Being also from IL I ask this. Have you looked at the trees in the areas you want to hunt? Are they straight? No limbs? I bought a climber and wish I would have got sticks and a hang on. I find a good spot and look around to not find any trees I can use the climber in. Something to check if you haven't yet.
summit...I've tried the LW's but they just never did it for me...they are probably the quietest, pretty easy to setup, just couldn't get comfortable in them...summit is by far the most comfy I've tried, fairly light, could be quieter(but there are things you can do to help that)...if you get the summit, dont even think about NOT getting footrest
I know a lot of guys like the summit stands and they are nice...once you get them set up. Packing in, they suck. They just pack so dang "big". And they are heavy. This coming from a guy that has 3 summit stands! If it didn't cost so much to ship them I'd sell a couple of mine. The climbing stand I've been using all season I don't even know what brand it is. I got it at a yard sale and the guy had three stands and I had to buy all three or nothing. One was a older summit, one was a new big game hang on XL and the other is this mystery stand. It uses a cable with a eye in it and a pin to adjust that I like better than the summit with the "knot" on the cable. That knot is aggravating to slide with the keeper system they have. And it doesn't take long and you wear the rubber coating off the cable because of how hard it is sliding in and out. If I were going to buy a new climbing stand today it would be a lone wolf, hands down. And I may get one anyway!
I would look at the SuperMag made by Austin Outdoors. Here is a link. Austin Outdoors It is like the old BigShot made by Buckshot. This is the first and only climbing stand I have ever used. I still have the one I bought nearly 10 years ago. I have stated in past threads why I prefer climbing this way over sitting on a bar while climbing. Anyways, check them out.
Summit, wouldnt have it any other way. Theyre light weight, comfortable and reliable. I would never buy another brand for a climber, but thats just me
Check out the Summit razor. It has a bar you sit on to climb and then it folds underneath you out of the way.
i have summit viper... its easy to climb, not to heavy, and comfy. if i was buying a new one today it would likely be the summit viper elite, little lighter and a mesh, sling style seat. never been in a L.W.
A 20lb stand isnt heavy. Any of the new base line summir stands weigh 20lbs. I have this years model of the viper sd. had another sd last year and the 180 the year before and the ss for a few years prior to that. Hands down if you need a climber summit is the way to go.
Take a look at treewalker treestands. I have used one the last 5 years and absolutely love it. Mine weighs under 18 pounds. It may be the one GRNHD is talking about with the loop in the cable. The only downfall is Its only available online from the small company that makes them. You can see them at some sportsmans shows. Customer service was great with them. I really like the way the seat is. The most comfy seat I have ever used, only stand Ive been able to do all day sits. They dont advertise and arent sold in stores which limits them and make them less popular. Little pricy too but buy once. Treewalkertreestands.com
It depends on your needs. Are you packing in a ways? Do you need something a little more compact? I was a Summit guy for many, many years. A couple years ago, I bought a Lone Wolf S&C and hated it. Then, they came out with the Wide version. The biggest gripe I had with the original was how narrow the seat section was. I bought the Wide two years ago and love the stand. The Lone Wolf obviously packs better as it all folds down to about 3". What I love most about it is the silence. I don't have to be worried constantly about noise with the Wolf. They were designed with silence at the top of the list and its evident. The Lone Wolf isn't as comfortable as a Summit. Summit wins that hands down. But, I've modified my wolf enough to where I pull all day sits with little problem. The other thing with the Lone Wolf's is that they are more compact. The platform is a bit smaller on the Lone Wolf as compared to the Summit. This puts the entire setup on the Wolf closer to the tree and IMO, concealed a bit better. It took me about a season to get mine where I needed it, but now, I wouldn't give it up for any stand.
