I do not get why everyone is so on this lone wolf craze. Tryin to find out if there is something I am missing. They are uncomfortable and do not have that big of a platform. Sure, they are light and have a bow holder built in, but the bow holder is in a bad spot if you ask me and they are not the only light stand. Plus, they are krazy expensive. I'm tryin to see if im missing something or if they just sold you well on it. My money is in the Millennium hang on stands. Only $15 cheaper so no big deal there. But, they are by far no question the most comfortable treestand I ever sat in. And yes, I've been in a tree lounge. And the platform is 8" longer then the lone wolf alpha. Only weights a half pound more so that's nothing there. And the second best part of the stand (comfort being the best thing by far) is the fact that you can buy more brackets for only $30! So after you buy one stand, a second stand site only costs you $70 (30 for the bracket and 40 for another set of climbing sticks). To me its no question what the better stand is, but again I wanted to see if anyone on here could tell me something I'm missing on the lone wolf stands. Thanks guys and gals.
For me? -Quietest stand I've used -most sturdy -light -quick & easy to setup -very durable -easy to pack with sticks -can hang on crooked trees Sure, I know that there are stands that will beat a LW in some of these categories (maybe one or two), but I have yet to find one that beats it in enough of them to make me switch.
100% agree with Fitz and to sum this up in one word: Versatility. With the stand and 4 sticks I can hang in any tree, anywhere. I don't go to the same trees in the same areas all the time and sometimes I go in blind to some areas and to be able to hang in any tree is worth it. I don't usually sit all that much so my interest in a comfortable seat may be less than other folks. For the trees that I do use a lot (private land) then I can use an inexpensive ladder system, $60, and just get another EZ hang hook system for $14 but, even then, most of the time I just use my sticks and stand. One nice thing and this may be true about other stands also, I don't know, is that I can buy any replacement part. I haven't had to yet as the stands are extremely durable but, when something does wear out, I can replace it without having to buy a new stand. You say the LW stands are "krazy expensive" but your favorite is only $15 cheaper? The difference between "krazy expensive" and reasonably priced is $15?
Have you ever tried hefting one of those Gorilla or Ameristep stands on public land? Summit has the weight in 18 to 23lb range for a climber, but Lone Wolf climber is in the 17 to 22lbs for my money less is better. API Max Weight Capacity - 300 lbs. Inside Climber Frame - 20" X 27" Weight - 27 lbs. Gorilla Stand Greyback™ Climber Backrest Size: 12” x 20” Patent: US Patent #5,234,076 Platform Size: 18" x 30" Rating: 300 lbs. Seat Size: 18" x 12" Seat Style: G-Force™ Top Section Size: 21" x 34" Weight: 27lbs those 6 to seven pounds means a lot!
While never having owned one of thier stands, I do think thier sticks are great. THe hang on I use with them is a loggy bayou predator. It's lite and hangs quickly & easily.
No I think the stands I like are krazy expensive also lol. A hang on over $200 is nuts to me. But, I feel like I get more for my money. I don't pack in with sticks ever, so LW would not help there. Comfort is number one to me and LW has none. I hate paying the money either way but atlease with Millennium I get the all day comfort with out question. I can set see why people get the LW though as packing in is very popular to many hunters. So its great a stand was geared towards their needs.
For more perminant locations I have a LW Elite. That thing is huge! and the seat is 3 times bigger than my Assult's. You can also get LW's new comfort seat....
Me too. The Stability was the thing that amazed me. That thing is ROCK SOLID, which is kinda nice on a windy day 30 feet in the air.
Yeah no doubt that is major. But I didn't have any stability issues with the millennium either so I feel good there. Think I'm still keeping that as my choice unless I start hunting public land and need to pack in. But thanks again for all the input guys!!
I am kind of skeptical about the sticks and hang on thing to be honest. I keep going back and forth about trying them. I was thinking about getting some of the cheaper Gorilla sticks at BPS and try them out with my cheap comfort zone lock on here on my property just to try sticks and ladders. $89 for 5 sticks at BPS. That being said, I would rather have the Lone Wolf than any other sticks and hang on. If nothing else for the simple fact they are 100% American made. Not sure about the millenniums. Also the customer service and warranty is nice from what I hear.
I have a muddy setup. I got the hunter that has a 6 inch longer base. It's also cheaper than the lone wolf. The seat is awesome, it packs fantastic, it's light... could go on and on... For my perminant stands I use the heavier comfort zone and ladder sticks.
I don't own a Lone Wolf, not sure I ever will... not sayin never but the only use I see them for is for constantly changing setups on the fly where there is not climbable trees...OR, if you can't lock it and forget it preseason... otherwise, I'll pack my climber every time. It's 10 x's the comfort and I'd challenge anyone to be as quick as I can with it using their sticks and stand.... (because I've used it for so long). Yeah, it's on the heavy side but if I was worried about weight, I'd lighten my pack, it weighs more than my stand anyway. LOL... I've camera man'd out of Ben's Lone Wolf, it's not comfortable for a long sit, it is small... it's great for a quick hang on for it's purpose but for my $, right now there's better.
I own an Assault 2, good product. Quite and light. Not my first choice for all day sitting comfort-wise. Well made yes, for sure. Good Value for my dollar nope. To quantify I also have hang on's by Gorilla, Summit, Big Game and couple older API. I dont know that I am 100% happy with any stand as I am always looking to try something new hoping for better.
Trial try out the millennium if you have the money bud. I hunted in one on a guided hunt and I'm hooked. I have a huge fear of heights and hang ons are very sketchy to me. That millennium was amazing. I'm shocked it isn't more popular. Only thing I can see being a prob is if you are taller or out of shape, then standing isn't easy. It's a hammock type seat like the old tree lounge stands, so you sit kinda deep in it. It's not super easy to stand but not hard either. And being comfortable all day is worth that small sacrifice to me.
I'll take that challenge if you come to NE Kansas. Straight trees without a tone of limbs are few and far between. Don't get me wrong I use a climber as long as I know exactly where I am going to be setting up. Requires scouting and I usually end up settling on a tree not where I want it to be. Either that or be prepared to carry a chainsaw (joking)..... I have both Muddy and Lonewolf stands and each have their own unique benefits. Ideally having a nice lock on and climber is ideal as each have benefits over the other in different scenarios.
I just bought the Alpha and sticks to be used this season. I have always used climbers and hang ons but what sold me was the packability between the stand and sticks, the light weight and ease of hanging! My buns must be made of iron cause comfort is the last thing I look at! I can sit in a junky Big Dog stand all day and not bother me! Im an on the fly hunter and moving my current hang ons and sticks was just a pain! Some of my spots are WAY back off the beaten trail and there is not always a good tree for a climber! I feel with this setup I can zone in better and make my chances of getting that shot from the right tree sky rocket! Crooked trees are no longer a problem also! I actually hate packing my summit Goliath in as the cables just seem to interfere when squeezing through brush! Public land was a problem for me last season! I dont usually hunt it but I found some killer spots last shed season! This season found me using a cheap hang on and pole sticks there! What I hated was leaving the cumbersome setup there (stand locked) taking chance on sticks being stolen! Moving it would have been a chore and the trees for a climber were never where I wanted. With the LW and sticks tree choices are all over, it will be easy to move from spot to spot if needed. just .02 cents from Crick
The sit and climb I have is about 10 years old. Never had a malfunction. Just replaced sit bar bushings and put the XL belts on. It's super quiet, very light, and very sturdy. That's why I Lone Wolf.
Rob, I couldn't agree more with you. The sticks/hang on setup is probably great and the only option for a lot of mid western guys or those who hunt lots of farm land where you typically don't have many straight or limbless trees to climb. At least for me, here in PA, where hardwoods like Oak are plentiful, its not hard to find a good straight tree to climb with a climber. However, I will say this. The LW's are very quiet and do pack well. Not something I can say about my Summit I use right now. The LW's do hold their value well too and if you decide to unload one, you can get good money out of them. I do believe the platforms on them are superior to many out there and will hold up where others will eventually start breaking down.
I am in the same boat, NY is full of easy climbing trees... Speaking of platforms I agree the cast platform is as good as you can get.....and you can it on Leverage stand...generally for about 70 bucks cheaper....for a very quite solid stand.
