Hey guys, I'm creating this post to get some info and questions you may have. I recently took over as the Brand Manager for Rivers Edge Treestands. I'm involved in every aspect of the brand marketing wise, product wise, and look, etc... I'm more looking at some feedback from you guys on a personal level as to what you like about the brand, things you don't like, and things you would like to see in the future. I came on with some new ideas and want to focus on the hunting community that use treestands. I'm going to take every response here and note it for things to discuss in some of our meetings. My goal is to get the brand moving in a direction that has a more customer-focused approach where I can communicate with you on a personal level. Any feed back from you all is appreciated!
No tree diapers for me, I like something solid under my feet.. I have 'prolly a dozen of the older Rivers Edge stands/portables (30 portables/2 climbers/ 0 ladders total at last count) .. I like the wider larger stands if they are going up for a season and staying up for a bit, esp. on private lands .. I still will use my LW Alpha II/Skeletor sticks 99% of the time on the state lands I hunt and pack in/out every sit ... I've used the LW Alpha II since 2013, that was the last time I purchased any stand .... what I want is a light weight portable that will utilize a hanging system similar to the LW hook/strap that also has longer straps for larger trees, that still has a decent platform size under 10 lbs that is easy to pack in/out and can have the sticks strapped to it ... I still utilize the older CSS harness/belt to carry/pack in on the LW Alpha II, some one has taken over the mfg. of that carry system now ... the LWCG stands are waaaaay out of my price range, so the stands MUST be affordable ..
Right now as you may already know, saddle hunting is all the rage. I see many people looking for a climbing tree stand that is small and suitable for saddle hunting. I only know of 1 small startup company that has created something to fit this niche. I think if you browse through the saddle hunting forums, you’ll see quite a bit of feedback saddle hunters are looking for. I know you said you are focused on tree stand hunters, but I feel like you also shouldn’t ignore what all the saddle hunters are looking for either. There’s A LOT of demand for more innovative climbing and/or platform solutions for portable hunting setups and therefore I would think quite a bit of $$ to be made also serving those markets. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
what LWCG is asking is STUPID prices and some will always pay for their stupidity ... something made similar to the Alpha II but lighter around $300 or less would be a huge seller ... I guess you havnt heard the words 'recession'/stagflation or Bidenomics .....since NOVIX is no longer selling anything of the older Lone Wolf styles/products, there is a market for similar products, the hook/strap ez hang is very important to me ... not everyone wants to hang by their ass from a tree, I sure as hell dont
Ummm.....the Novix Echo is basically an Alpha II for $250. If you want something a bit smaller and lighter, then the Helo is available for $240. IMO, River's Edge is a blue-collar, middle-of-the-road treestand brand. You find them in box stores or maybe at your local Fleet Farm or Menard's. They're not geared toward the mobile hunter or the saddle hunter. There are plenty of brands out there that are catering to that crowd right now. And it's incredibly difficult to pivot a brand known for making large, comfortable, fixed-position stands and get into the mobile arena. But there aren't nearly as many treestand companies making reliable, economically-priced hang-ons or ladder stands as there used to be, and there is still a huge demand for those products. No, those guys may not be on the Internet talking about modding their ladder stands or ladder sticks, but there are a ton of them hanging in trees around the country that get used each fall. Admittedly, I haven't looked at the River's Edge line in a number of years so I popped onto the website to check out the hang-on stands. My initial thought is that they aren't bad-looking and seem to be reasonably priced for what they are. The $170 or less stands are what I would expect. When you start getting into the $200+ stands, that's when you start to lose me. There are a lot of really nice stands out there in the $200 range, and you need to start differentiating yourself and have some "must-have" or unique features at that price point. I will gripe on the Lite Foot a bit because I've seen people do this again and again over the years. They want to make a cast aluminum stand to compete with Lone Wolf at a lower price point. So they sacrifice some of the "must-have" features that make people want a cast aluminum stand for run-and-gun hunting. Without seat or platform leveling, all you have is a $100 stand with a fancy platform. The stand isn't cheap enough to get me to buy it and sacrifice those features, but it doesn't have the features I really want. So I will either save $60 and buy a Big Foot, which is essentially the same stand with a steel platform, or I will pay the extra $60 to buy a Lone Wolf/Novix/XOP and get the features I need. I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you want to build a lightweight, cast platform treestand to compete in that arena, the platform itself isn't enough. The stand has to be as good, or close to as good, as what's already out there, or people won't' buy it. At that level of performance, people aren't making purchases based on $50 one way or another. They're buying the tool that's built to help them pack further, hang easier, and kill more deer. Oh, and don't forget the accessories and replacement parts. People will always need replacement seats, cables, straps, etc. You guys have them on your website, but they're almost impossible to find. Need to add that into the main navigation. Congrats on the new position and good luck!
Ive been leaning on going all ladder stands. I dont hunt public land so stationary is not a problem. Sick of scaling up trees in the dark. To many slips and slides with the summit for me. Rivers edge has drawn me in because they feature a ladder stand specifically made for bow hunting. There bowman stand is somthing few others offer. Being a bigger guy I can easily pick a ladder stand up one shot to get it vertical on to a tree compared to a hang on stand where a little finesse and agility is needed
This is the feedback I appreciate and will take to the table. I agree with your points about the pricing vs features on the stand. The Lite Foot has been around (and unchanged) for the last 5 years. It’s definitely time for us to hit the drawing board to see what we can offer for features to justify that stand to a majority of hunters. Aside from the mobile side, the brand is pretty solid on targeting the “Amateur Outfitter”, which is a guy that is fanatic about hunting, owns his own land of has property to hunt. I can’t see our line every switching to something completely mobile just because the number of permanent sets in the hunting world heavily outweighs the mobile set. When buying mobile sets you typically buy 1 or 2. If you have your own 80 acres or so, odds are you’ll need more than that to setup on spots you dictate as “good”. Thank you much Justin. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I have an idea that may help. Include a quick harness system or as simple as a hook you can attach to the tree(for states that allow). I don't use a lineman belt as I should when hanging and the ability to hang the stand up for a rest and get both hands for a minute would be nice. I have been using a bow hanger. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
I have a lot of River edge Laddderstands...I like them, that said ,seeing you guys mention the saddle hunting. I have a sticks and a saddle. What I want is an affordable platform and sorry saddle platforms are like chicken wings for me and I just will not pay the price. That is to say 4.o0 a pound for wings that are basically skin and bones. Where as boneless skinless all meat chicken breast for 1.99 a pound. I can not pay way more for a tiny platform than a full ladderstand . All that said, if Rivers Edge could make an affordable platform you may find that some guys would buy more than one. There is portable and there is the ability to make a quick move due to switching winds. Some guys would do pre sets where all they need to do is climb.
Out on a Limb makes a platform for pre-set trees. It's $84. https://outonalimbmfg.com/pre-set-solo/ The Hawk platform can also be found for under $100 at a number of retailers. I will agree that a well-built, affordable saddle platform would be a decent addition to the line. A lot of people are discovering the advantages of having pre-set trees for saddle hunting and not needing to move your platform around is definitely an advantage. But if you're going to be paying over $200 for a platform, you may as well just get a treestand at that point.
Congrats on your new job. Quite!, I want every stand QUITE. Perhaps a rubber spray coating? And nylon washers for every metal to metal contact areas?
So not remembering if this was an old Rivers edge or a sportsmans guide...I bought most RE from there. Making sure the space between the last rung and the platform is not too wide. That stand mentioned is seldom used because I have a devil of a time getting my foot firmly on the platform to pull myself up. That after losing a lot of weight. I do not have long legs, 64 and lots of older hunters use ladder stands. My knee strength isn't what it use to be...
This! For ladder stands, the connection points on the ladder (where the square tube inserts to the other) always pop and creak after a year or 2 in the woods. For the guys that leave stands out this is huge problem. Even after adjusting them preseason they still make noise. Maybe a few inches of a nylon liner on inside of tubes would help. Nylon washers are a must. I honestly wouldnt mind some of the more budget friendly stands if they would pay a little more attention to this.
Mine don't squeak. I paint them before putting them out and grease where the sections connect . It's the safety clips. I use this heat wrap on pin but I hate having to gorilla tape the clips.
Shocker, I have about 30 ladderstands from different makers. Most of them are now set in "till the day I die" places.i weld those sections together. No more squeaks. Hard to haul/in that way but I like quite I do like the idea of an insert where the slip in together though. Great idea! Also, yes on budget friendly. Seems most ladderstands have went to big n rails n such. I seldom sit for mare then 3 hours and kinda prefer the smaller type. Seat to stand height is important. I'm 5'10" and have several stands where the seat to stand height is terrible. Perhaps a stand built where you can adjust it for you? And now that I'm thinking...., better instructions!! Good Lord, I've pulled the hair outta my head trying to figger out some. I'm talking ladderstands. You taking this in Gabe? One more, have a bigger footprint where the stand hits the ground, a slip on "foot "if that makes sense.
