Well, after much debate and going back and forth, I finally broke down and bought a 2010 Summit Viper Classic which is old school steel. I looked at both the alum and steel versions and just felt more comfortable with the heavier steel version, so that why I bought the classic. I'll use that savings to get a foot rest for it as well as a couple of other goodies. I don't have real long walks to all of the places I hunt so the fact it's about 7 pounds heavier than alum doesn't matter to much to me. I purchased it off of ebay and paid $165 + free shipping. Thanks for those of you who answered some of my questions prior to purchasing this stand. I appreciate ya'll very much.
Nice stand. Now make sure to get out there and practice with it. If you have never used a climber before it will seem cumbersome at first. But it will come easier as you use it and will soon become second nature soon. You will develop your own system. Also make sure you practice setting up in the dark before the season so you can do it quietly.
Yes Sir, I'll do all of those things you mentioned. Thought of a question. Can I practice on a utility pole with this stand? That said. I'm talking about only going up maybe 5 feet (no higher) and the safety harness is going to be worn at all times when whenever I'm in the stand. Can this stand grip a utility pole well? I'm going to download a manual from Summit and start reading it here shortly.
Good score! As GFY said I wouldn't climb the utility pole. Get out and find some trees with various bark patterns and practice, I'll never forget the first time I tried to climb a Hickory Tree and wasted 30 minutes of an afternoon hunt damn near killing myself
Thanks fellas. Ok I won't climb a utility pole, but what about a metal light pole? Ok, I'll stop before someone ***** slaps me around. I did download the manual from Summit. I saw clear as day in there not to climb utility poles. Thanks for your help.
Yeah, I wouldn't practice on a utility pole more because of the creasote. Lots of unwoodsie scent there. You need to learn how to adjust the angle of the platform. It's somewhat of an art and you'll get it wrong more than once. The more you practice it on different sized trees the better prepared you will be. Looks like a good choice. My first climber was a summit and I'm still using it!
Good luck with your new stand. I noticed that there isn't anything to keep the sections together in the event the platform drops?
Looks Great, sounds like a good deal. Just dont ever use that stand without the teather tied between the top section and the bottom. I had a bad experience with that (once) Its no fun when your 3/4 mile back, no cell signal and your sitting in the seat looking at the bottom section 20' down at base of tree. Other than that, I love mine
Got my stand here at the house. I read the manual 2 times and the video once. Went this afternoon to practice on a hardwood tree. Thought I'd share my experience. First mistake, I made was putting it at too much of an angle to start. I guess, I didn't go high enough and so the platform was angled pretty high up. I misjudged the taper of the tree. I went back down to the ground readjusted. It does feel different and will take me getting use to it. I need to pratice more is all. I think I'm keeping the belt that goes around the tree and then hooks to my safety harness perhaps to tight. I noticed it was really hard to move it up the tree as I was slowly climbing up and needed to advance it up the tree. Do you think there would be a problem if I put an Ol' Man sling seat on and then I could face foward or backwards at hunting height? I'm not sure that I really like the seat that came with it. Seems to always get in the way. All in all, I like the stand. I'll practice some more tomorrow.
Hickory's and Beech are the last two trees I've ever put a climbing stand in!!! Nice stand, I like the little heavier stands as well, I feel a little more "stable" in them for some reason.
For the record..... The first time I used my stand I regretted my decision. It took awhile to get used to a climber no doubt. But I didn't give up on it and now I love it. Keep at it man!
