why?

[DSE 5]

There are many documented instances of skydivers landing in trees. How many documented instances are there of skydivers landing in trees and not being recovered? Recovered in a reasonable amount of time? The Norway incident PinkFairy spoke of seems like a very long time at 2.5 hours. The one tree incident I'm personally aware of, the jumper was out of the tree in less than 20 mins.
There are always hypotheticals, but at the end of the day, the SIM is generally spot-on, even if the hypotheticals might allow for what some would consider "common sense."

[DougH 270]

When you land in a tree, off the dz, while on a night jump you tend to stay up there longer. Especially if it is a tall tree that requires climbing gear!!

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[Loonix 0]

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Bottom line: if you really were suspended for 2.5 hours without support for your feet, you were LUCKY.

When hanging in a tree, there are more options than just hanging in the harness. I had the tree trunk right in front of me,

Then you weren't fully suspended - lucky you

Having read that site, I'm wondering if one should mention to students that if fully suspended (whatever you're hanging from), move legstraps forward, to get to a sitting position. From my understanding, that removes the problem.

[popsjumper 2]

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oops forgot to answer your tree hanging question. **The ideal thing is to sit and wait**

if you are more than 10-15 feet off the ground. If you are not rescued then and have to get down you can disconnect your rsl and deploy your reserve WITHOUT CUTTING AWAY from your main. You can then try to use the suspension lines on the reserve to climb down. If your really high and have to get down. You can try to swing to the trunk of the tree, bear hug it then cut away your main and attempt to slide down the tree.

**Like I said above your best bet is to stay in the harness and be very still to prevent yourself from becoming detached from what is holding you up ie breaking a tree branch off.**

Another good example of a young jumper knowing more than all of skydiving history has taught us and offering stupid advice.

**The only sensible advice in the entire post.**

Dude, you can try anything you want. Just please don't be telling other youngsters to do something other than what so many have died for so that we could learn from their mistakes. The SIM is not a fiction book dreamed up in a cloud of smoke at a Safety Meeting.

As an aside, if you are jumping where there is no potential assistance available, then you do so at your own risk. Young jumpers and/or students will not be doing that so please don't go giving them stupid ideas.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Anvilbrother 0]

Ok I give. I was not offering that advise as part of the sims, or part of anything common. Only something that is known, practiced and tried before either bad or good. What would you do sir if you were in a tree and for whatever reason could not sit anylonger. Be it time, weather, or injury?

Postes r made from an iPad or iPhone. Spelling and gramhair mistakes guaranteed move along,

[peregrinerose 0]

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Ok I give. I was not offering that advise as part of the sims, or part of anything common. Only something that is known, practiced and tried before either bad or good. What would you do sir if you were in a tree and for whatever reason could not sit anylonger. Be it time, weather, or injury?

Wow, you're still defending your post? You advised someone with 0 or few jumps on how to deal with a tree landing. The mature thing to do would be to understand that your response was not appropriate for the audience that you were speaking to, was not from the SIM, and is not how students need to be taught. Take it as a learning experience and grow as a skydiver as a result of it. Humility is a tough trait to come by, but an important one in this sport sometimes. Been in your shoes plenty of times myself.

If you as an individual want to try to climb down your reserve lines, you go right ahead, but please don't be telling students to do that. People have died trying to get themselves out of a tree. The SIMs were written to try to prevent the same mistakes/fatalities from happening.

If I'm in a tree, my little ass is staying there until someone comes to get me. See, I trust the people I jump with and my home Dropzones... I know that if someone's missing from the load, help will be on the way... it may not be as quick as I want them to get there, but they will find me.

Like I tell students when I'm teaching first jump courses... stay in the tree... we'll come to get you, it may not be instantly, but we will get you. We want you to be alive to hear our chuckles and pay your beer fine, not hung or broken.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda