Steve if I am being mobile I will go with the Lone Wolf sticks hands down. But most of my stands are those ladders sticks that come in 4 or 5 pieces at menards. They are really good for my fatass! I bought 3 boxes and I use the 3rd box to extend both setups. Good luck buddy. I will probably be getting rid of my LW climber as I just don't see a need for it.
To each his own Ben, I have alot of mature hardwoods too, but i wont hang a stand unless there are 2 together, i need multiple trees to break up my movement to feel comfortable. Ill take some pictures this week. of my setups and make a thread.
I would love to use sticks but I have four hang on stands and that would cost a fortune to have a set for each tree. As far as packing them in I already pack enough!! My backpack seems like it weighs 50 pounds even though its probably only 15 or so. Plus during late October I usually have to pack in a duffle bag of camo so I don't sweat like crazy walking to my stand. One thing I hate about the steps is that they will break. I had one to break under my left foot just seconds after I attached the rope from a harness around the tree about 20 feet up. I escaped with only a few scratches from the harness but it possibly saved my life. Ameristep recommends taking them out after 90 days. Well who wants to do that? So I still use screw in steps and have a HSS Lifeline on each stand. These things are the bomb for safety. Your attached from the time you climb or come down.
Wow, Steve...can't believe you've been using screw in steps all these years. No wonder you're looking for something else. I started using a LW setup a couple years back. I still prefer to sit in my climber but I find myself taking the LW and sticks into any unknown areas. You will get the hang of them the first few times you use them. Next year, I'm gonna buy a few el cheapo stands from SportsmaNs Guide. By the time season rolls around, ill already have a few stands hung and just carry the LW sticks in/out eaCh hunt. I get tired of hauling stands in/out of the woods constantly. Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
I use screw in steps on the Giant Oak trees that I hunt out of, that is all that works. I also use the sticks like Fraley and Siman on trees that I plan to hunt all season long, you can often find them on sale for 40 bucks for a 20ft set. For trees that I might hunt for a week or two I use the Gorilla climbing sticks, a set of four gets me 18-20ft. and cost around 60 bucks. http://www.gorillatreestands.com/steel-climbing-sticks-32-6-pack I also have two sets of Lone Wolf Sticks and two Loggy Bayoustands (pre muddy) for short term setups or when I travel to Brown Co. IL to hunt. I love them but they are too expensive to leave up for more than a few days in my eyes. I also have a climber but rarely use it anymore.
I just can't agree with TEmbry any more. There are a couple stands I have on my property that do not come down except after the season for a couple months. These are nowhere near mobile. I use a cheap ladder setup on these. You can get up to 20 feet in the air. These are also the most secure and the quickest to get up in. That said, I'm getting a set of muddy sticks and hang on now that I'm starting to hunt away from my home base. I have a climber but it's a cheaper one, extremely heavy, and like said above, I don't feel as secure. Also, I can get up in a tree a lot quicker, quieter, and with less effort than my climber. It all depends on what you get comfortable with, what is feasible, and what is allowed. If your trees have a ton of branches, a climber won't work. If you plan on hunting a lot of public land, the screw ins aren't allowed, if you have a lot of straight, branchless hardwoods and you're comfortable, have at a climber.
