I bought one off craigslist for $65. The biggest things I wished I looked for is 1.) Decent shoulder straps 2.) When you put it on your back is there any metal things poking you? Does it rest well on your spine? and 3.) THE SEAT! Some of them just come with thin material you sit on with elastic straps.

The guy who had it before already sound proofed it with tape.

I'm 5'9 159lbs (I have a little butt) and I feel like it's made for my ass or someone smaller.


so those are the things to look out for IMO

 

Out of 65 (+/-) tree stands our hunt club has 2 of them are climbers. And they might ger used 4-5 times a year.

I don't like them for morning hunts because of the noise they make scrapping the tree on the way up. Also you need to find a tree that looks like a telephone pole.

I will use one for all day sits once in a while. It's nice to move around the tree and get out of the sun.

 

I have had many....Lone wolf is far and away the best ive found so far , but also the most expensive. My justification after a few stand thefts from private land was to buy the lone wolf and never leave it out. so far so good.

 

I have the summit 180 climber with the stir up's for about 3 year's now and it's the best investment I ever made! If you hunt alot of state land like me then this is your best bet. My stand is very comfortable I sometimes just fall asleep, probaly why I don't see any deer! Just one piece of advice when using a climber, alway's take your time! never rush! good luck

 

They are a bit loud until you get accustomed to using them. I can be pretty quiet in the morning with them now. I have a Summit Viper. This year, I am looking to buy the Summit Ultimate Viper. It appears there are some good benefits/differences between those two models and the extra money seems worth it. The Ultimate will be a little heavier, but comfort is the name of the game for me when I am on stand for 4 hours or so...

I spent the entire gun season last year and the two weeks leading up to gun season hunting out of a climber. I went up about 20'-25' with mine. I had deer look up, but never took much of a second glance. Also, make sure the camo you are using doesn't significantly contrast the tree or other trees in your background. Good luck in your purchase.

 

I have the summit 180 climber with the stir up's for about 3 year's now and it's the best investment I ever made! If you hunt alot of state land like me then this is your best bet. My stand is very comfortable I sometimes just fall asleep, probaly why I don't see any deer! Just one piece of advice when using a climber, alway's take your time! never rush! good luck

What's the Summit 180...?

 

What's the Summit 180...?

That was the one where you could sit facing the tree or your back up against the tree. I always sit with my back against the tree.

 

I bought a climber a few years back because it allows me to hunt areas where I don't have time to hang a stand, and because it's much more compfortable and safer feeling than a traditional hang on stand. It has arm rests, a foot rest, a suspended seat that soundlessly slids back and folds up as you stand up. With practice it's fairly quiet, obviously not as quiet as sneaking in without one.

I takes a little bit of time and effort, so I use it the most when I'm going to sit for a long time. It's by far the most comfortable stand I've ever sat in.

Mine is a "Shootin Star", cost about $200 7 years ago, not sure it's even made anymore. Lightweight aluminum is a must.

I find tons of trees that work in any mature woods, and like the fact that if I want to, I can climb really high (for rifle reason that can provide an awesome view!)

 

Look into the tree saddle. Not for everybody, but if you're looking for stealth and light weight mobility it's an awesome set up.

Have a good day, Pez

 

Summit and API are great to use. Rock solid once in place. They both have features I like over the other but a good choice either way. That being said I have an API. The summit is too small for me once I have all my gear on etc in cold weather. I am 6 foot 4 so thi smay not be an issue with you but I really have found the API to be a great stand. Find the right tree and practice climbing and the noise issue is significantly reduced. Good luck to you.

Ganzer

 

I use a summit viper. Love it. I am 6'1" 190lbs and I wouldn't want to be much bigger without investing in one of the wide climbers. The stand is dangerously comfortable--it is the only treestand that I have ever fallen asleep in.

I owned a Gorilla first because I wanted to buy a cheap climber to see if I would use one/like one and after one season I was hooked. I hunt a 640 acre piece of private land so it is literally impossible for me to have stands everywhere that I want, similar to people on state land. It gives me the mobility to hunt wherever I want to hunt. Finding a tree in just the right spot can be difficult in bow season because of your limited shooting range, but if you do find just the right tree, then the payoff is incredible. I got about thirty feet up with my Gorilla and had a nice 9 point six yards away look right up at me when I started to draw. I held at mid draw as long as I could before going to full draw--he was looking the whole time--and didn't know anything was up until my broadhead was buried in his sternum.

I probably use my climber 40-50% of my hunts throughout the year. If I hunted solely state land I would use a climber 100% of the time. My only regret is not buying one sooner. You do have to practice or else you will make a ton of noise in the woods. So I would buy one now and start climbing trees so you are ready for Oct. 1.

Good luck.

 

I bought a Equalizer 3 years ago I have had other brands but I like this one best it lets you level it when you are going up the tree so when you reach the spot you are going to be sitting you are level ,It is about the same price as a Lone Wolf and it is very safe .Bud

 

nobody asked, but what are you gonna use it for? strictly bow?

Summit is reissuing the Bushmaster again this year. It's a fantastic bow stand. I added a shooting rail for firearm season to mine.

 

Summit is reissuing the Bushmaster again this year. It's a fantastic bow stand. I added a shooting rail for firearm season to mine.

That is great to hear. I have had a summit bushmaster for 5 years now. I wouldn't trade it for any other climber, including a lone wolf (and I've hunted L.W.s). The hammock type seat on the Summits is far more comfortable than the seat found on L.W.'s.

When I was in the industry, I hunted Summit bushmasters, clearshots, vipers, and goliaths (as well as L.W and gorilla climbers). The Bushmaster is just simple compared to the other summits. The noise setting up can be a bit of a problem with any climber if you aren't careful, or you don't give yourself enough time(mainly for morning hunts). For many reasons, don't find yourself in a hurry with a climber. However, I hunt some state land, and several properties where I like to be mobile- and the benefits outweigh any negatives IMO. It was a great investment.

Climbers are very easy to learn, so don't be turned off for that reason. Make sure you use your safety harness, and always use the rope attaching the bottom portion to the top portion of the stand. I would also recommend investing in a little camo bag to keep attached to your climber. I use this for my bow string, as well as a small foldable saw (also a must-have item for a climber). The little saw is nice for cutting little branches on the way up if they are in the way.

All brand names aside- make sure you buy an aluminum stand. Steel is just too heavy and a real pain in the butt.

If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM.

 

Chech out Treewalkertreestands.com also. They are a little pricey but well worth the money. very sturdy,light weight and roomy with lots of options.+ 100% made in america. All climber stands are a little creaky when climbing ,just take your time.

 

They are great for public land. I bought one about 5 years ago and it's a great tool. As far as noise when climbing, once you get your muscles trained you can climb as quiet as anything.

 

Tried Lone Wolf and Summit. Both were sold to go back to the old Loggy Bayou. Can still get those on ebay for a decent price. Not the newer versions of Loggy, the old.

 

Id be using it mostly for bow, but why not gun? Im just worried it would be time consuming to set up and loud? I love ground blind hunting but the versatility and advantage of being above the ground really help.

 

I'll second the old Loggy Bayou. I have one that is 20 years old and it is still one of my favorites. Also have a lone wolf. Super comfortable seat for a long sit.

The one thing you might want to think about is what kind of trees you hunt out of. Some guys don't think about this until they get into the woods and then they realize that the climber does them no good unless they are hunting the interior of a woodlot. Most of the fringe trees have a lot of branches that render a climber useless. Remember it is against the law to hack up a tree on public land to get the climber up. A few small branches here and there might be OK, but if you turn a cedar tree into a telephone pole expect a visit from your local CO.

I have been fortunate enough to accumulate several types of stands over the years and lately I've been reaching for my Lonestarr Aluminum Ladder. A little bulky but not overly so and it only weighs 25 pounds including the extra extension. Gets me up sixteen feet and I can get that sucker up in pretty much any tree I want. I like flexibility, but if you've already thought about this and know you use a climber I wouldn't be worried about being able to use one. Buy a reputable one and definitely practice a few times and you'll be good.

 

LOVE my climber. I use it religously on state land and its the most comfortable I've ever been up in a tree. Look for a comfortable seat and lightweight. You're going to want to customize it with a bow holder and a camo bag for calls/snacks/etc.

I'm a bigger guy (5'11" 225) and I fit fine in mine and with practice can climb a tree pretty darn near silent. The only time I'm loud is if I climb a tree that has flaky bark. A beech, maple or birch all work perfect. Pines can work but you gotta be careful of the sap!

The biggest thing is to go slow and avoid sweating on your way up. That's always the biggest battle for me. Usually I get fully dressed 20 feet in the air.

you can youtube videos on how climbers work....gets rid of the mystery pretty quick.

 

Lone wolf by far...I've had the summits and API.. I guess it depends If you wanna try to shoot your bow out of a recliner or what..also factor in the all day sit if that's something you do..shots behind the tree if your in a recliner type stand..lots of factors,moving the seat out of the way if you like to stand and shoot,some stands if you stand you can't move the seat out of the way which puts you a couple feet away from the tree which loses a lot of cover since trees you climb in don't usually have an abundance of cover..
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I have a run of the mill climber, nothing fancy and I love it. I hunt with SweatySpartan and our climbers are the only thing we use on stateland. I am a bigger guy (6'1" 245) and I am totally comfortable in mine and climbing is not an issue as long as you go slow. As long as you practice a bit you will get the hang of using it. The hardest part to figure out is how much angle to have at the base of the tree. As you climb the tree gets more narrow so at the base your sections need to be angled up. As yo climb they level out, eventually its easy to judge once you are familiar with your equipment.

The comfort of this stand makes it easier to sit longer.

You can definitely tweak and customize your set up. Mine is like a well oiled machine!

I added pipe insulation to the shoulder straps which makes it totally comfortable to carry.

Bow holder on my top rail which makes it a short reach to grab it and be in the ready positon.

Camo burlap that rolls up to the top rail when packed and I can then un roll it and tuck it under the foot section for total concealment and a "boxed" in feeling.

We always go out and scout before the season and come time to hunt we have a TON of climable tress picked out. You can waste a lot of time in the dark looking around for a good tree if you don't know where you want to sit.

 

Id be using it mostly for bow, but why not gun? Im just worried it would be time consuming to set up and loud? I love ground blind hunting but the versatility and advantage of being above the ground really help.

Once you've used it a few times, it only takes an extra 5 minutes. And as others have said, you also will get good at being fairly quiet.

Ans, noise isn't always a big deal, since I've had mature bucks appear minutes after making more noise than I wished I had.

 

I've had a Summit Viper for the last 3 years and love it. As others have said, practice equals quite. I've had deer come by my stand within a 1/2 hour after getting settled. If I have climbed the tree before (any limbs if any that need trimmed) I'd say the time to take it off my back and be sitting 20 feet up would be 10 minutes tops...And that's not rushing (which I would never recommend to be safe!). Very comfortable for my 6 foot 215 pounds.

They are great for State land or even on private to keep options open. DO IT!

 

I like mine, not sure of the brand but it is comfortable and light enough to move around. I will say, be careful about trying to get up the tree in a hurry. I hunt after work and about 7 years ago I was using my climber almost daily. Because I get out of work later and the drive was substantial I was always in a rush to get up the tree. Instead of using just my legs I would try to go up faster and use my legs and arms. Since then I have had three shoulder surgeries, last one was 7/28/10. I think I have the shoulders finally fixed but it has been a lot of time and money getting them repaired. I am very sure that the damage was caused from my misuse of the climber.