If you spend any time hunting from a tree stand – or someone on your Christmas list does – you might want to consider an innovation called the Hunter Safety System.

The system is a combination hunting vest and safety strap.

“A lot of the other ones are just a strap system,” said Nick Bartlein, a salesman in the archery department at the Cabela’s store in Richfield, Wis. “This one is built into a vest. The strap comes up from the back of the vest. It’s actually woven into the vest.”

Bartlein demonstrated by putting on a reversible camouflage-blaze orange version of the vest, fastening the two clips in front, plus one around each leg.

“With the old ones, it was a strap around your waist or under your arms,” he said. “If you fell, you could be upside down, hanging, and have a real hard time getting in the upright position again.”

The design of the vest keeps up you upright, Bartlein said. In addition, the main strap sewn into the back of the vest is designed to lessen the impact of the fall.

“The strap is overlapped and sewn,” he said. “As you fall, the stitches tear, absorbing the impact so you’re not taking the full force.”

Cabala’s sells the large/extra-large reversible camouflage-blaze orange safety vest, for hunters who weigh 175-250 pounds, made by Hunter Safety Systems, of Danville, Ala., for $119.99.

Other products that are generating a lot of customer interest include:

¢ The Leupold RX-II Digital Laser Rangefinder, with a new feature that measures uphill and downhill shots and tells the hunter where to aim.

“A lot of out west hunters love this because it will tell you how many inches to hold under a target when you are shooting up or downhill,” said Seth Ehlers, of Cabela’s optics department. “It does everything you need it to do.”

The RX-II Rangefinder, which is about the size of a small pair of binoculars, is made by Leopold and Stevens, Inc., of Beaverton, Ore., and sells for $299.99.

¢ Cabela’s Vortex Rotating Spinning Wing System.

Motion-wing duck decoys have been around for a while, but Cabela’s Vortex system takes moving decoys to the next level. The system uses a 12-volt battery to rotate two spin-wing decoys (not included) strapped to two thin steel support sticks in a 10-foot diameter circle, creating the appearance of ducks coming in for a landing in your decoy spread. The battery lasts about seven hours before it needs to be recharged.

“You don’t have to worry about the wind,” to create motion, said Rod Reider, of Cabela’s hunting department. “It draws the ducks down.”

The Vortex system, manufactured for Cabela’s, costs $149.99.

A separate adjustable stand, which allows you to place the decoys from 54 to 90 inches above the water or ground, sells for $29.99.

¢ The Garmin etrex Legend CX Personal Navigator.

This global positioning system unit has color-screen mapping.

“You can use it in the woods, on the water or in a car,” said Dave Dobesh, of Cabela’s electronics department. “It also has the ability to expand detail of a topographical land area by downloading from your computer onto a memory card. This allows you to tailor the product to your needs without buying expensive chips or software.”

The etrex Legend, manufactured by Garmin International Inc., of Olathe, Kan., sells for $249.99.

¢ The Clam Fish Trap X2 ice fishing shelter.

Like many ice fishing shelters, this is a two-seat tent made of tear-resistant fabric that folds down onto a sled.

“Most shelters are dark blue or black,” said Bill Peterson, sales manager of Cabela’s fishing department. “This one is grayish-white (on top and in front). It allows the light to penetrate through. There is better visibility inside the shelter during low-light conditions.”

The innovation may not be for everyone, since many anglers prefer a dark tent to help them spot fish.

“Guys who sight-fish don’t want the light when they’re on the ice,” Peterson said.

The Fish Trap X2, made by Clam Corp. of Plymouth, Minn., sells for $649.99.