Just ordered a summitt viper hopefully will be here in a few days and can use it for a big buck, any tricks or techniques to spend up process with summitt stands
geez sorry guys could use spell check, but original question was does anyone have any advice or techniques they use with summit climbers - used plenty of climbers but this is my first summit
Put it on the tree, set the teeth, and start climbing. But really that easy just got my viper a few weeks ago already used it 5-10 times and love it!
Make sure you have your seat positioned as tight as it can get to the bar. That way you dont have to worry about your bottom cam hittting it during the moment of truth
Only thing I ever really did with any of my Summits is I bought some safety tape from Grainger (www.grainger.com) or you could perhaps find it at any number of places ... It's the perfect width to go in between the little "lines" on the platform deck, and really helps to give you a more secure foothold -- ESPECIALLY if it's damp outside.
Oh... and the backpack straps suck on them, as they do with most OEM stands. I always replaced those right away too.
Definitely upgrade the straps as Greg had mentioned. I added some safety strips to my platform last year as well but they were too noisy if I turned my foot on them. I took mine off. I also added some moleskin here and there as needed where there was metal to metal contact when packed up.
I've owned multiple summit stands. The one I have now I have owned for 5 years or so. The straps are fine to me. If you feel like the straps are cutting into your shoulders, just get some wash clothes and tape them around the part of the straps that make contact with your traps. Make sure both sections are elevated a little upwards before you start climbing. Trees get narrower as you climb and the last thing you want is either section of your climber to be at a downward angle.
A couple of things I've done with the couple of Summit climbers I own. 1. Take a flat file and rough up the teeth on the seat and platform. The paint on there has a tendency of squeaking and making unwanted noise. Once removed, it doesn't do it anymore. 2. As mentioned, buy another set of backpack straps with some padding. It'll make your trek much more comfortable. 3. Summit tells you to use your backpack straps as the tethering system when you're climbing. This is very cumbersome and a bit of a pain to setup, especially in the dark. Instead, get a piece of rope, approximately 7 - 8 foot long to use. 4. Get anti slip tape, from Lowes or other home improvement store and put it on the platform. You can buy a whole roll for about 12 bucks at Lowes and cut it to size. I also put the stuff where my feet are when climbing to minimize noise and for a better grip with my feet. 5. In the off-season, buy a can of great stuff foam and spray into the tubes of the platform and top piece. DO NOT spray into the tubes where your cables go. wrap the last lug of the cable with duct tape until it fits snuggly into the tube. Push this in until it bottoms out. Then spray your foam into the platform or seat. This will keep the foam from bubbling up into that tube and keep it clear. The foam makes a huge different in the noise dept.
Just to clarify for my sake, is the anti-slip tape have the sandpaper texture or do they make something else? I had bought the stair tread strips and wasn't happy with the way it sounded if I twisted my feet on the platform.
1.) I bought the footrest for my Viper and it was the best thing I've ever added to it. For me it takes a lot of pressure off the knees. 2.)Also make sure to secure the top and bottom potions together while climbing. This can actually be done with the backpack straps on mine. 3.)Also there is a strap that secures the top and bottom together when it is packed up, use this strap to secure the seat to the tree once you are up there. Below is a pic of the strap I am talking about.
REALLY GOOD ADVICE! I have done that twice (recurve) on my Summit. What I did was cinch the seat straps as tight as I could. Then I put wire ties through the webbing so the straps didn't slip under usual wear/use.
