So I'm thinking about trying a climber. What are the pros n cons? What's a good brand that's easy on the wallet?
From my experience your not going to have many climbers that are easy on the wallet, I bought my current and first climber used at a local archery shop (Summit) and did some restoration work to it. Spray painted it black, added new wire coverings, added new camo padding that sort of thing to clean it up. The nice thing about a climber is you can use it in multiple locations and you can get up to a comfortable height/angle in the tree to give yourself multiple shooting angles. On the down side they are rather heavy, I leave my climber in the woods (private property) because I have a long walk from my truck to hunting spot. When I walk out of the woods after my hunt I usually set up my stand at the base of the tree I plan to hunt next time I'm in the woods. This way be it morning or afternoon once I get to the stand it's already to go. It takes a little more time getting up into a tree the first time, take your time and stay relaxed. That said, I love my climber and highly recommend one to you as long as you don't buy something to heavy and as long as you don't have a long walk into your hunting location. Hope this helps!
The pros of a climber are comfort, & mobility. I hunt almost exclusively out of my summit viper, I seldom hunt from the same tree more then 2 or 3 times a season. The pros are you need a relatively straight tree without limbs, in some areas that's hard to come by. Climbers like hangs ons, require trimming out trees in the off season. I bought some climbing sticks and if I'm going into an area with questionable trees I use my climber as a hang on. They are heavy, but not any heavier than a good hang on with climbing sticks. Good climbers are not cheap, but they are cheaper than multiple hang ons you'd need to be as mobile. As for brands, I personally love my summit and most that have them do. I hear great things about lone wolf climbers too. A buddy has a gorrila, a little cheaper and not made in the usa, not very impressed. The base and top doesn't seem to lock togeter and is extremely loud when packing it in and out. Like with anything else you get what you pay for, summit just changed their line and some year olds models you can get pretty good deals on right now.
Climbers are great for being mobile, especially on public ground. They're also very comfortable compared to most hang ons and you only really need one. If you're going to buy one, I highly recommend not being skimpy on price. IMO, a good treestand, especially when talking climbers, is worth a good deal of money. You're going to be spending a good deal of your time in it so make sure it is comfortable, quiet, easy to use and most importantly, safe. I personally prefer Summit stands. They are everything I need in a treestand. Some of their models are in the sub 20lb range as well, which IMO, is easily carried into the woods. Which ever brand you choose, make sure you wear a safety harness with it.
Summit climber. Pros= easy to climb, fairly light, you and leave at the base of the tree (if your hunting private property or hunting both mornings and afternoon, with harnes they are safer than both ladder and lock-ons, no one else can hunt out your stand if you take it in and out, its easy to attach to trees and climb. Cons= need fairly straight trees, you might have to saw small limbs as you climb, have pack it in and out. note- I 've been hunting from a Summit for over 10 years. Love it. Safe and comfortable. I have slept in mine before
I purchased a climber thinking that but found out it was a bad idea. Be sure to check the regulations of hte public ground that you are hunting. Where I hunt I am not allowed to cut tree limbs. The climber became impossible to hunt out of because I could never get up trees high enough. And I also hunt some public land that has slanted trees so a climber won't work for that. I found my Lone Wolf stand and sticks to really be the way to go for versatility but every situation is different. Be sure to do all your homework before making your purchase.
