I am looking to buy my first treestand pretty soon. I hunt a lot of public ground so hang on stands are the only option for me. Both look to be pretty good stands and prices are similar. I will need a stand, climbing sticks, a harness, and a safeline. So far I am leaning towards the Muddy stuff because of the price difference. Any opinions on experiences or whats better are appreciated.
Id go with the lone wolf stand and the sticks could go either way. I have the 2 LW alpha with 4 sticks each and love them!! Light, fast and quiet. Could also look into the LW assult which is lighter than the alpha.
LW and sticks for me, I've never tried a muddy stand or sticks....but after using the LW I really don't have a reason to.
If I were going to be a run and gun type hunter LW would be what I would have in my arsenal before Muddy personally, and I've never used both, just tons of research. If I go out to Kansas or out of state some time, it'll be LW stand/sticks or a climber.
Lone Wolf. - The cast aluminum platform is the best you can get, period. Light weight, strong and incredibly silent. - Climbing sticks are longer in length which means you can climb higher with less of them. - Made in the USA As for a harness, I'd look at Hunter Safety System. I've worn them all and in my opinion HSS is the best. The Ultra Lite series is very affordable, light weight and includes a very nice lineman's strap to use when hanging your sticks and stand.
Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by either company, but Justin is correct about the Lone Wolf stands. The cast aluminium platform is the shiz nitz. Light years better than the Muddy aluminum tube and expanded metal platform. The Lone Wolf sticks seem to lock onto the tree better than the Muddy steps. I think the difference is that there's more stretch in the rope of the Muddy compared to the nylon strap of the Lone Wolf. The seat pad on the Lone Wolf would appear to be thin and uncomfortable, but because of the size, shape and type of padding it is actually more comfortable than the much thicker seat on the Muddy. I guess it's the denseness that makes the difference. I was dead set on buying a Muddy, until I was able to test both out. After that, I bit the bullet and spent the extra cash on the Lone Wolf and I'm glad I did.
Go lone wolf. There the best stands and sticks out so durable and lightweight youll love it wether hunting public or private land . I have 4 alphas and plan on buying more.
Lone wolf for sure. I have an alpha and love it. This year I bought an assault for more run and gun. It has also been great. I have been using it almost exclusively but just had the opportunity to use my alpha... wow. If you want comfort, go with the larger alpha. It is larger and therefore slightly more heavy but the comfort of a larger platform is nice for sure. Sticks? Absolutely, amazing products. A few days ago someone posted about getting a lighter weight stand because they have trouble hanging the stands. LW makes a quick attach hook that is really worth it and really makes hanging easier. attacht the quick hook, hoist up the stand hook it on and then you are hands free to set the straps... no long holds of the stand while fiddling with straps, bark, branches, gloves, snow etc. LW all the way. T
personally I do like them both on paper but as far as what I have seen in the field I would much rather sport the Lone wolf, they are pricey but you truly do get all of what you paid for. and for a harness im with Justin, check out Hunter Safety System, I used to use the harnesses that came with my stands but now that I switched I will never change again, they are a necessity
I have the muddy setup, Hunter stand with muddy sticks, I plan on changing over to lone wolf for next season. I have problems with noise with the muddy stand which looking at reviews is not an issue with lone wolf.
I bought my first stand this year as well and went with the LW Alpha 2 with LW sticks and haven't looked back. Super easy to hang and super quiet in the tree. Get the padded back pack straps and a hunt comfort seat and your setup will be absolutely UNBEATABLE!! I went with the Muddy harness and like that a lot. I love the lineman's belt that comes with it. I never leave the ground without it. Since it's your first setup, do some looking around (the classifieds here, Craigslist, AT) and see if you can find something used in good condition to save you some cash.
I have a Lone Wolf sit and Climb. Will be getting a LW alpha for next season for sure. Great products, and made in the USA. Also as far as harness goes, after the season is over a lot of places have sales on them. As Justin mentioned, Hunter Safety System ultralight is fantastic. I used to use the harnesses that came with the stand, and the HSS is light years better. I'm not endorsed by anyone, and they would get my vote time and time again.
