Favorite Climbing Treestands

[goemado]

Let's hear about 'em! Who likes what and why?

[Swamp Monster]

Do a search under this forum...should give you hours of reading!!

That said, Summmit!!

[TnRidge]

Summit . It's light ,comfortable ,quick to setup , and they have the best customer service around .

[thornapple]

:yeahthat: Summit all the way.

[wingman]

No offense to anyone else, but you would have to be nuts to buy anything other than a Summit. They are by far the best stand out there. I have used API, 'Ol Man, Hunter's View, etc.. and the Summits are way better. They have the quietest cable system on the market, they are super light, and they have the most confortable seats on the market as well. I love mine. Check em out.

[bowhunter4life]

:yeahthat:

Jay

[Swamp Monster]

Lone Wolf's are right up there at the top of the heap as well...a bit more expensive than the Summit, but most that have them like them very much. They have a new seat on their sit and climb model that is more comfortable than before....they took a page out of the Summit catalog and came up a with a design that is similar to the Summit.
If you do a search here, you'll see the majority here will say Summit with Lone Wolf being a close second. If the Lone Wolf was priced with the Summits, thosetables might be turned though.

[BarryPatch]

Summit Viper X4. I like it.

[holzy]

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

[WHITE BEAR]

Summit-easiest climbing,quietest,safest,most comfortable,best construction,etc. I have the cobra,it's an excellent bow stand.

[MisterTwister]

Summit Goliath! because I'm big

[Gobblerman]

Summit Bushmaster, lightweight easy to use and very comfortable. Been using it for 4 years now.

[swamphunter]

Ol'Man gets my vote.

[archer2]

Summit Goliath here also!

[Ack]

Not too many will agree, but a Lone Wolf is the only climber you will see me in. I tried a Summit a few times but it was too bulky and too noisy for my taste. It also slid down the tree on me once about a foot when I shifted my weight to my toes...not cool. After that, it went back in the box and back to the store. Also, I will disagree about the Summit having the "quietest cable system on the market", because it is definitely noisier than the Lone Wolf traction belt/cam system.

I will admit that the Summit seat is more comfortable, but that is one of the last things that I look for in a treestand, since most of the time I stand up while in the tree. It is also hard to shoot out of climbers while you are sitting down, unless the deer is out in front of you.

As far as the price of the Lone Wolf, I look at it as an investment. It will more than likely be the last climber I ever buy. Also, it's kind of like people who go out and buy a $700 bow, when they can just as easily kill a deer with a $250 bow. Hey, to each his own, but I think the Lone Wolf is well worth the money.

[NorthJeff]

Ol'Man.

Also, why buy a climber unless it has a good seat? Any stand I sit in nowdays has to have a sling style seat. API has that, Ol'Man, and Summit. I liked my API, but the rubber coating on the cable of the Ol'Man is quieter than the chain-link. I like the Summit, and it is very quiet, but on softer trees the teeth will dig in too deep making it difficult to climb or descend without tipping the platform too much.

Overall, having used all 3, I have to say the Ol'Man was the best, but the others weren't too far behind. In most of my hunting situations a climber isn't appropriate, but when it is, they are extremely comfortable and the use of foot-rests and shooting rails are great additions to making them the ultimate stand.

Again though, if they use a flat-style foam covered seat they are missing one of the greatest aspects of what makes a climber great...comfort. If you can't sit in it from dark to dark without being totally comfortable due to seat style or size...buy something else.

[Bowhunter30]

I have also used Summit and it was good, but did slip down like Ack did with his when I shifted my weight. I too did not take to kindly to this and I hung it up. I now use an API Grand Slam Supreme and really like it.

Very comfortable, but I do agree a little louder than most others. Other than that, I feel safe in it and probably won't look into another for quite sometime.

[goemado]

I'll add my own stand to the thread.

I've used a Loggy Bayou since I started hunting. Mostly because friends I hunted with used them. They're very light for packing in and, once strapped to the tree, very stable. But the seat is horrible (too low to the platform and uncomfortable as all get out). It uses seat belt type webbing with padding on top...feels like sitting on dental floss after a few hours. The seat support uses push buttons in a series of holes to set the seat angle against the tree -- not much fun to try and push those buttons in when the weather was cold and my hands were numb....and stepping over the seat to deploy/fold it down while 20 feet up in the dark was no joy either.

Climbing in pines was fine. But a smooth barked tree or a wet tree was no fun at all - the stand uses rubber pads to "grab" the tree - they don't. I made my own version of "spikes" to help it grip the tree...but it still slipped quite a bit.

I purchased a Treewalker ProMag XL at the GR Hunting Expo. Seat is similar to an Ol' Man's and it has a bunch of features (foot rest, gun bar, chill pad, etc.) that I'm going to enjoy - all in a package that doesn't weigh much more than the Loggy. it was a little pricey ($300) - but I hope worth it. www.treewalkertreestands.com (http://www.treewalkertreestands.com)

[kbotta]

This was my first year with a climber. I decided to go with an ol'man, and was not dissapointed. All my buddies have summit's, which they like. I like mine 'cause it folds FLAT, and makes going through da'woods a little easier (ducking brush etc...). I couldn't believe how comfy the seat was (net) and felt VERY secure in it...
Kev

[Ack]

I actually put an Ol Man net seat on my Lone Wolf for when I do sit down. You are right Kbotta, they are comfortable. Also, it is a lot nicer walking though the woods with only 4 inches of stand hanging off your back instead of 10 or so. It seems that the farther out it is from your back, the heavier it feels. And, it is a lot easier to get through the brush too.

[Swamp Monster]

The fold flat deal is why I'm buying a Summit Bullet Backpacker. Too bulkly otherwise for where I need to hike it into...at least without making a ton of noise.

[Lil' Tanker]

summit viper

you can sleep/hunt :lol: in that stand all day

[NorthJeff]

That new Ameristep stand looks very nice. I like the "no foot strap" feature and the way the seat portion of the stand is anchored to the tree when ready to hunt. Looks to be bulky, but quiet, solid, comfortable(from what I could see), and the seat and no foot strap features would be a big plus.

[Ack]

These are also features that you will find on the Lone Wolf. They do not have any foot straps to lean down to put your feet into, and there are "stabilizing straps" that run from the seat to the platform. Once you are in position, tighten the straps down and everything is rock solid...you cannot even move the seat if you lean against it.

Lone Wolf definitely has all of the features someone would want in a climbing stand, if they could only improve the seats. Oh, and you cannot forget the bow holder that is built into the platform, which does come in handy sometimes.

[2-BIG]

I just picked up an O'l Man multi grand vision. I have never used a climber before but I decided to go with this one for 2 reasons: 1. I am a big fella 2. I love the net seat on my Ol Man ladder stands.
Anyone else use this stand?

[DANK]

Lone wolf. I made my own seat that folds up,added alittle weight but Im pretty happy with it.The stand is quite and easy to put on and off tree.

[rjolenic]

I have heard a lot of good things about Lone Wolf stands and almost bought one. I ended up buying a Summit Cobra XLS. It is very comfortable and very easy to set up. The couple of knocks that I have against it is: that it is bulky and the plastic wrap on the cables strips from the metal very easily, making it louder than I would like it to be while setting it up.

Overall, I enoy using my Summit.

Ray

[sisu1]

The Summit Bullet Backpacker model by far, especially it you have to do alot of walking. Comes with or without climbing bar. The stand folds completely flat unlike the others. Weighs 22 lbs.

[rjolenic]

I would love to get the backpacker or the bullet. But, it seems like I just got my Cobra XLS. Those new Summits are sweet!

Ray

[djkillaz]

I have a couple of summits and just bought a new ameristep. gotta say I like it alot. like mentioned before. the no foot straps needed and it seems to be pretty quiet.

[triplehooked]

The Summit Viper does pretty well for me. The fact that it comes with a 60 dollar harness and restraint system was a plus. The sliding rope system(a ploostman's knot I think it was called) ,to me,has been the best I've used yet. As long as its good quality, I say go for it. Had a guy down the road break his neck a few years ago using poorly built equipment,no thanks,I'll spend what it takes to be safe!.

[Chessie Man]

Ol'Man - I have used my Ol'man climber for about 7yrs now it is very comfortable, easy to climb and I feel very safe in it. I have even taken quite few naps in it. Great for bow and gun hunting.