Gorilla Treestand Products
Gorilla Inc., based in Flushing, Michigan, manufactures a variety of hunting treestands including climbing stands, hang-on stands, and ladder stands. Their product line includes models like the Silverback Stealth HX Climber, King Kong Expedition HX Hang-On, and various G-Series products marketed for comfort, strength, and stealth.
The Silverback Stealth HX Climber
The Silverback Stealth HX is Gorilla’s lightest climbing treestand, weighing just over 20 pounds with aluminum construction. It features patented Gorilla Grip pivoting arms designed to scale trees 8 to 22 inches in diameter, marketed with suggested retail around $249.99.
Common Treestand Failure Points
Across all brands, treestands fail in predictable ways: attachment straps break or slip, welds crack under load, cable systems release, platforms collapse, pivoting arms fail to grip properly, and ladder sections separate. Any single failure point can send a hunter plummeting.
Cable and Strap Failures
[1.] [2.] [3.] Cable failures have caused serious injuries across multiple brands. Other manufacturers have recalled thousands of treestands after cables released during use or attachment straps failed catastrophically.
The Three-Year Replacement Rule
Gorilla’s own safety manual recommends replacing cables and belts every three years with replacement Gorilla parts. This acknowledgment suggests the company recognizes these components degrade over time and can become dangerous.
Material Degradation Over Time
Treestands left in place year-round face constant assault from moisture, UV radiation, and temperature cycles. Gorilla’s manual warns that exposure to direct sunlight, dust, excessive heat, and harmful chemicals can weaken straps and other materials, compromising safety.
The Grip System Dependency
Gorilla’s patented Gorilla Grip pivoting arms are marketed as a key safety feature. However, any pivoting or gripping mechanism that fails to maintain secure contact with the tree bark can cause sudden catastrophic collapse.
Weight Capacity Ratings
Many Gorilla treestands have a 300-pound maximum weight capacity. Exceeding that limit—including the hunter plus all gear, weapons, and equipment—stresses components beyond their design specifications and increases failure risk dramatically.
Aluminum Construction Concerns
While aluminum construction keeps treestands lightweight for transport, aluminum is more prone to stress fractures than steel. Repeated loading and unloading cycles can create microscopic cracks that eventually lead to catastrophic failure without visible warning.
Installation and User Error
Gorilla’s safety manual details 12 steps for safely installing and using their treestands, emphasizing that users must read and follow all warnings to avoid falls. However, even proper installation doesn’t prevent component failures from manufacturing defects or material degradation.
The Maintenance Burden
Gorilla’s manual requires replacing old, damaged, or worn parts with Gorilla replacement parts and prohibits substituting non-Gorilla materials. This creates an ongoing maintenance burden that many hunters may neglect, leading to dangerous conditions.
Adult Supervision Requirements
Gorilla recommends individuals under age 18 should not install or use their treestands without adult supervision. This age restriction acknowledges the complexity and danger inherent in treestand use.
The Three-Point Contact Rule
Gorilla’s manual mandates maintaining three points of contact when ascending or descending—two feet and one hand, or two hands and one foot. Breaking this rule while climbing increases fall risk, but even following it doesn’t prevent equipment failures.
Climbing with Equipment
Gorilla guidelines specify using a pull-up rope to raise and lower the treestand rather than climbing with it on your back. Hunters who ignore this guidance risk destabilization and falls even before reaching hunting height.
Harness System Failures
Safety harnesses only work if the treestand itself stays attached to the tree. When stands collapse or release completely, hunters fall with the platform—no harness can prevent that kind of failure.
Storage and Environmental Exposure
Gorilla recommends storing products in clean, dry environments away from direct sunlight. Hunters who leave stands in place year-round violate these storage guidelines, accelerating component degradation.
Visual Inspection Limitations
Even careful pre-season inspection can miss hidden defects. Stress cracks inside welds, microscopic fractures in aluminum, or degraded core fibers in straps remain invisible until they fail under load.
Manufacturing Standards and Compliance
Gorilla products should meet Treestand Manufacturers Association voluntary safety standards. However, compliance is voluntary, and standards don’t guarantee products are free from defects or safe under all conditions.
Product Liability for Defects
Manufacturers have a legal duty to produce treestands that are reasonably safe when used as intended. That includes adequate load testing, proper material selection, robust attachment systems, and clear warnings about maintenance requirements and weight limits.
Contact an Attorney
If you were injured in a Gorilla treestand fall and believe equipment failure contributed to your accident, contact a product liability attorney immediately. Preserve all failed components without attempting repairs, photograph the accident scene and equipment thoroughly, save purchase records and assembly instructions, and gather complete medical documentation of your injuries.
References
1. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/Global-Manufacturing-Company-Recalls-API-Outdoors-Tree-Stands
2. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2006/hunting-tree-stands-recalled-for-collapse-hazard
3. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Big-Game-Treestands-Recalls-2021-The-Captain-Hang-on-Treestands-Due-to-Fall-and-Injury-Hazards