Okay gents, I have a dilemma. I have been looking for a lock on and sticks for quite some time now but everytime I go to get one I turn away and say, I already have a climber. Well, after using my climber just a few times (Summit Viper), I think I would rather have a portable, lightweight lock-on that I can basically do the same tasks my climber can. The Summit is rather noisy and cumbersome to get in the woods. From what I see, the Lone Wolf Combo (Lock-On and Sticks) packs pretty nicely and looks to be just as handy as a climber would be. The only downfall is the comfort factor. The Summit is probably hands down more comfortable out of the box. I guess what I want to know is, should I go with a Lone Wolf Climber (since it packs better and is much more quiet than the Summit and maybe make some changes like Buckeye did in his review) or should I opt for the Lone Wolf Combo (Lock-on and Sticks) and then eventually buy another Lock-On and just move the sticks when switching stands?? From what I see, with practice, I think I could hang the Lock-On nearly as quickly as I could setting up my climber and climbing the tree. What say you?
I love my Alpha Hang On and use it almost exclusively for same day sits. I'm so much more versatile than I would be if refined to a climber.... I will admit that confort is an issue, but I'm willing to sacrifice that for the ability to climb ANY tree I wish. It doesn't take me much longer to get set as it would with a climber. Climbers are made for big timber settings and that is where they shine.
Or a backhoe for that matter I love my Gorilla Kong/King Kong and The gorilla climbing sticks...just sayin
There's no question, if you have a perfectly straight tree that you can get up/down in a climber you're better off going tht way. It's faster than the stand/sticks any day of the week. However if you're hunting here in Northern IL you know very well that straight trees with no limbs that are in a good spot for a stand are very far and few between. I can't even think of a single tree that I hunt out of where a climber would work at all. In this case, your best option is the LW Hang-on w/4 sticks. Learn to pack it down tight, throw it on your back, and with a little practice you'll be able to do some same-day hang and hunts. However, I wouldn't recommend it for every single hunt that you go on. Sometimes it is nice to just be able to walk out and quietly slip up in your stand without having to monkey around with stuff, dark or not. IMO the LW Stand/Sticks option gives you the most versatility at the sacrifice of a little comfort and a little extra set-up time. But I believe that being in the right spot it a lot better than being nice and comfy in the wrong spot.
Dang.. lookie all those straight trees.... We have some of those too.. but ours are never where I need them to be..
The Alpha lock on and sticks are the easiest set up there is in my opinion! I love it, I set it up every sit and take it down after every sit! When I hunt state land here in Wisconsin its illegal to leave a stand up overnight! Packs very nicely and light weight, hands down in for me the best set up, I can go in ANY tree I want, no need for it to be straight!
Thanks for the replies..... I am really torn. I have some good straight trees that are easy to climb, in fact, some of which I climbed last year. Then I have some stuff that would work better with sticks and lock-ons. In a perfect world, I would sell my Summit and get both the Lone-Wolf climber and lock-on combo. Jeff, some of my woods looks very similar to what your woods are like, without mucho elevation change. Much flatter. Well, any other opinions? I think I really could go either way.
Get the LW stand/sticks and if it doesn't work out you can sell them for very close to what you paid for them. They hold their resale value very well.
Alrighty guys.....got some options. Should I go for the Pro Series Stands and Sticks: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_99903_400007003_400000000_400007000_400-7-3 Or buy the stuff individually: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_95595_400007003_400000000_400007000_400-7-3 http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_95604_400007005_400000000_400007000_400-7-5 I'll probably end up keeping my Summit this year so I have some options but I would like to eventually pick up a climber as well.
IMO you're better off ordering them individually. The only difference between the standard stuff and the "Pro Series" stuff is the camo. Big deal. Save your money and use it for something else. Like a nice tasty milkshake from Arby's. :D
I recently started using LW sticks & and easy to set Loggy hang on. Comfort aint there but the versatility is tremendous. Doesn’t take me much time, noise or effort to get set.
I'll be using my LW hang on/sticks this year. I like the versatility. Dukemicheals,Justin and my freind Goerge all use them and once you're good at it they take like 10mins to set up. I have however pre-prepped. some trees ready for it>
Guys thanks for all of the help. I am going to go ahead and buy the stuff individually, both a lock-on and a set of sticks (4). Depending on how things go, next year I am going to seriously consider picking up a climber as well and do it up Buckeye style. If these things are as quiet as people say they are, they should be great once I practice a few times in non-hunting situations. And Justin, just for your help in saving me dough (which I kinda figured the Pro-Series was just camo), I owe ya an Arby's shake. Yeah, go ahead and do a groovy dance.....
Not a bad idea balls, it would of saved me $189+tax on the stand. Pinche What shift you work or do you?
