Best climbing treestand
Whitetail Deer
If you could pick one climbing treestand that you had to sit in all day what would it be?
Lone Wolf Sit and Climb with a Hazmore seat.
Summit might be more comfortable but the Lone Wolf is quieter to use and more compact for packing.
Lone Wolf. May not be the most comfortable, but certainly the best as far as transporting, setup, etc.
http://deercrossingtreestands.com/The%20Gunslinger.html
I'd have to go with my Ol' Man.
My absolute favorite climber.
How does the Summit viper sd compare? This will be used Elk hunting and will have to be packed in about a mile.I will probably do it in two trips and leave it in the woods. Thanks for the replies.
Summit very comfortable for an all day sit. Also very secure in the tree. Not the smallest nor lightest to pack in but always a trade off. Dave
used a few climbing stands. Loggy was the best one for me. Loved the seat attached to the bottom stand.
I really like my Summit for deer hunting but would not want to pack it in for an elk hunt due to it's bulk. It is very comfortable. It is an older model, i think it was called the "Open Shot". There is no rail on the front to hit the lower limb of your bow. As with anything, you will likely not find the "perfect" one. Always trade off's.
Don't forget this idea for using your summit as a game cart http://sherpahunting.com/summit_model.html
For all day sits in the rut an Ol'Man is my go to.Love the new Drone model that you can let in/out cable with a simple turn.Not only does that help navigate crooked trees but maximizies comfort with perfect seat angle on the ol bottom.
I recently got turned on to the XOP Tree stand. Its a knock-off of Lone Wolf and the old owners of LW are now part of XOP, or so research mentioned.
This stand was $203 shipped to my door. Has everything a climber needs, and everything you want, 17lbs total weight
See link for the XOP site. I bought mine thru Field Supply
Agree the LW is the best by far for packing and as been said if you get the Hazmore seat it is comfortable as well. A true test is to try and walk the very edges of the platform all the way around and see which does not tip and bites into the tree the best. I promise you it will be the LW. Now having said all that I will never use a climber again. I take 4 LW climing sticks and a chippewa wedge-loc stand. The set up is as light as any climber and I can be up most any tree quicker than guys using a climber, also you can get up in most any tree as to with the climber you need a fairly straight and limbless tree. Shawn
X-stand is the lightest for packing in. But as mentioned. The lightest is likely to not be most comfortable for an all day. Snapcrackpop probably has the best solution for a climber with the cart. But a millennium stand with climbing sticks might be a better option.
Spend the extra money and get the lone wolf. The seat is the only downfall and it's an easy fix as stated above. You can't fix bulky or the noisy hollow tubes of a summit.
Buckshot Cadillac..1990's. The best and safest.
Check out treewalker.. I Love mine.. I've had lone wolf is well and I'll take the tree walker any day ..
Sherpa has other models also (lone wolf, api, treewalker)
Pics of climbing stands with rubber bands holding them to the tree. No thanks.
Thanks very much for all the info,I'm checking out each one that's been mentioned. I'm kind of leaning towards the summit or the LW sit and climb II. The hardest part is going to be for this Elk hunter to sit in one spot for more than a few hours,Ha!
I'm just a whitetailer, but I love my Summit Viper. I don't find it too cumbersome, and it's great for all day sits. Also, I shoot recurves and have no problems shooting with the rails. I set the "seat" section high so I can lean over it to draw, and adjust the seat itself to a comfortable hieght.
I bought a used lone wolf sit and climb. Most comfortable stand I have been in. Doesn't hold the tree like my summit that got stolen last year.
TreeWalker is the best I've tried but I want to get my hands on a Mancini very soon.
If you're going to pack it in and leave it, you lose some of the LW's advantages, which include bulk, wt, and portability.
A Summit Viper is such an incredibly comfortable stand. 18 hour sits are no problem.
That said, if you plan on hunting from one spot for several days, I think I'd bring in sticks, no matter what stand I hunted out of.
What's one extra trip in to be able to make your climb in 1 minute times 2 (up and down) vs 10 minutes up and 5 minutes down in a climber without sticks? Add in the noise of climbing up and down. Add in having to leave the cushions you stunk up by sitting in all day sitting all night at ground level where you sit. And what if you have to take a crap?
My 20 year old (maybe older) Loggy Bayou climber is still the most comfortable stand I have sat in. Tried others but never felt as safe nor near as comfortable. That fold up seat that locks to the tree is awesome.
I swear by my Lone Wolf. You might be able to find a lighter stand by a couple of pounds, but this thing is very quiet and easy to setup in the dark. I don't sit, so I yanked the seat off when I got it.
Folds completely flat when packing in and out.
Great stand overall.
Jimbow, is be interested in that LW..
Did you get my pm?
Have used lw hand climber for yrs and still do. I do like but it is not the most comfortable but it is the quietest by far. I have a summit viper sd 16lbs, which is light, comfortable, not that difficult to pack, but it's loud to set up in the dark if your not careful. Climbs like a squirrel with his tail on fire. To me no matter what you get there is going to be a trade off. Api grand stand, comfortable, climbers well, almost quiet, but heavy. I recently bought a lw flip top and the jury is still out on that one. I'm not crazy about the way it packs up. But I do like moving the seat for the shot. Debating about removing the climbing rail. Anyone else try that?
Whatever you do get something with the mash seat or the seat at the same height as the top railing those ones that sit down can be very uncomfortable and hard to sit if you have heavy clothing on
I have a brand new Lone Wolfe Assault Hand Climber Combo in the box I will sell and save you about 100 bucks. After trying the Treewalker it can stay in the box
Aside from it's packability,the LW has been the worse of my dozen or so climbers.Thankfully I didn't have to buy it as it was loaned to me for a season.
If long pack jobs are your MO then it is a good option but the stand is way too "spongy" and borderline unsafe imo.
LW makes a good fixed stand.....plz don't assume the climber it top of it's class becasue it isn't close.
Personally for packability I would go with a Summit
For whitetails the weight and comfort of an Ol' Man is really tough to beat.HEAVY for sure but the weight adds stability and I want the weight.Also love the length of the stand as it adds leverage to bite as you ascend/descend.The Ol' Man Done is the same set up but has a turnbuckle function that allow you to fine tune both top and botton angle.
In second place is the API.I pulled landscape hose over chain to give a great stable way to blast through shagging bark,vines etc without cable grab.Thumbs down that they use a cheap chain covering that chews up in a season.
If I could only own one climber for whitetails ...Ol' Man Drone
If I wanted a lighter set up to be packed for mulies/elk as well as whitetail I would go Summit......
####Always Climb and Descend hooked to tree
There is no one perfect stand, boat or vehicle.
Treewalker for long sits and stability, loggy bayou for versatility and packing moderate distances (but it's a little dicey if you aren't proficient with a climber). I don't ever go more than 3/4 mile with my climber, if I did I might want the lone wolf for packability.
I have only used one Ol Man stand and didn't like it at all. I suspect considerable differences between the one I tried and the hex drone.
Get a good, folding, arborist saw and strap it to your stand.
"I suspect considerable differences between the one I tried and the hex drone."
Not really.....looks sexier and the cable adjustment is a ++ but setup and comfort are the same
Original Ol Man, Mississippi made.
Summit and if you can find one of the folding ones BUY IT! They offered them twice over the years, hard to find but worth every penny.
I always wanted that Summit bullet! The viper sd is a very good stand . I added a pair of stabilizer straps from third hand archery and it's a rock in the tree. I also have an Equalizer that went out of business but the stand with a hazmore is great slightly edging out the viper because you can level it as you climb. The pack ability of the Lone Wolf is great but that's where it stops. I wouldn't own one and can never figure out why so many like them.
I like my Summit Openshot, I have some long hikes in so the lower weight works for me. I also like how I can attach my pack to the stand as well. I can't comment on any other brands.
Quiet, light, quick, yes. But I am having a hard time believing any one can do an all day sit in a LW.
1) Tree walker 2)Ole man original 3) Summit Goliath
Sadly lone wolf was my most costly disappointment. I cannot figure out why all the hype other than it looks cool and has an even cooler name.
Many times a season I do all day sits.
Not sure why all of the hate for sitting all day in a lone wolf site and climb?
I sit in one from daylight until dark for 7 days straight year after year.
What is so uncomfortable about them?
"What is so uncomfortable about them?
Hunt all day with an Ol Man net seat and let us know what you think
Comfort IS the definition of an Ol Man net seat.
If you get a Lonewolf you'll probably want the "flip top" seat. The older sit 'n climbs came only with the 'hanging' type seat which for most people is not very comfortable (butt pinch and/or too narrow with heavy clothes). And also creates a hairball-like, noisy mess of strapping to fight with on the climb up. I yanked all that junk off mine and retrofitted it with the simple metal flip seat, and it made a world of difference.
Original Hanging Seat:
Improved "Flip Seat":
I am not saying that the Ol Man is not comfortable. I have no idea - never sat in one.
My question was what others thought was so uncomfortable about the sit an climb? Is it the padding, backrest, webbing, etc.?
I just have not experienced them to be troublesome to sit in all day.
LW doesn't have enuff bite for my liking as it just doesn't have enough weight out away from tree.
The absolute flatness and small size of the seat is what I don't like
I really don't understand those who knock the Lone Wolf sit and climb either.
I've had mine for many years and have had a few different seats on it. Currently I have the Hazmore net seat and it is the best.
I often do all day sits and it is very comfortable.
Genesis, I have no idea what you mean when you say the LW is "spongy" and borderline unsafe. Are you sure you know how to use it?
I'm with Mike and the others on those who don't like the LW? And spot on with Mike's question to Genesis.....I have to believe you are not using it right......or you weigh 58#. No way that stand can be spongy or unsafe. I've sat in my SC stands for hundreds of hours. No complaints on anything. It is the quietest stand you will find. I challenge anyone to use any of the above listed "frame" stands when it is -10, -20°, and see how quiet it is. Even in the single digits you will be amazed at how quiet cast is versus a "tubing" stand.
I am not knocking the lone wolf but simply stating that after sitting a couple of hours in the sit and climb it felt like someone was cutting my back in half.
Obviously, with so many ardent followers of lone wolf it just does not work for me.
I personally prefer the the net seats from ole man and tree walker.
I use a Summit Cobra 4X that I've had for about 15 years. I has a fold down, sit on top climbing bar. It rotates back against the tree when your done climbing. It's very comfortable. Too bad they don't make them anymore.
Anybody with a Lone Wolf Climber who is unhappy with the seat should check out my link for the Hazmore net seat.
I put one on a few years ago on the recommendation of another Bowsiter and it was $20 well spent.
Or the Lone Wolf revamped.....XOP
Been doing all day sits with a lone wolf alpha since 99. Started seeing allot more mature deer the day I started to use it. I have stalked within 80 yards of feeding deer on a 20 degree day, climbed the tree without spooking the deer, and shot one of them as they walked by an hour later. Light, stable, and dead quiet. You will not fall asleep in one, but I stay home if I want a nap.
Summit viper. hands down. Bought it 5 years ago and tooth's day i still love it. Even with the new technology coming out. Viper is affordable to. If your a bigger person go with the goliath. More sitting room
I love my old loggy,also like my treewalker rock solid just cant use my lonbow out of it.Picked up a LW sit n climb, love it. Hazmore seat sat in WV all day no issues. Just my two cents!
Summit Viper Classic. M Now for sale for 199 at Dicks- Super comfortable.
I've really wanted to try a climber but my hesitation has been due to tree selection.
Do you guys using climbers just get in trees that look like telephone poles with no understory and just get up real high ?
With hang-ons and sticks I get up around and just above some cover. I don't want a 30' stand just because of shot angles.
I also don't like any rails on the stand and would prefer a seat that will flip out of the way so I can stand close to the tree. I don't even know if that's possible in a climber.
Lost Arra.....climbers are great but have limitations.
Back in the day I use to never sit in a treestand.I simply stood all day long even if I did an all dayer.
When good quality climbers hit the market I had several instances where the bottom would drop a little (1-2 inches) when I stood too close to the tree.
I now sit half and stand half but always away from tree a little to keep proper and safe leverage for bite.
In the southeast I hunt at 20 feet and climbers are easy to ascend/descend some places getting hid makes them a no go.
In the midwest I climb an average of 14 feet and find that is a great height to fool less wary midwestern deer and keeps from getting skylighted.
Sometimes in late season with a naked tree I will actually climb the backside of the tree and face it for cover though not often.
Short ATA bows (33" or less) will hunt fine with a bar across.
Thanks Genesis. I had not thought about standing away from the tree for safe leverage.
I hunt with both a traditional bow or a compound and it was the longbow I was concerned about.
I do what Genesis says about hunting the back side of the tree. Almost always have the stand pointed away from where I believe the deer will be.
I bought an Open Shot years ago. I believe they were called the Bushmaster at the time. Very comfortable. Easy to climb with and stable. I had a Lone Wolf, but the climber was too narrow. Very hard to use my forearms when climbing. LW is gone. Summit still going.
