I currently have a Summit Goliath climber that I love. It's comfy and rock solid. I'm not the best with dealing with heights so that Summit has been a good stand for me. The problem I have is that the weight (21lbs) stock is keeping me from going in as far as I would like. I just ordered some GWW padded straps that I think will help. But I still think the weight will be somewhat of a problem to go the depths I would like to go. One of the things I am considering is the Long Wolf Sit and Climb. The hand climber combo or the hand climber II. The only way I would consider these stands is to get the new sit strap so I can sit and climb instead of having to hand climb. How do these stands perform? Are they as rock solid as the summit? How comfortable are they (admittedly they probably won't be as comfy as my summit but are they tolerable for all day sits)? I wish I was a hang-on and sticks type of guy but I've tried it and I am a wussy when it comes to heights. I just don't feel comfortable hanging them. 14 lbs! 17.5 lbs.
I have used the regular hand climber a fair bit and it seemed solid to me but I don't know how it compares to a summit. It is not all that comfortable but I don't sit much anyway. I normally swing the seat around the side of the tree and use it for a shelf until I need to sit for a bit. That way I can stand with my back against the tree and lean on it. I don't tend to move as much that way. How far do you want to go that 21 pounds is to heavy?
I'm not a climber guy, but speaking from experience with the platform sizes I'd choose the larger of the two. The standard Hand Climber uses the same platform as the Alpha Hang-On, while the Assault Climber obviously uses the Assault platform. I own several versions of both and there's no doubt the extra few inches adds a lot in the way of comfort on those long sits. The Assault is great b/c it's so light weight, but I'd rather pack in the extra 2 1/2 lbs and be more comfortable for longer periods of time. As for the rest of your questions, I'm little to no help. :D
Approximately a mile Bruce. The way the stand is right now I get to ~1/2 mile and that darn thing turns into a beast. I think it has to do the way it sits on your back. I've heard and read that the LW's stands sit on your back much better. Tighter to your body which gives you more leverage in carrying it. I think the summit may sit too far out and thus causes more strain to carry. Looking at the LW's they appear to almost fold up flat which I would think would be great. Maybe I'm just a wimp as well. Edit: Oh, BTW, I'm not sure how much my stand weighs right now. But by the time I added a few things to it and put my gear in the bags it's probably more like 25 lbs I'm guessing. I should weigh it once and see what it weighs when it goes on my back.
I just bought the LW alpha hang-on and I've only used it on a tree at home and it's very lite and seems to travel well. I will say that I'll need to get used to the platform flexing on me. I'm 210lbs and I'm more used to steel treestands and ladderstands.
I have used the standard Sit and Climb and well as several Summits. The LW Sit and Climb is NOT as stable as a Summit. I used that LW for an entire season and had the platform shift on me several times. The issue is that the teeth section appears to be too narrow and if you put it on any tree larger than a telephone pull, only the teeth at the ends are contacting the tree. Weight wise, I compared my Summit Bushmaster with full seat (not the one that comes with it) against the LW. On my scale, the LW was 21lbs. The Summit was 19lbs. Platform size is deceiving. The LW advertises as a big 30" long platform. Summit says theirs is 28 3/4". Put both on a tree, side by side and you'll that the summit sticks out from the tree further. The reason is because the LW platforms are a total of 30" long, from the front of the stand to the tip of the last tooth that contacts the tree. Summits are actually 36" long at the same measurement. You get more platform in front of you with a Summit. Also, IMO, the Summit is way more comfy than a LW. LW's force you to sit more in an upright position because the whole stands hugs the tree tighter. Not a bad thing, but if you're used to the comfort of a Summit and then switch to a LW, it is tough. LW, in my opinion has two things that Summit doesn't. They are quieter because of the cast platform and connection system and they fold flat. Not knocking the LW, they are fine stands. Just wanted to give you my perspective as you're in the same position I was with using a Summit for a while and buying into the LW hype. If LW would make a platform with wider teeth to bite the tree better and make that platform longer, I might try them again. But until then, Summit for me.
There may be something to the way it sits on your back and the comfort level. The majority of the time I am carrying a LW Alpha, 4 sticks and a 10+ pound pack on my back and routinely go a mile back. It's not too bad except for the really hot days. Definite difference when using the hand climber though :D .
Personally, I'm guessing the Summit is going to be the best climber once you get to your tree. It's getting it there if you go deep into the woods that sucks. When you are in that tree in the summit it is comparable to my recliner at home. And it is ROCK solid.
My buddy has that one. He doesn't like it because it makes such a racket going up and down our FL pines. We're thinking of just setting it up as a tree stand with sticks. Been hunting 50acres so travel has been minimum but just got a 450acres lease i'm starting to work on Fri.
There is a lot of little, cheap things you can do to a summit to quiet them down dramatically. Great stuff foam in the tubes, stick on foam here and there where the seat and platform contact each other, etc. I did a few mods on mine and its very quiet to climb with. It's like anything though. The more experience using a product, the better you get at it.
Just a FYI. I don't think the summit climbers are the type of stand that would stand up to the weather very well by letting them out permanently.
Brad, you've simply got to figure out what's important to you and what TYPE of hunter you want to be on a given day... I was on Summit's pro staff for a number of years and have a LOT of experience with their stands... been to their factory and been given a personal tour of the operation and hung out with the owner(s) for a day. Their stands are solid, as you well know. Having said that, 99.9% of the time these days, I hunt out of my LW hand climber. It's just SO much more compact and easier to pack in and out... I also love how much easier it is to adjust the angle of the platform WHILE at hunting height... Is it as comfy? No way. But -- like Bruce said -- when my butt starts to get a bit numb, I simply stand. And that gets back to what I alluded to in my first paragraph... do you want to be a "comfortable" hunter who enjoys his sits, or do you want to be a pure bowhunter who's sneaking in deep past the point most people are willing to in hopes of killing the big boy? When you lock in the stabilizing straps, my LW is ROCK solid... perhaps I hunt a smaller tree on average than Muzzy does, and I probably undoubtedly do... I tend to pick smaller trees than most. Always have, no matter what stand I've used. Guess that's why I also give a tip of the hat to the LW in that area... I did replace my factory seat with a $19 Gorilla stand seat I bought at D ick's Sporting Goods which helps a bit, but like I said I still end up standing a bit. I personally see no need for a Sit 'N Climb... if you're in halfway decent shape, climbing with the hand climber is no problem at all. Let me know if you've got any other specific questions I haven't addressed, as I've spent a LOT of time with both stands.
Good post Greg. How do you carry the rest of your gear when this stand is on your back? On my summit I have the saddle bags which attaches right to the seat platform so all my stuff is right there when I get up into the tree.
I bought the Lone Wolf Sit and Climb and used it all last season. Prior to that I had a Summit Bullet Back Packer, which is just a Summit Viper that folds flat. I will say that the seat on the Lone Wolf leaves a lot to be desired and I have replaced mine with a Summit seat. Other than that, I have been extremely satisfied with the Lone Wolf. What Muzzy says is true, the LW platform is noticibly shorter than the Summit, but I'm not very tall (5'8") so it was not an issue for me. The greatest difference is in its packability. I can't explain it because the two stands are very similar in weight, but the Lone Wolf packs in and out much easier and more comfortably than the Summit. It is a very big difference. I've done all day sits in both and after changing the seat on the LW it is a coin flip on which I would prefer. I did not have any of the issues with slippage that Muzzy mentioned and I did hunt out of trees of various sizes all season. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, just that I did not experience it. Here is what made the LW my stand of choice since I still own both. When I went out to MN last year to hunt the anticipation was that we were going to be doing a lot of all day sits. That did not happen and I was packing my stand in and out a lot. Since I had just changed seats on the LW I took my Summit to MN. That was a huge mistake. There were a lot of long walks in up steep hills and I had forgotten how loud the Summit was when setting up and climbing. Now I did not see any deer spook because of it and it didn't ruin my trip, but I was wishing I had my LW the whole trip. I love both stands, but the LW is my bowhunting stand of choice.
Don't know about Greg but I put my pack shoulder straps over the V angle that goes against the tree and my pack lays flat against the stand. When I go up the tree I just wear my pack.
I've got a custom-made Gray Wolf Woolens fanny pack (VERY plain, no-frills other than it's in wolfskin Predator Fall Gray) that I take all my stuff in with me in... Wear it around front like you see some rookie vacationer doing when backpacking my LW in and out... when I get to my tree and slip my stand off, I slide my fanny pack around to the rear when ascending and descending. VERY simple and I've found it the easiest method by far for me... if I ever need to bring in more than my fanny pack can carry, that's what my cargo pockets are for.
