Tree Stands, which do you prefer?

[NattyBoh]

Treewalker stands.. Its a climber and the beet I've used... Honestly.

 

[Mini14tac]

Woods and Water Quick and Quiet! It takes some strength to bear hug the tree to get up if you don't buy the top piece.. It won't spin on the tree. It is very quiet! The sound of metal banging travels a long ways in the quiet forrest. I have a home fabricated folding seat on mine.

http://www.quicknquiet.com/

 

[DrCatt]

I've had a summit viper for years and it does the job. The darn thing is just HEAVY. It's also cumbersome to carry.

A lot of the folks I run into use lone wolf stands. I might grab one of those for more intense backwoods hunts.

 

[Inigoes]

A lot of the folks I run into use lone wolf stands. I might grab one of those for more intense backwoods hunts.

I just told Santa Claus that is what I want for Christmas yesterday

Cabela's and Sportsmansguide are having some good sales with free shipping going on right now.

 

[Derwood]

I've only owned one stand and used a total of three.

The one I own is an API Grandlsam climber and I absolutely love it. I bought it from a guy on Craigslist a couple years ago. He'd only used it for one season and it was in like new condition. It's easy to climb, easy to adjust, and most importantly, it's very comfortable. I added better waist/shoulder straps to it and now it's just awesome. I have walked five miles round trip in it the mountains several times. I have no basis for comparison, but I'd go with a ladder every time. Unless you have dedicated private land that you plan to hunt every time, this is your best bet because of the mobility it affords. It's the only bet for public land. Pro tip: use some zip ties to add a cup holder. Bam. That made all the difference for me!

I've also used ladder stands that my friend owns. They're great for the private property we hunt but they're noisy to set up and can't be left behind on public land anyway.

I also read in the other thread that you just finished hunter safety class. I took the class at the Izaak Walton League in Potomac/Poolesville in 2007 and the part I remember more than anything else was when they instructed us on treestand safety. This guy showed how to use a climber, which was great. Then he really emphasized the importance of having a solid safety harness and to use it every single time, also great. Then he said "the reason you need the harness is that if you find yourself hanging from a tree branch or just the top part of the climber, there is no way you'll be able to pull yourself up." Wrong. If you can not do one single pull-up you have no business climbing trees, period. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely wear a harness every time, but I'm not worried about not being able to do one damn pull-up if I found myself in a bad situation. If that day ever comes, I'll quit climbing trees.

Whatever you do, buy quality. I think this is true of all outdoors equipment. Don't try to save $50. You're trusting your physical safety to this device. Get something solid.