Is the strap you can sit on to help climb useful or is the strap too close to the tree to really be used? Though I like my sitnclimb it would be nice to sit/stand like using a hangon while on stand. At my age I find it almost necessary to use a bar or strap to sit on while climbing.
I find it useful Coug. It is a little different than the Sit/Climb. I do not like the Sit/Climb seat at all. Way too close to the tree and way too noisy for me. I do not like the Handclimber seat at all. Added my own cushion.(should not have to for the coin) All that said, I will use the hand climber with or w/o the strap 10 out of 10 over the Sit/Climb seat. jmho
When I bought mine, there was no fancy climbing strap on'em. It is truly a hand climber, wouldn't use the strap anyway!
I wouldn't use the strap either, I love my handclimber, it is light as can be and easy to get in the tree with. When I begin my climb the bottom section is angled as much as possible in order to make up for the tree becoming smaller as I climb up. Once I get to the top I adjust the seat or upper section to be angled back just a bit so it is more comfortable to sit in.
I use the strap when I feel like it. Otherwise, I just put a good angle on the platform, climb and adjust as I go if needed. I just reach out to the front edge of the platform with my foot, lift it up, reach down with my right hand while supporting weight with my left on the seat, adjust belt, and continue climbing. Always strapped to tree with harness!!!
That is a major contortion that I tried and just did not like Jeff. Oh well, whatever it takes to get it done.
Why wouldn't you just sit like you were hunting (back to the tree), stick your leg out & hook your heel over the front edge of the platform to raise or lower it as needed while you adjust the traction belt & re-clamp it? Takes me all of about 20 seconds to adjust my platform & I have to do it 3 - 4 times/wk because of the trees where I hunt.
I kinda tried that Greg and evidently my legs are too short. Just can not seem to pick up with my foot and still reach the adjustment latch and belt to adjust. Maybe you should send me a video.:D (Still won't make my legs grow.):D It really works fine the way I do it. I don't have to turn around and sit down. I just adjust it and keep climbing.
Maybe you're attaching your seat platform too high up then ... I put mine even with my knees when I'm standing on the platform so I've got a perfect 90-degree bend in my legs when seated. Should be irrelevant how long our respective legs are from person to person ...
1. If you're worried about not being able to hold onto the platform with the heel of your foot, then only loosen the connecting straps just the amount you need to adjust it properly. I bet I've done this close to 100 times since I've bought mine though & never felt like I was going to drop it... 2. Instead of leaning against the tree for support with your leg or whatever you do, lean against the platform. I do agree - & have said before - that I wish I could think of a way to get it to flip up like a hang-on stand; if I, or someone else, could then it would be the absolute most perfect stand available for my needs.
I don't find that I have to adjust it that often. I set the angle of the bottom at max prior to climbing and it levels out at my hunting height. The very few times I've had to adjust it over the years I do as Greg said, and yes I'm secured when I do it. There have been times when I knelt on the seat portion to make changes, but I was actually in a spot where I could climb so far on one tree, and then switch to the next tree to climb to height. I also don't connect the top of the stand to the bottom of the stand, I took those off years ago. I found it too limiting in the amount you can ascend/desend in one movement. Tony, certainly if your not completely in a traction belt groove it can certainly "pinch" and be harder to open or close.
Jeff, To break up my outline and get closer to the tree, I'll do a couple things: One, keep both feet on the platform and just lean over until my shoulder rests against the tree... I can stand like that for a good amount of time, and then I usually shift so that I've got one knee bent and my shin is directly on the seat so that my whole upper torso is against the tree trunk. When I get tired of standing on that one leg, I'll switch feet and bent knees. Like you though, this little inconvience of not having the seat be able to flip up does nothing in the big picture of having me think this is by FAR the best stand on the market.
I haven't seen any of the new models..But my hand climber top is one, casting. The part that bites into the tree is the same "piece" as the seat. There is no way it could be made to pivot in my model without it being a 2 part casting held together with your hinge thingy majig..
Well strength may become a concern, noise introduced by more moving parts. Not mention the cost of additional Casting Molds...etc. I dunno probably nothing that couldn't be overcome..do other stands pivot like that? Summit?
Summit has the floppy seat which you can just shove out of the way... instead of the solid cast framework comprising the seat on the LW. That's a thought... to make the seat a U-shape and then put a seat across it that you could flip up and then you could scoot into or inside the U. Not sure if you could cast that U-shape strong enough to support grabbing the sides or arms and and having it support 250 - 300 lbs though.
Here is the one you need... http://www.summitstands.com/productdetaillargerimage.aspx?id=81079_3.jpg&pid= I would not like the frame sticking out like that.
No I understand.. I'm just brainstorming too, there may be a better way. My wheels are turning. May have to look at it tomorrow.
