Climbing Stand Question(s)

I carry some cord in my pocket. I figure if it ever happens to me maybe I can do a wrap around the tree and tie some loops for my feet to go in. then I can support most of my weight and lower the harness strap around the tree. It may take 25 times of this to get to the ground, but I figure its worth a try to me.

I used to have multiple permanent stands on our property. I finally got tired of maintaining and worrying about all of the locations, and even had a few get stolen. I decided to go with a climber. I bought a Summit Viper, and couldn't be happier. It is comfortable, safe, and roomy. I recommend it although they probably have a newer model now. I have it customized with some accessory bags for gear. I never have a problem finding a tree in the area I want to hunt. Also, if you were to invite me to hunt at your place, I would have my own stand to use when I get there.
We (my son and I) use a harness and lifeline system that is a long rope that goes all the way to the ground. A self tightening knot will allow you to safely descend to the ground.

While recovering from surgery I thought about bringing a pole with a winch on it and winching myself up. I have to carry in almost a mile. But a buddy brought in a ladder stand for me.

i have the aluminum summit viper and I love it. it is the most comfortable of any of my stands. I have thought about leaving it up a tree and put a ladder going up to it to avoid having to climb with it. I am a little too loud going up the tree with it.

Take a look at the Tree Walker. I love mine and weigh in at 300#. It works and is unbelievably solid.

I have a Lone Wolf Sit and Climb so that is what I am familiar with. I am far from a climbing stand expert but I think it would be hard to lose my stand absent a mechanical failure - i.e. it falls away, not me falling out. While climbing up or down, your weight is on either the upper seat part via sitting on the bar or on the platform by standing which holds you firmly against the tree in either case. Mine has straps that connect the two pieces together so if you're sitting on the seat part and lose the platform, it can only drop a little ways and you can just pull it back up. If you're standing then the seat will stop at the platform. The largest risk I see assuming I am not the one who fell out is if the straps that go around the tree break. Then you could have a real problem but that's not different than other types.

By no means an expert at all, but I am very happy with my lone wolf.

I suspect those corn fed deer up your way are the more interesting quarry.

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It does add a interesting element. Especially when it's your corn that they're feeding on.

Ido think the climber is the way to go. It sure is easier to hunt a new location. I like to move around. We also hunt river bottom land and have to be prepared to move if it floods.

When I first started bow hunting 30 or 40 years ago we used what they called Baker stands. It was nothing more than a piece of plywood with angle iron coming up at an angle and teeth in the back of the platform. You wrapped your arms around the tree and shinnied up it dragging the stand by a cord on the top.
When you got ready to come down you hugged the tree and kicked the stand out . When you got close to the ground you slammed your feet down. By the end of the season the insides of my forearms were raw.
It was exciting to get from standing up to sitting down on that little platform. We had never heard of safety straps.

Anyway, the reason I mention this is that if you can get around facing the tree you can unhook your safety belt and just slide down.

Obviously if you are old or fat or both that may not be so simple. But, if I can get my arms most of the way around the tree I would not have any trouble coming down.

Most climbing stands are going to have straps that secure them to the tree to ensure they don't slide down. Mine has a nylon strap with a plastic buckle on both the top and bottom sections.

If for some reason a stand doesn't have those, you can use a bungi cord to do the same thing.

And if for some reason you don't do that, simply face the tree, bear hug it, loosen the strap and start inching your way down.

I've been up and down a few trees in that manner years ago before I had a tree stand...sometimes you have to shimmy up one to get to a good branch...then you have to shimmy down to go home.

Do you gain that much of an advantage where you are hunting by using a stand? I don't use one, and use natural brush for a blind if I'm stationary hunting, and I get deer every year. I have hunted from the trees, but where I now hunt, I get no advantage. The vast majority of "hunting accidents" in my state are from falls, even with a harness, and I avoid that too.

LD

It's not really an issue. When you buy a new stand you will get a safety harness and a dvd on using it. Included will be a strap to use in case of a fall. One end goes around the tree. The other end is a loop to stick your foot in to allow you to stand up while you figure out how to get down or wait on help.

Any decent quality stand kept in good condition is very unlikely to fail. I've been using climbers of varying quality since the late eighties and have never had one fail. Matter of fact, I have had heard of more issues with nailed together permanent stands than climbers.

I always use a harness with any type of stand. A metal ladder with new straps I might just climb up and then strap in. Anything else I'm attached somehow going up and down. For permanent stands I suggest learning how to set up a static line with a Prusik knot.

Years ago , not many "climbing" stands were available but I duplicated a then available Taylor (?) with great success.
My improvements were a slightly larger platform and I made hand climbers also.
My stands are still in use after almost 40 years but we have included a commercial safety type harness for several years.
I think that tree stands are a must especially for bowhunting plus it's a lot easier in our local Black Powder/Slug Gun hunts where limited range shots are the norm.

In my experience of bowhunting from trees for many years a good climber is probably the safest tree stand available. Why? Well it seems the majority of falls are when people are either putting stands up or taking them down. All this talk about using a fall arrest system and decenders is great, but they only work after you have already strapped them to the tree above your stand. Until you have climbed up there and secured it, they are worthless.

Everyone says ladders are safe. Once up and secured to the tree they mostly are. Heck I use them myself. However I have found the ladder is usually too far from the tree to use a lineman loop when climbing up. So I end up using a carbiner to hook on the steps as I climb up the first time. What I don't like is the top section of the ladder is not secured to the tree yet. It can pull away from the tree and slide sideways off the trunk. If the stand falls, I'm going with it. Very not cool. Yes once I get up to the platform and strap it to the tree the next step is always to attach a safety rope to the trunk up above the stand. After that I can hook on to when climbing up or down. But until then its really not that safe! When I take the stand down, I end up tying a hitch knot to the tree strap, drop a long line to the ground, and yank it free after I am back on earth. Don't really like it but have yet to find a better alterative.

Mid-level safety wise is using a climbing stick or strap on steps of some kid with a lineman loop around the tree. Lift the hang-on stand up to you then secure it to the tree is usually not too bad. Seem to recall reading that the many falls happened as guys are stepping off of the climbing sticks or pegs onto the stand platform. Can certainly see that happening, or getting out of the stand and missing a step. I don't use hang-ons much except in conjuction with my ladder stands to get extra people in the tree with me (ie kids) so don't have a ton of experience with that issue.

With my climber I stay connected to the tree at all times by a harness and tether. I slide the tree strap up or down a few feet at a time as I climb. The absolute farthest I could fall at any time is maybe 3 feet before being caught. I keep a rescue decender line hooked to the tree strap at all times (though looped up). So in worst case event, just reach over, unloop, let it drop, then use foot and hand holds to climb down. I do keep the top and bottom sections tethered so cannot loose half if the stand slips. Only challenge is you have to use the right trees (somewhat straight, not to wide or skinny), but it's nice in that you are always mobile and can make changes depending on conditions.

Get yourself a set of Stabilizer Straps from Third Hand Archery. They are a simple set of nylon straps with an alligator buckle that attach to both the top and bottom sections of the stand. You keep them loose while climbing, then tighten them down once you're at your hunting height. When they're tightened down, the stand is rock solid on the tree. I love it for bow hunting as I can lean against the rail of the top section without feeling like it's going to give way. Also doubles as a second tether to keep the two sections from becoming separated in the event of a fall.

As far as what to do in a fall situation, a lineman's belt can be very useful. It may not be the most comfortable descent, but at least you'll be safely on the ground.

Being the cheapskate that I am, I tend to look at prices very closely when buying stands. I really like the Summit stands but those babies run $200 and up. Sportsman's Guide and Hunter's View sells some climbers that are very similar to the Viper that run $75-$100. They are solid, easy to use and comfortable. The only drawback that I have seen is their weight. They will weigh around 30#. I have 3 that I have had long enough that I have had to replace the seats with Summit seats.

When I climb, I use the Trophy Whitetail/Elusive Whitetail climbers made by Brent Hunt. Not sure if he is still in business or not. They are good solid stands and you sit facing the tree. Two types of stays or stops that dig into the bark, one has points one has scalloped edge. The scalloped work with any tree, but better on pines, while the points work better on hardwoods. I won't even climb a pine with that one, it can slide. I have had some good naps in those climbers..... I climb as high as I need, and have been 40-50 feet up. If I'm leaving a stand on a tree, I may screw in a climbing step to hang things on.

Make sure your lower section is tied to the upper, and check it every time. It would be bad to be up a tree and have the lower slip further down than you could reach....


Have never used a harness; but one that arrests falls would be better than one that stops falls suddenly.

If you know someone with a climber, ask if you can try it out and see what you can and cannot do stability wise.

I hunt out of a summit goliath now and have for about 5 years. It is the best stand I have hunted from... Get the rifle rest attachment and you will be ready to shoot to 300 quite well. I hunted from a loggy bayou and a gorrilla climber I still hunt from the gorrilla but the summit is my go to seriously considering buying a second.

Had a fall from the loggy bayou in 09 it has since gone to the metal bin. Get the decsenders if you need them but the HSS harness and the seat of the pants units I own are very safe. If you have buds who hunt from climbers test the harnesses you have with a 6' ladder next to a local tree. Its not all together easy to get back into the treestand once out and it gives you a great idea of where to attach and what happens when you fall.

I have never been close to an accident with my summit and am known to climb 30 - 35 feet in it. The gorrilla seat of the pants and the gorrilla rope lanyard is what I use now and its very safe all the way up and down.

Good luck and shoot straight.

Bob

I just bought a Summit Viper Crush that BP has on sale . I tried it out for the first time Saturday . I also ordered a set of the stabilizer straps , but I could have just gone to Wal Mart and bought similar straps for $6.00 and modified them to work .

The only things that I don't like about it are directions that come with it , the coating on the cables is coming off already after just one climb and the backpack straps are uncomfortable . I would not want to carry it a long way .

It climbed the tree good , the seat is comfortable and it is pretty light . I also like the front bar and arm rest .

So... What about branches? For it to work, you have to find a tree whose branches are higher than 30 or so feet off the ground? I've never used any sort of tree stand (whether fixed or climber), but it seems like the climber type wraps around the tree at the base and you go up with it already encircling the tree. Is that right?

I try to find a tree that doesn't have any or many branches and you will need a good folding limb saw , like the Wicked Tree limb saw .

I don't climb higher than around 15 feet .

Yes , the cable goes around the tree . You have to get the angle right at the base of the tree as it will change the higher you climb . You to not want to be leaning forward while setting or to far back .

I would watch some you tube video's on it .

Bobson said:

So... What about branches? For it to work, you have to find a tree whose branches are higher than 30 or so feet off the ground? I've never used any sort of tree stand (whether fixed or climber), but it seems like the climber type wraps around the tree at the base and you go up with it already encircling the tree. Is that right?

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Your right about the way a climbing stand works. The only time I ever climb more than about 10-15 feet is if I am in a stand of trees where none of them have any branches that are lower. I like to have a few on surrounding trees lower than me. Anyway if that is an issue I carry a pair of pruning shears and a small folding saw made to trim trees. Combined they weigh about a pound and fit in a cargo pocket.

If I'm going to be hunting in a area with a lot of trees with low limbs I use a hang on stand with climbing sticks or even the limbs of the tree.