When I need mobility, I use a Summit Open Shot. For me personally, I'm faster and quieter with a climber than a lock on and sticks. I have several friends who are the exact opposite but they've been bowhunting for decades longer than me. If you can't afford the price tag of the vaunted Lone Wolf climber, a summit open shot isn't a bad second choice at all. I used a summit viper as a gun hunter for several years. My word, was it comfortable and safe.
I can afford any stand I want and I choose the summit open shot. I've had a couple lone wolf climbers and hated them...weight was about the same as the open shot. To many moving parts for my liking, very limited on the tree it would fit on, uncomfortable, they didn't bite the tree very well at all, belt's would squeak when I shifted my weight, toes hang off the end of the platform, very little foot room. Had to strap the top to the tree, it just would not bite and stay put...every time I stood up the top would slide down the tree and hit the platform. Hard to get use to when you have used the open shot and it literally takes some effort to get it to break loose from the tree after you put a little weight on it.
I picked up a Summit Titan last year and love it. The extra space is nice for late season hunts. It’s a little heavy, but good backpack straps and a molle waist belt make it very manageable. I have Third Hand stabilizer straps and bow holder on it. Replaced Summit seat with a mesh Slumper seat and added a Summit foot rest. I can do all day sits in this stand due to the comfort. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Lone wolf assault II for run and gun. Summit viper for comfort if I can find a straight tree. Summit comes with a sleeper hold any wrastler would be proud of (I think there's a disclaimer on the label). Seriously tho I stand 90 percent of the time, so I don't mind my LW, and it's super light and quiet. Swamps summit rig was awesome even tho he doesn't have ot any more. I was a bit envious. Sent from my SM-G960U using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I'll throw another vote in for the LW equipment. Whether it is the sticks, hang-on or climber they are really tough to beat!!
does anyone have any experience with the API series. there is one on sale at Cabelas/Bass Pro, The crusader for 170.
Lone Wolf here as well! I switch between my LW Hand Climber and the LW hang on with sticks depending on the application.
Summit Goliath here. I'm a big guy and need the extra space. If I'm hunting an area that I can't find a tree to climb, I just bring a pop-up blind.
Millenium M-100 (my favorite hang on) Field & Stream Timberline (great afforable hang on stand) Guide Gear Deluxe Hang On (affordable & practical but heavy) API Marksman (climber, practical and light at 16 lbs) Any cheap hang or ladder stand I buy from F & S or Sportsmans Guide I always paint with some good spray paint before assembly. They seem to do much better with a tiny bit of maintenance.
I went today and looked at a few stands and i'm torn between a portable and one with a ladder (stationary). I will be hunting on private property and just am not sure what to do now. there were a few with ladder ones that i liked and obviously fell in love with the summit series when i saw it again. I guess i could always put sticks with it but at that point i mine as well just buy one with a ladder.
The only problem with a good ladder stand is that tree 20 yards away is always a better spot. I have both and put my ladders in known good spots. My Summit's are for the changes when food supplies are different from year to year or week to week. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
I had great experience with a Summit Viper SD for ten seasons before it was stolen. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another one if I was buying a climber. I bought a Hawk Mega Combat combo for Christmas. It was cheaper than the climber I lost and I wanted to try a hang and hunt set up. I only did a couple of hunts in it but seems like a great set up. I need to practice more with it to be sure.
Xop or lone wolf cant go wrong with either and there both the best out right now the xop sticks are a little nicer with the features they have compared to lone wolf's but both are great.
So it looks like it is a change for me. I’m gonna be going with the XOP stand. Just don’t know if it’s going to be the vanish or the air raid. I’m also going to be getting there sticks. My question is is four enough or should I get one more stick making it five total
I'm fortunate that where I'm able to find straight tree that is perfect for a climber within bow range of just about anywhere I want to be set up. I had a summit and it was very comfortable but it was also very noisy and a pain to pack up and carry. The Summit has a high profile that sticks far off your body so it hits branches and limbs when you turn and often hit my heels while I walked. I bought a Lone Wolf Hand Climber and it turned out to be MUCH quieter and much easier to pack and carry. The hand climber seat wasn't all that comfortable, so I bought the top half of the LW Sit and Climb. That was much better. Its now the stand I use 90% of the time. I have a Muddy hang-on with a nice set of Muddy sticks but I find hang-ons take much longer for me to get set up and I can't do it anywhere near as quiet as I can in a climber. The hang-ons definitely aren't as comfortable either, and I find myself fidgeting a lot. Sticks, a stand, a pack, and my bow is a lot to carry into the woods. Seldom do I hunt the same tree twice in a season and I sit 30-40 hunts a year so I like the climber for mobility. But with that said, your hunting area(s) need to have the trees to support using a climber.
Three of us are going out on Sunday to walk the property and see what we have going on out there. I will be looking at the trees themselves to see what’s going on in that area as well to see if it will be good for a climber. But for the most part I’ve made my mind up on what I want, now it’s just getting it and hanging it up.
