I spent the last couple of years hunting with my lone wolf hang on stand.  It works great for what it is but I really want a portable stand that I can set up before first light for my morning hunt and redeploy as needed without much hassle.

Hang on's are a fucking bitch to get up and put down.  Versatile as can be but It's really been limiting my hunting.  I spend the first morning on the ground, then before lunch find a spot to hang my hang on.  Hunt that in the evening, and morning, and evening again.

I avoided climbers because you need the 'perfect' tree to use them in.  Straight, few or no limbs, etc.  Those are few and far between and I don't like the idea that any time I need to take a shit I'm climbing the entire stand up and down.  Wrestling with my hang on today though I realized that I was beginning to hate the thing.  I'll still use it I'm sure but I really want a hang on stand.  I can't count how many times I've hunted from the ground because I didn't have the time to get a hang on set up and didn't want to make as much noise as I normally make trying to get the thing up and end up sitting next to a tree and thinking "Fuck a climber would go up in there nice..."

But I digress...

I've been looking at the Summit Viper.  I bowhunt more than gun and I know the shooting rail limits you to standing shots only but I kind of like the idea of having a rail in front of me to hang my pack and other shit from.

I've never used a climber in my life so I'm shopping right now based on assumptions alone so any tips or suggestions would be more than welcome.

I have 5 hang on stands and a Summit Viper.

I have used a GhostBlind exclusively for 5 years now.  Yes I don't get the shot opportunities I would have being in a tree, wind is extremely important as is facing the proper way, but I really like hunting on the ground and moving at will quietly and easily. I hunt places I have never walked into before and am setup in 60 seconds.

I have nothing to do with the company other than being a very happy customer.

I almost used a stand this year after a 6 point and 2 does came in behind me, and then an 8 point came in 12 yards away and noticed that the GhostBlind broke up the downed tree he was used to seeing and he left without a shot opportunity.

It is challenging, but very rewarding when you connect.

Just something to consider.

I bowhunt a lot of public land. Leaving hang-ons out there isn't really an option, as it becomes public property if it gets left behind. Used to mess around hunting out of a ground blind (which has its advantages at times), but now I pretty much exclusively use my Summit Titan SD climber. Not very heavy to pack in and out. Setting up and getting down is fast and quiet as long as you've cut any limbs that will get in the way of climbing. Once I've used a tree, I will make note of it and usually return to one of these spots in the morning for a quick and easy climb.

You DO need to find that perfect tree though, which can be tough sometimes. That's the only drawback for me. Once you're up the tree, in place, the Summit feels rock solid and safe. The shooting rail does make sitting shots pretty much impossible, but it's nice to have some fall security when you're up there all day, or if you feel like taking a snooze. It's super quiet when you have to scoot the hammock seat back and stand to shoot.

+1 for Summit climbers.

Greener Grass phenomenon.  

I have a climber, and I bought a LW hang on with sticks because it will weigh the same, and open up so many more options for getting into better trees than my climber.

Honestly, time wise, it's pretty much a wash for me.  From ground to in the stand and hunting, the time is pretty much even.  I feel like the climber is actually nosier than the hang on getting setup overall.


It's worth having both IMO.  If I'm going in somewhere 100% blind, I always take the hang on with sticks.  I know i'll be able to find a tree to get it in.  If I'm going somewhere I know, or it's the afternoon going in blind, I'll usually take the climber...I can shoot out of my climber while getting up the tree...this is not so with the hang on.


I'm not a big fan of Summit climbers.  They're too bulky on the back for me.  I really like the way LW climbers pack up and sit very close to your back.  Summit is a bit more comfortable, but I've done numerous all day sits in my sit-n-climb without issue.  As far as a shooting rail, they're not for me.  They got in my way every single time I used one with a bow.

The key to shitting out of a tree stand is using your harness...You DO Wear a harness right?

Imodium A-D. Works well for spending the day in a pair of chest waders up to your sack in muck, too.

And yeah.. always wear a harness!

Yeah I suppose.  Don't get me wrong, I love my hang on for what it is, there are just quite a few situations where a climber would be far more ideal.  I should practice more setting it up in the off season too.  I've seen guys scoot their ass up in a tree and be settled in in 15 minutes.  Me?  30 minutes is about my average to pick a tree, get all set up, and actually be sitting down.

Now that I think about it my neighbor was talking about his climber.  I should see what he's got and see if he'll let me climb a few trees with it and see how I like it.

Yes, I ALWAYS wear a harness.  We even have a 12ft double wide ladder stand with a shooting rail.. about as secure as you can be in a tree stand, I refuse to sit in it without a harness.  Sometimes it's kind of a bitch to get your safety harness buckled up to the tree strap before you undo your lineman's belt climbing into a hang on but I won't do it any other way.  Even if I have to undo the safety strap to move it over a branch once I'm up in the stand I'll throw my lineman's belt around the tree before undoing it.  I've got a pretty 'healthy respect' for heights.

Shitting from your stand though?  I don't really like the idea of dropping fudge dragons right below where I'm hunting.

I have a Summit Titan, and in situations where a climber works, I find it to be a comfortable climber for longer hunts.  

However, it's a pig to carry.  Climber and associated hardware weighs close to 30 lbs, so by the time you add in the rest of my gear, I'm heading into the field with 50 lbs on my back.  Also, the way the Titan folds and sits on my back. some of the weight is pushed out away from my body, so this makes the climber more awkward to carry.  I'm seriously considering adding a very lightweight, compact climber to the mix for next year, something I can take for shorter hunts or when I want to hunt an area that doesn't have an easy access.

Hey man, sometimes, there's no waiting to climb that stand back to the ground.

Deer don't seem to care...just make sure you do it to the opposite side of the tree that you step off your stand at the bottom.  

The older I get the more I hate climbing spikes or screw in steps.  Seems my friends who put them up always seem to space them out to avoid buying 2 or 3 more.  The extra space irritates my knees on the climb.  I think I'd rather a climber, the stand up sit down is pretty straight forward although in the old days with stands I've taken that "elevator" ride down.  Talk about shitting yourself.  

On my own property I just assume to buy ladder stands and not move them.  Yeah I know you lose the run and gun ability to change with the deer.

Oh ... you don't shit off the side?

Don't want to be leaning tooooo far off the side in a climber

I really like my summit climber. I do not carry it in and out every time. I have a long cable with a lock. I lay it on the ground when I leave and cover it up with leaves. If I am going to be out of the woods for several days I put it in a trash bag before covering.

How heavy is that model I have a older summit thats 30 pounds and its not that comfortable it sucks carry that thing.  I also got a loggy bayou and love it, its 20 pounds much more comfortable.  I don't think they are in business anymore however.  My recommendation is find one thats around 20 lbs that has ample padding, also a foot rest is really nice for long sits, at least for me I have knee issues from years of football and wrestling so my knees being bent to be on a normal stand causes them to ache with the foot rest I can sit in comfort.

Paja - I believe the Summit Viper is 20lbs on the nose.  I just found out my neighbor actually has a Viper and said II could borrow it this weekend.

I wasn't planning on hunting this weekend but the weather looks damn good for it and that might just change my mind.

I always figured a nice hot turd pile right in your warzone could keep deer away?

For your own safety practice with it before you plan to hunt. Its a whole diffrent game I've used a summit viper ss for several years what I do is prep any trees I may want to climb pre season and carry a wicked tree gear saw in my pack for the impromptu set ups

I have the older Summit Viper steel climber. It's a heavy bitch to carry through the woods. It rides poorly on the back with all the weight near your feet. Once at the tree it's great though. Comfortable and very easy to climb a tree with.

I also have an older Ol Man treestand that's much lighter than the Summit and carries much nicer one the back. The net seat is very comfortable as well.

http://www.basspro.com/OL-MAN-Outdoors-MultiVision-Climbing-Treestand/product/10206878/

I have a Summit Specialist, which I think is exactly like a Viper but with an open front for bow hunting. They're great stands, but taking steps to quiet them down is a necessity. I filled the hollow aluminum tubes with packaging foam peanuts and used undercoating spay on the tubes and under the bottom rails. Also important is traction on the part that you stand on, or lack of it, especially when wet. I used 3M Ladder Tread Safety Tape and sprayed over it with the undercoating. Now it is quiet and I feel secure standing on it. A harness is a must with the open front, as is a bungee cord or strap to hold the top half to the tree or it may fall when you stand up.The plastic stirrups squeaked like crazy when my rubber hunting boots contacted them and would move when I didn't want them to so I replaced them with an aluminum tube. Another reason for the undercoating was one of the first times I used it there was a bit of sleet falling. Every time I moved a foot and put some weight down there was a loud metallic crunch. I plan to buy a Viper for gun hunting and give it the same quiet treatment.

It is lightweight and easy to pack while hunting. But before I made the changes it rang like a bell whenever a branch hit it when I was walking through the woods. Now I can actually hunt with a gun as I walk with it. I also installed the backpack straps upside down compared to the instructions. It seems easier to pack that way.

All that being said, I do prefer to have a ladder stand or two out in hunting spots where they can be left locked to a tree with reasonable expectation that they'll be left alone. I've found that while it is easy to set up and climb quietly with the Summit in the daylight, I often end up making noise when starting out an hour before sunrise. A well set up ladder stand is silent and has the added benefit of the camo burlap curtains I added to conceal my movement when I get fidgety.

I filled mine with spray foam and gave it a new paint job next year Id like to coat parts with truck bed liner to quiet them down some

Tree Lounge or go home

The only thing Tree Lounge has going for it is it's marketing department.  They're boat anchors, and not small ones either.

I can't believe guys carry those things around with the amount of really high quality light weight and small stands that are available today.  It's like the hi-point of climbing stands...