Securing Yourself to the Tree

If the tree is within reach, you must first secure yourself to it. Use the following steps:
Open the rescue bag and pull out the long sling. Girth hitch the sling around a stout branch or the tree trunk, if it is narrow enough. (I recommend carrying a tied, rather than sewn, sling so you can untie it to wrap it around the trunk if necessary.)
Locate the two short slings and locking carabiner. Girth hitch a short sling to each riser carabiner. Then clip the slings together with the locking carabiner.
Clip the locking carabiner to the long sling and lock it. With these initial steps, you have secured yourself to the tree without unclipping your risers.
Now transfer your weight to the tree and, one side at a time, unclip your risers from your harness, taking care not to unclip the short slings that you girth hitched to your harness carabiners. When you're done, you'll be detached from the glider and your harness carabiners will be girth hitched to the short slings, which in turn are clipped to the locking carabiner and the long safety sling in an upside-down Y arrangement. (See diagram at right.) Make sure all the carabiners are locked.
Once you are securely attached to the tree and detached from your glider, you can consider retrieving the canopy. The pliers or wrench may be useful for loosening the quick links to free your lines. Don't risk your own safety to retrieve the glider. If you are able to free it, roll it into a ball and drop it to the ground. If you can't free it safely, leave it for later.
After dealing with the glider, pass the free end of your rescue rope over your stout branch and pass the stuff bag through the loop you previously prepared in the end of the rope. This creates a girth hitch, which you should cinch tightly around the branch. Now drop the stuff bag to the ground. (If you use a brightly colored stuff bag it will be easier to see after you drop it.) If properly stuffed, the rope will pay out cleanly. If the rope doesn't reach the ground, you have a problem. You must decide whether to climb down to a lower branch, make several rappels, or wait for outside help. For the sake of this article, I'll assume that the rope reaches the ground or you can climb down to a lower branch safely.