Tree Stand Comparison thread just because I'm bored...

[Mossy Bloke]

Sitting here at work wishing I was hunting and decided I would give a little comaprison on the two tree stands that I own. Read it if you want to kill a few minutes, otherwise feel free to skip it. It's not going to change your life, I promise.

The contenders:

Lone Wolf Alpha Climber
Tree Lounge

Two completely different stands and exact opposite ends of the spectrum in just about every area.

Weight:
My Lone Wolf is hands down the winner. Weighs next to nothing at around 13 pounds. Easily to pack. Tree Lounge? Heavier than a box of rocks on your back. No kidding. I weighs a ton. Uncomfortable to pack in.

Set Up:
Lone wolf wins again. Without exaggeration I can get the thing off my back and be sitting in my tree 20 feet up in less than 4 minutes. It'll go on the tree off your back in less than 60 seconds. And perfectly quite. No bolts to turn, no cotter pins to pull, no metal banging against itself. Tree Lounge? The absolute worst. You absolutely must have a method to set it up and never, ever deviate from it. Takes several minutes to set up and noisier than heck.

Comfort while in the stand:
Tree Lounge is reknown for its comfort and it's completely true. Once you get up in place you're sitting in Heaven. Easy enough to sleep in. My Lone Wolf bites the Lone Wolf's butt on comfort. Little tiny seat is all you've got. The only relief is being able to stand up from time to time. Can't stand to be in it more than a couple hours at a time.

Quietness:
Both are very quiet once they're in place.

Use:
My Tree Lounge doesn't have the bow stand piece. Thank goodness since that would just add another 5 pounds onto the mack truck I'm packing in already, so I'm limited to gun hunting from it. My Alpha climber can be used for both bow and gun hunting.

Final thoughts:
I own both because I think they're both the absolute best in tree stands for whatever your taste is. I hunt almost exclusively out of the Lone Wolf simply because of the convenience and ease of setup. If I'm thinking of hunting out of the Tree Lounge I find myself dreading going sometimes because of all the hassle. But if I know I'm going to be out for a few hours then I take the TL. Nothing beats the comfort.

 

[.41 magnum man]

Well, I'm bored so I read it! Pretty good review, Mossy Bloke. I have to use ladder stands because of my disfunctionability. I have a couple of 2 man ladder stands from Wal-Mart, and 1 that I welded up from black iron pipe for the ladder, with the top rails and seat made of trampoline frame. I like them fine.

Walmart brand is fairly comfortable with the seat pad. I made the seat a tad too high on my homemade stand and my legs go to sleep after sitting for a while. Put a canoe seat cushion on it and made it more comfortable, but now only my toes reach the floor. All have plenty of room to stretch out your legs, and stand up in.

Set up on Walmart brands not too bad if you don't have to carry it very far. Home made stand weighs a ton, and once in place has never, nor ever will be moved.

Padding on the shooting rails keep that part quiet. All three are pretty quiet even when moving around.

All three are versatile enough for bow or gun hunting, except last year I was not paying attention and was shooting at a doe with my bow and had it too close to the rail (which happened to be the only part of the rail I do not have padded) on my Wal-Mart stand and when I shot the bottom cam hit the rail knocking my shot off. Sparks flew out like the fourth of July! Now I have a cross bow, so I won't have that problem anymore. Of course, a ladder stand limit you to that spot, but are easier to get into than any other type.

Final thoughts: If you have a big butt, weigh a quarter of a ton, like the security of shooting rails, like to stand up and move around some, want to take a kid hunting with you, have an emergency and need to poop fast, like to have a lot of stuff with you, etc., etc., etc., then a ladder stand is for you.

Oh, by the way, Mossy Bloke, did your boss get to read your article?

 

[jamz]

Anybody use the Viper SS? That one looks nice to me, demo'd it on a tiny fake tree last year.

 

[redneck2]

I've got a Tree Lounge. I'd agree with the write-up. It's not real bad to pack in, but there are lighter ones available. I have the archer's platform on the end. Makes it as good or better than a permanent stand. It's SUPER comfortable.

It takes some practice to learn to set it up right. Doing it for the first time in the dark with freezing fingers would be impossible. Also, take extras of the little bolts and wing nuts. Lose one little wing nut, and your hunt if off. Good luck trying to find it in the leaves after you've dropped it 20 feet.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

I have a summit Viper X5...almost the same as the new Viper SS. I like it, but it is bulky....when crawling through thick stuff, the lone wolf if much nicer because it collapses.

The summit is a little easier to set up because you can use a sit and climb method rather than the lean in method with the lone wolf hand climber.

Bottom line, I love packing in the lone wolf, but for long stays....the summit has a shooting rail and a more comfortable seat.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Good write-up. Thanks!

I have an early Tree Lounge as well. I tend to just pack it in once and leave it on a tree for the time I am there.

Good idea to bring along a lot of extra wing nuts. I also recommend you make sure that you have a rope tied to the bottom climbing unit after you are all set up. Sitting 20+ feet up the air and hearing the bottom climber fall to the ground is an ... ahem .. interesting experience.

 

[Steellord]

Hi all, new member here.

First off, I love my Tree Lounge and I'd like to add something to Readyontheright's post.

"I also recommend you make sure that you have a rope tied to the bottom climbing unit after you are all set up. Sitting 20+ feet up the air and hearing the bottom climber fall to the ground is an ... ahem .. interesting experience."

When placing your TL on the tree, you should be putting the shoulder carrying strap loops on the foot climber section to keep it from falling.
As can be seen in this photo I got from TL's Homepage.

That's how I set mine up and I've never had to hear the foot section fall to the ground.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting.
Steellord

 

[1prcntr]

+1 on the Tree Lounge !

 

[FRJ]

I have a later aluminum tree lounge and haven't figured out how to make it into a packable package yet. Once on site it is great and I can fall asleep in it almost too easily. I had one of the plastic buckles break on the shoulder straps that double as connecting straps to the lower section so I readily agree with having an extra rope attached to it just in case.Since I don't use a tree stand very often and tend to leave it in place once I find a place that I like mobility isn't a big problem but comfort is and tree lounger has that in spades.FRJ

 

[Legionnaire]

Good write-up; thanks! I've been using ladder stands the last couple of years, because my FIL takes the time to set them up before the hunt. I have a Summit Viper that I've not used in a while, but it is a great stand. I'll have to take a look at the Lone Wolf.

(I'm not bored, but I am distracted!)