Climber Pro-Tips?
Massachusetts
So I got my climber. I've tested it out a few times in the trees on my property and, damn, what a pain in the ass this thing is! I may as well have a Mariachi Band playing while I struggle to set the thing up and get going. So far I have it down to about 7 minutes, that's from undoing it off of my back, strapping it to the tree, then getting up to height (usually ~20'). Does anyone have any tips for when you actually go into the woods on making this thing a little easier to deal with? Packing tips? etc.
As always, much appreciated!
TWO AND A HALF WEEKS!!!
You got a summit viper right?
I'll try to make a video this week. I'll have my girlfriend tape me setting mine up and climbing. I've been using mine for about 12 years now and can set up, and climb with basically no noise at all. I can go from having it on my back, to being settled up in the tree in under 10 minutes. I've gotten up a tree and settled with deer 50 yards from me before. I take it for granted though, being that comfortable with it. After 12 years you really get it down to a science. It seems like many guys are very noisy with theirs. Especially a couple of my friends. I have a lot of little tricks to a quiet set up though. I will make a video this week and put it on youtube and paste the link here for everyone to see. Don't worry, you WILL get the hang of it and you will love it.
First things first though... have you completely covered it in tape yet? I bought a few rolls of camo duct tape and completely covered every single inch of the top and bottom pieces. This is essential to a quiet set up/climb.
Electrical tape in certain Clangy spots works wonders. With my Treewalker I had to do a few mods to quiet it down. The only other tip is to take your time and go slow. I’d rather take two extra minutes then clang and kill your chances.
100% agree with Spike. Just got slow and be careful. Rushing will do way more harm than good.
Practice and go slow to keep quiet.
Like above go slow. A few minutes extra time to set up and get up the tree wont hurt you and believe me the stress you put on yourself trying to be fast will just make you sweat more and then you will stink. I rarely use my climber early season just because it makes you sweat. Also, third hand archery sells a set of stabilizer straps for cheap money. Buy them. They make the stand rock solid in the tree and also assist with packing the stand up and keep the the two sections mated together which eliminates noise. He has a video on the website to show you.
Ill just ditto everyone. Practice seems key. I've been using mine for a long time now, and it works well. BWB nailed it... You get better the more you use it.
Heck, the first time I use it each year, I'm a little louder than every time after.
The other thing, is getting the number of segments on the cable selected right. At first,you may have to restart a time or two... But once you get familiar, you know "that tree is two and two" or "that tree will require this much angle at the base to have just a hair of upward angle at hunting height"... those things just take experience.
Great point Will. That is so true. I still screw myself on that sometimes. And the only way to know how many "cable sections" to let out is experience. (do keep in mind it does need to be even on each side. Sometimes I do 2 on one side and 3 on the other if that seems to be the right combo). Its tough too because some trees are big down low and then get skinny up top. This makes it real hard to start climbing because its so far pitched up OR you end up with a platform that is pitched down when at the top. Having my platform pitching down is a huge pet peeve of mine. Pitching back I don't mind too much though. Just a comfort thing I guess.
Thanks all! I ended up getting the Summit Titan SD (I'm 280lbs on a thin day). It's basically the Viper but for fatties. I haven't wrapped it in duct tape but I will now. I feel like I need to cut the back rest padding off as it just flops around and gets in the way; we'll see though.
Are you guys using the climbers in the early morning/dark, or just in the afternoon? I feel like I should try it blindfolded but not sure if that's just over thinking it. I think maybe.
Awesome post Sosso, I just bought a Summit Viper and feel the same way. I thought it'd be easy, all the videos I've watched make it look easy, but I feel so clumsy with it. I know it's just going to take some practice.
I bought the third hand stabilizer straps but haven't tried them yet.
I also was annoyed at the seat when climbing. Seems like there's no way to keep it out of my way. Just have to experiment more.
I taped my carabeiner after it clanged into something while getting in. Tape everything! LOL
Once you get used to it setting up in the dark will be no problem.
Proline nailed it. I use my climber the vast majority of the time. In the dark set up etc. The one time frame I get iffy or skip it, is if things are super wet (fear of sliding down the trunk) or icy - same reasoning.
Dan, wholly smokes that's true. I'm sure Summit would cringe, but Ill occassionally set it like 4 feet up because the base is to fat, then I sort of climb onto it... Or it will literally be at a 45+ angle at the base.
True story, a buddy thought he could "fix" the angle about 12 feet up upon realizing it was off. He was trying to save time. Figured he could hang from his armpits, lift the stand with the stirrups and hug the tree with his legs while reaching down and sliding the cable in a notch.
As you may have guessed, this strategy did not work! he was hanging from his pits, pondering his options, and then finally got it connected again just before he was going to try and shimmy down the tree.
Ha! Funny because he didnt get hurt, but overall, a horrible idea!
Sosso, I used to note certain trees. That's 2-3, thats 1-1 etc... based on the number of blocks on the summit cables that are exposed once set on the tree. That helped.
Ultimately, I'd go to the woods, with the stand, and start climbing random trees.
Oh man, I adjust mine all the time when at height. It sucks to do it but sometimes I have no choice. Last year was the first time in fifteen years I dropped the platform. There I was, in the dark dangling from just the seat. The safety line held, and somehow I was able to drag it back up with it hanging up. I still had my mind on adjusting it (i'm not very smart) and I almost dropped it again. But in the end I won the battle. I hate climbers. Say what you want, they are bulky, noisy and you cannot have any branches in the way on your way up. Climbers are dead to me.
I lent the climber to my daughter's boyfriend last week to use during hunting season. Now I have no choice but to do 100% of my hunting out of a saddle :)
Love my API Grand Slam 2500... especially the mobility it offers. It only takes a couple of minutes to put it on the tree quietly... you can use a headband flashlight in the dark so your hands are free. It also climbs without making noise and is rock solid when I ratchet in the top section. The earlier tips about starting out with the stand at an angle based of the taper of the tree are right on the mark. You'll get better at estimating which setting to start at with practice. NEVER try to adjust the stand once you're up the tree at any height... that's asking for trouble. Spend the five minutes it takes to climb down to the ground, make the adjustment, then climb back up. Those five minutes of inconvenience could save your life!
Like the others, I've used tape to make it quieter. I've also added gear bags to the sides on the upper section and installed a bowholder on the upper section. The first thing I did was get rid of the backrest on the seat... I just lean back against the tree. I also installed a net seat... much more comfortable as well as easy to silently slide back out of the way when I stand up.
I just use mine to trim trees at home now, but when I hunted out of them what I do - and I'm just coming off of 290#, is sit my butt on the rail, pull the bottom up, stand and raise the top so you can sit on the rail again, repeat. Go slow, stop often, who cares if you go up 1 foot at a time and it takes 30 minutes. I have shot deer in the middle of climbing a tree before, so after each move, stop, look and listen. It's not a race.
