Hunting is naturally a dangerous business. But if you practice good safety measures before and throughout each trip, your likelihood of experiencing an accident diminishes. One good safety measure you should always incorporate into your preparations is checking on your treestand cables.
If your treestand cables fail, it won’t matter how clean your rifle is or how perfect your camouflage might be. A treestand cable failure could result in serious injury or even cost you your life.
Treestand Cable Safety Check
The most basic safety check you can make with your treestand cables is to examine the plastic coating.
While the coating helps to prevent unwanted noise during the hunt, more importantly it keeps moisture away from the metal wires themselves. If you see any large rips or peels of the plastic coating, it’s best to replace your treestand cables immediately. If you don’t replace them, you are risking possible problems such as corrosion or fraying which could cause the cables to fail.
Another basic safety check is to make sure the metal clips or eyes at the ends of the treestand cables aren’t rusted or severely nicked. The ends serve as the fasteners and they have to be just as strong as the cable wires themselves.
It should also be noted that all equipment will show wear after continuous use and sometimes it isn’t necessary to replace the cables entirely. For example, if there is a superficial or smaller flaw with the plastic coating on your treestand cable, it might be possible to repair it by replacing part of the plastic coating or shrink wrapping the area.
However, if your treestand cables are showing significant wear and you aren’t sure if safety has been compromised, you should error on the side of caution and replace them. Experts also recommend replacing your treestand cables every two years. Storing your cables in air-tight containers when not in use can prolong their life span.
If you have any questions about treestand cables, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
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