Climbers

[Lucky One]

I am interested in getting a climber tree stand. I have always used ladder stands, but based on my desire to be more portable I am thinking about adding a climber to the inventory. Does anybody have a recommendation for brand and model? I am a pretty big guy at 6'3" and 240 pounds so I would want something stable too! How large does a tree have to in order to be safe and how straight does the tree have to be in order for it to work?

[harvey lee]

The straighter the tree, the better. There are many different styles and brands and I'm sure there will be many that will suggest some different ones. I would make sure you purchase one that fits your size and weight.

I would also make sure you purchase a harness for using while using this climber. One can get so comfortable that one could almost fall asleep.

As far as the trees to get up, one has to look some but it has only been a very few times that I could not hunt the spot I wanted due to the lack of a good tree. This may depend on the area of the country you are hunting and the type of trees you have there.

As far as the size of the tree goes, I have went up in some rather small diameter trees but try to find a tree where the v bracket will fit tight and not wiggle. It should grab into the bark to be fairly stable.

For me, Summit has been good. I would consider Lone Wolf to probably be the top of the class for climbers. They build a very nice climber.

[Cooter]

I have a Summit and am happy with it, I don't know the name but am sure they make a model big guys. I believe most Summits work on trees 8-20" in diameter. You can get up and down crooked trees to an extent, you just need to make sure there is a straight or slightly tilted back section of the tree at the height you want to be.

[snapjigger]

Summit Viper is a lazyboy in the tree. The Summit Goliath is the same stand but the top section is about 3-4" wider which is nice if your bigger or hunt late season with extra clothing. Both stands are very quiet and both weigh in at around 20lb's. The Lone Wolf is lighter but also more $$$. Those 2 brands are the tops in the climber dept. Gorilla also makes a nice stand as do others. I have the Viper SS. I am a bigger guy at 260 5'-10" If they would of had the Goliath available when I bought mine thats what I would have got. The Summits are sit and stand climbers very easy to climb with and also pack in and out pretty easy.. Scott

[Deitz Dittrich]

I will admit, I too own a Summit Viper. I am 6'3" and 215.. this stand is soooooo comfy its crazy.. and not only that, I feel safer in it than I do any other stand.

As for the size of tree, it needs to be a healthy tree with few limbs, it does limit the areas you can hunt.. however, if you find the right tree you can go higher easier and safer in my opinon.

[maros91]

I bought the Lone Wolf one for $350. I am 6'3" and 285 and have had no problems. Just find the tree that is slightly tilted back and start hunting. Like Harvey said, wear your harness.

[WaitForIt]

Have you ruled out hang-on stands?

I'm a convert from climbers - I find the hang ons to be much more versatile, and I can even sit on the 'wrong' side of a leaning tree with mine without too much discomfort.. both the seat and platform angles are adjustable.

Also, it may have been the cheapo climber I was using.. but.. I hated bowhunting out of one. The sides of the seat would interfere with a seated shot - I don't necessarily need to stand to shoot and I felt the stand was forcing me to do so. This may not be the case with a higher end climber.. I'm interested in the responses to this one.

[fishermn]

You will not regret buying a Summit climer, as was said earlier, they are the LazyBoy of tree stands. They are an extremely safe and solid stand. I have both a goliath and a viper and wouldnt trade them for any stand on the market today!

[Lucky One]

Thanks for all of the input. I did buy a Summit Vipor and it appears to be very comfortable. I plan to climb a tree this weekend and check it out! Once again, thanks for your help!!

[MNice]

With the viper, does the front rail give you any hindrance?? I'm going to get the viper or bushmaster. I'm leaning towards the bushmaster, because I can use the seat only on the ground, but the back pad on the viper looks good. AHHHHHHHHHHH, which to get????

[fishermn]

Never had a problem with the front bar, but then again I do not take straight down shots. Otherwise, I have never had it get in the way at all.

[BradB]

I've had a Summit Viper for about 6 years and am going to replace it with a Summit Titan this year. I've loved the Viper, felt very safe in it, and slept peacefully on all day-sits. But now I've been doing late-season hunts with lots of clothing on and want to be able to get around more easily with my bow. The Titan should give me a bit more room for those days when it is below Zero and I'm very bundled up.

When I'm hunting a spot where a climber won't work I use my Millennium M-100 hang-on. I feel that between the Summit and the Millennium, I have the most comfortable hunting stands for any situation.

[stick]

I recently bought the Summit OpenShot Delux. The Delux model has a seat that swivels up which is nice. It is real light. I have only tested it on a tree once, and we'll see how I like it for season.