Picked up my new Lonewolf and sticks today. I can't believe how light the stand is even with the sticks on it. Can't wait to get out in the morning and try them out!
I agree.... I plan to get one of those smaller sized mountain climber "D" clips and covering it in mole skin or some kind of spray on rubber coating and leaving it attached to the platform with the bungee. Tonight was the first time when I really debated attempting to level my platform from hunting height on this stand.... I ended up hunting through it.... I was thinking what would be the better plan of attack, putting my knees on the seat or sitting on the swinging bar.... I will try it your way next time I am in that situation. I use mine as a hand climber both on the way up and down.... I do not have the patience for those little bites.... I want to get up and down as fast as I can while remaning as silent as possible.... When it is dark and I know the deer may be coming I want to get out of the area or up my tree ASAP so I don't get busted.
Bols: I wear the stand over the pack. You gotta get yourself the straps from Gray Wolf Woolens. Shoot a message to Todd or Justin here and see if they can get them for you.
My first three complaints..... *I started with the Summit seat.... Got the new LW seat and used it for a few sits.... Thought I was going to stick with it.... Changed back to the Summit seat. The comfort difference is to great to ignore even though the Summit seat is so much bulkier. *If you are climbing a tree that is leaning toward you..... By the time you reach hunting height you will feel violated from rubbing your body all the way up the tree. It would be nice to have a little more room between yourself and the tree. *The traction belts on the hand climber portion do not like a sugar maple with wet bark. It has slipped on me twice on different trees.
Buckeye: Have you seen the Summit Surround Seat? I'm curious if it would fit the Lone Wolf's. I don't really understand how it attaches. Just curious if anyone has seen one of these in person. I'm really disappointed in the Lone Wolf seat on mine. After climbing a few trees several weeks ago (one outing) while trimming trees up for season........the seat actually tore underneath where the strap is sewn to the fabric. It's still usable (until that tear runs) but for a new and improved seat I'm not thrilled to say the least. I still like the stand overall, and am willing to get a different/better seat to make it perfect......but man it would be nice for them to do something about this from the factory. Just MHO.
I am not sure how they attach..... But I would guess that it wouldn't work well with the LW... The summit seat is wider than the climbing portion of the LW..... So I cannot picture the surround seat working very well in the limited space available in the LW's climbing section.
Buckeye... Thanks for the review. I have been looking at picking up a climber that is more comfortable than my lone wolf hand climber for those longer days in the stand. A friend of mine suggested a Summit Viper. I went to Cabelas and picked up the Summit Razor. I liked this model because it gives me the chance to shoot from the sitting position. I liked the way it went up the tree and loved the comfort however, after using it for one weekend I returned it. Packing it in and out was absolutely horrible. I am only 5'7" and the stand would catch the back of my pants and boots at every step. I tried to adjust the stand so it was up higher on my back but I would still catch my pants and legs going down hill and stepping over logs. Also, adjusted in this position hurt the back of my neck. So I am use to the lone wolf climber. It is very quiet and packs great (I forget that it is on my back). A couple things I would add... If you buy the XL belts and only take them into the woods, you then limit yourself to medium and larger trees. You will not be able to use the XL belts on the small trees because you will not be able to put the excess belt into the stand because of the bolts that run through it. The belts are light and pack well. I have found that if I am unsure of the tree I am going to climb, I bring both sets. Also, I have found that it could be challenging climbing a tree with "shaggy" type bark. I find that the teeth of the strap can get hung up. It seems you have answered most of the questions I had but I would like anyone using the lone wolf to clear up a few things. The "sit" and climb looks like it would be a PITA because you would be sitting so close to the tree. With the Summit stand the bar you sit on is a good distance from the tree. So you are able to get your knees up to the seat during climbing. With the Lone Wolf, if you "sit" are you able to move the bottom platform up very far? Since I already have the bottom half of the stand I would just pick up the top half. Is the new 08 seat comparable to the Summit? I didn't get from the posts above if the 08 was just as bad as the 07.
Thanks for the great review! I have a summit goliath and have been happy with it, but after reading these posts you guys have me wanting the lone wolf! My goliath is super comfy, but packing it on your back is not the greatest. I have one question(probably really stupid) but does the sit bar extend out in front of you for a safety/shooting rail? and if so does it lock in that position? In all of the pics I never see it extended and like the comfort of having something around me.....ya...ya.. I know i'm a panzy! And has anyone had any experience with the new wide version yet? That is the one i'll probably be picking up. Thanks for all the great info! Gunnar
Thanks GMMAT. If you're not feeling like a pansy and had the bar in the climb/down position how would you stand up against the tree? Wouldn't that prevent your feet from being closer to the tree. Depending on cover, I usually stand as close to the tree as possible when deer are getting close.
Don't know how comfortable or durable it will be, but I just received my seat made by Hazmore for my LW sitnclimb. Its basically a net type seat. Very similiar to an Ol Man seat. I haven't installed it yet, but will today or tomorrow and try it out.
Well, I did it; I ordered the new lone wolfe wide sit n climb! After adding up all of the accessories you guys recommend, this is one pricey treestand! I ordered the shoulder straps from GWW and am going to order the xl traction belts and footrests from here later today. I did take advantage of cabela's 0% financing for 1 year for the stand. I was going to wait until I sold my hoyt vectrix xl, but figured I couldn't pass that deal up. I'll probably use the seat from my summit goliath on the new lone wolfe. I do have to say that I was super happy with my summit goliath though, just a pain in the butt to carry. After reading this review I felt I was missing out on a much better product. I'll keep you guys posted on how the new stand is working out for me in the future! Gunnar If anybody is interested in buying a hoyt vectrix xl, let me know.
How comfy is the sitting bar while climbing? It looks thin enough to cut into your rearend. The one on my summit razor appears wider and is padded.
Besides the crummy seat...the other downfall I see to this stand is the distance (lack thereof) you are away from the tree while sitting and climbing. Like Jeff stated, I prefer sitting and climbing to reduce sweat and fatigue. I'm really liking what I hear about these stands though. My summit will creak and squeak if not positioned perfectly in the tree. It also doesn't pack as well as it should. I think some LW dealers have demos so you can try them out. I may go and do just that.
LW Sit & Climb Great sight. Just joined. Bought sit and climb a few wks ago. Used it 1 weekend and love it for the most part. Having trouble w/ platform being level when getting to desired height. Angles down quite a bit. Used other climbers in same trees for years w/ no problems. Also inclined it more at base of tree, same result. Any thoughts?
What I do is set my seat fairly low and tighten my straps that attach the top to the bottom. Then I sit down on the seat and use my feet to hold the front of the bottom section to hold tension against the tree and raise the front up to level then I unlatch the clamp and slide my belt in tight and clamp it back down. It is really easier than it sounds and I practiced it at a low height and am always using a harness.
I added longer strings (about 12") to the cam buckles to give more leverage when pulling to release. Works better than the short strings that are supplied. Seems like guys are doing alot of modifications to this stand to get them right. Shouldn't have to for $380.
