One of the most dangerous things some hunters do is put up a ladder stand, attach it to the tree at top, then install a lifeline. This is the most dangerous part of putting up the ladder stand. There are a number of ways to do this and for the benefit of our newer hunters, here are a few examples. These are only suggestions as there are many ways to skin this cat.

If the tree is straight enough and without limbs. Us a climbing harness and a climber to the height you need the lifeline to be, then tie the lifeline in and come back down.
If you have no climber but do have climbing sticks. Use a lineman's belt and climb with the sticks to the height necessary. Then tie in the lifeline and come back down. In either case, if you have help, put the ladder against the tree and use above climbing methods to tie in the stand, as well as the lifeline.
If you don't have either available and have 2x the amount of lifeline available this video will greatly help.
Hunt safe today so you can hunt again tomorrow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwHwb0xcPWY

We use a 24 foot extension ladder to get a pulley and rope up first than pull the ladder stand up. The stand is not taken loose from the rope until secured to the tree. I have lifelines of a few of my ladders but not all of them - yet! I will be attaching the lifelines when I attach the pulley and rope from the ladder.

Tried but couldn't watch the video. Made me sick at my stomach. Put the ladderstand up and then climb up and attach lifeline, whats so hard about that?

Nothing hard about that at all until one hits the ground. The most dangerous part of a ladder stand is during the installation.

Not when you run 2 rachets straps around behind the tree and crisscross them and tie back to the ladderstand. Go ahead and install the kick brace and it can't go anywhere. It can be dangerous, but it doesn't have to be.

No way in hell i'm toting a 24' extension ladder thru the woods. Think about it, your climbing that ladder and it's not tied off.

That is a great safe way to install the stand. One should still use a lifeline when climbing all the way up, while on the stand, as well as all the way down. Using a lifeline is a very inexpensive insurance policy.

I agree, once you have the ladderstand racheted to the tree, climb the ladderstand and install the lifeline.

That's what I do. Putting one up and taking one down is so much easier and safer with 2 men for sure. This hits home because I took down an old ladder stand this past weekend by myself. Even though the stand was ratcheted tight and solid against the tree and tied off at the brace, coming down after I took off the life line and released the ratchet straps from the top was a little bit scary.

Dr. B

When taking one down, I always climb to the top, tie a rope to the stand, throw to the ground and tie it off to a tree behind the ladder. Take ratchet straps of, untie the stabilizing bar, then untie the rope and let stand down. You can do the same when installing, if you are alone.

I still dont like to do it alone , but the best way I have found to put a ladder stand up is using a climber. Get the ladder in place everything but the bracing bar that hooks to the tree from the actual ladder. Climb up to the base of the stand in your climber using a safety harness as always, hook up the ratchet strap, climb down then install the bracing bar , takes a little bit of time , but by far the safest way to do it.

I get the ladder against the tree, then go up the back side with a stick ladder. I then ratchet the ladder stand to the tree and hang the lifeline. I then go up the ladder, using the lifeline. When I get positioned, I tie off and, if needed, re-position the lifeline higher. There have been times I've used a climber instead of the stick ladder if the tree allowed.

One other thing: I like for the seat of the ladder stand to be above some branches. If you're using sticks or a climber, get two lineman's climbing straps for your harness. This way, when you come to a limb, you can stay attached with one strap while attaching the other strap to your harness above the limb.

I did think about it - ladders are designed to be climbed without being tied off and are much more stable than an unsecured ladder stand, especially some of the new ones that the foot platform does not even sit against the tree. Like others have mentioned, I will never climb without the stabilizing bar installed and pulled up to the free with ratchet straps, and I will not even try to set one up by myself.

As for toting it, no problem, my Tacoma combined with hunting row crop land lets me drive right up to 90% of the trees on the property.

I�ve installed several by myself over the years. I attach two ropes to the top of the stand, one on each side before I walk it up. Once I walk it up, I attach the middle brace then tie off each rope to an adjacent tree. I then carefully climb up the tree and ratchet the stand down.

I have never had any help installing ladders stands, I am always by myself. I ratchet the brace to the tree, have any one already around the tree attached to ladder, once to brace reach a little higher ratchet the 2nd strap off the on to the platform.

Personally I think using a ladder is a lot more dangerous. You are putting a round rung on a round tree, all your weight is on a very small area a little twist here and the ladder is twisting sideways.

This.

Doesn't have to be dangerous. To each their own I guess.

This is pretty much what i do. Except I don't walk it up I use the ropes to pull it up from the back.

Thats what I do.

Tie 2 straps securing it to the tree, one at the top on each side of the foot rest part...then lean it against the tree .

I then wrap each strap around the tree and attach the bottom of each strap to the ladder at the lower rungs and tighten them.

Then have someone hold the ladder against the tree at the bottom, then I climb up and ratchet strap it at the seat.

Good to go!

Where is a good source for buying pre tied prussiks?

I do it alone 75% of the time and this is what I do.

This year I've begun buying a brand of ladder stand that has a jaw system like the x-stand does. I had friends help me put up the first one and it would have been rock solid even without them helping brace the ladder for me. I think spending a little more for a stand with that is worth it.