then in the Fall we tighten them back down. I guess it depends on the stand you are using what kind of attachments you need. The permanent stands weigh a ton. They are 15' tall and have a chair rail around them. It takes a crew (5-6 guys) and a tractor to move them and set them up.

We have couple permanent ladder stands which need the new straps. Typical setup is two short straps on top around the tree trunk and two long straps for ladder. These are one hunter stands so we were able to move them with 2 guys only, it was hard but manageble with proper pulley, ropes and climber stand. The UV kills fabric in one year easily, brackish water kills ratchets, they do need protective lube.

For box blind we do use steel cables and turnbuckles with four anchors so this one is not a problem.

 

[outrider58]

I've always backed my 'lock-on' stands up with an anti theft cable. Two ratchet straps plus one security cable.

 

[outrider58]

We have couple permanent ladder stands which need the new straps. Typical setup is two short straps on top around the tree trunk and two long straps for ladder. These are one hunter stands so we were able to move them with 2 guys only, it was hard but manageble with proper rolling blocks, ropes and climber stand. The UV kills fabric in one year easily, brackish water kills ratchets, they do need protective lube.

For box blind we do use steel cables and turnbuckles with four anchors so this one is not a problem.

Are the "permanent" stands metal or homemade/wood?
On metallic ladder stands, I only replace the ones holding the platform unless the other ones show damage.

 

[Bountied]

We have couple permanent ladder stands which need the new straps. Typical setup is two short straps on top around the tree trunk and two long straps for ladder. These are one hunter stands so we were able to move them with 2 guys only, it was hard but manageble with proper pulley, ropes and climber stand. The UV kills fabric in one year easily, brackish water kills ratchets, they do need protective lube.

For box blind we do use steel cables and turnbuckles with four anchors so this one is not a problem.

If it's up all year I'd go with chains and a turn buckle. Just make sure to loosen them before the Spring and tighten them back up in the Fall. Galvanized 1/4" or 3/8" should be fine. I like the turnbuckles that are open in the middle so you can use a screw driver to get more torque. We have used the turnbuckles with hooks on both ends. There are eye bolts on the back of our permanent stands to hook the chains too. One side eye is attached the other side gets the turnbuckle. No issues except if you forget to loosen it, lost a few turnbuckles that way, bent the hook straight.

 

[akalma]

Are the "permanent" stands metal or homemade/wood?
On metallic ladder stands, I only replace the ones holding the platform unless the other ones show damage.

They are made of steel. By my mistake one of the free ends of the strap went down and was touching the earth so water went up to the buckle strap and it got destroyed - all free ends should be picked up and tucked. These straps do need to be replaced. Trees are dying and falling frequently so the stands need to be moved almost every other year. It is near Blackwater, frags and bay are taking more and more ground.

 

[Bountied]

They are made of steel. By my mistake one of the free ends of the strap went down and was touching the earth so water went up to the buckle strap and it got destroyed - all free ends should be picked up and tucked. These straps do need to be replaced. Trees are dying and falling frequently so the stands need to be moved almost every other year. It is near Blackwater, frags and bay are taking more and more ground.

Phragmites suck. They grow through a root system and are hard to control. We have some in our front yard I have to beat them down each year to keep them from spreading. There are too many trees nearby to try ground clear.

 

[possumman]

Those straps deteriorate in the sun I wouldn't trust them for too many years. Cheap enough to replace. Also watch the terminal ends on cables that support folding portables

 

[akalma]

Good to know the 1" wide straps are acceptable. Also started to check the web material to be polyester as more resistant to elements and sun.

 

[outrider58]

Those straps deteriorate in the sun I wouldn't trust them for too many years. Cheap enough to replace. Also watch the terminal ends on cables that support folding portables

If you leave those up all year, they should be replaced every 2-3 years.