I need some input on a good, solid, and reliable climbing tree stand. I dont mind spending a little bit of money. I will be putting it to good use this fall, hopefully. Figure a climbing stand beats a fixed stand in the sense I can move around if the deer /hogs have changed routes?
Solid, reliable tree stand
- Thread starter ajvigs
- Start date
- Thread starter
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pre6422hornet
Handloader
- Jan 24, 2012
- 974
- 9
I like the Gorilla Silverback. Quiet, lightweight, and the net seat is really comfortable.
jimbires
Handloader
- Aug 16, 2011
- 3,156
- 1,865
lone wolf , is my pick . light weight , folds flat , quiet ,easy to carry ,easy to use , solid in the tree . I just have the one with the regular seat and it's comfy enough , for me , for an all day dark to dark hunt . I use it in archery and rifle seasons.
Dr. Vette
Handloader
- Apr 16, 2012
- 1,437
- 270
You couldn't give me a climbing tree stand, and I'll never get into one. I've seen too many people I know fall from/with them with horrid results, but have yet to see that or hear of it with a ladder stand.
My preference is a ladder stand with a large enough foot area and a good rest. I've been looking at the Rivers Edge brand, specifically the Oasis and their other Comfort line models.
My preference is a ladder stand with a large enough foot area and a good rest. I've been looking at the Rivers Edge brand, specifically the Oasis and their other Comfort line models.
truck driver
Ammo Smith
- Mar 11, 2013
- 7,213
- 742
I have one I can't remember the brand name but I'm too old to use it any more plus I had it come off my feet when I was climbing out of a tree and had to shimmy down about 10 feet, my chest was raw for a week since it was warm and I only and a camo shirt on.
Darkhorse
Handloader
- Mar 14, 2014
- 800
- 150
I owned a Viper for several years it was a good stand and so comfortable I would fall to sleep. Safety belts are a must.
I personally don't like climbing stands as I had an accident with the old original Baker stand back in the mid 70's, but sometimes a climber is all that will work. I prefer a good ladder stand if usable for the spot.
I personally don't like climbing stands as I had an accident with the old original Baker stand back in the mid 70's, but sometimes a climber is all that will work. I prefer a good ladder stand if usable for the spot.
truck driver
Ammo Smith
- Mar 11, 2013
- 7,213
- 742
Yeah that's what mine is a Baker and it was the top of the line in it's day.Darkhorse":3lgnwaj9 said:
jimbires
Handloader
- Aug 16, 2011
- 3,156
- 1,865
guys you really can not compare the climbing stands built today with a 35 year old Baker . I have an old Baker too .I never had any problems with my Baker , but it was nowhere near the stand the lone wolf is .
when I was shopping for a new climber my requirements were ; it had to fold flat , it had to be stable , it had to be light weight , it had to be easy to use . I'm more than satisfied with my choice . if I were to buy another climber today , it would be another lone wolf .
when I was shopping for a new climber my requirements were ; it had to fold flat , it had to be stable , it had to be light weight , it had to be easy to use . I'm more than satisfied with my choice . if I were to buy another climber today , it would be another lone wolf .
jimbires
Handloader
- Aug 16, 2011
- 3,156
- 1,865
SJB358":qgiwockb said:
Scotty , I do like mine . give one a look the next time your shopping for a stand . I'm not a big guy 5'8" or 9" and right around 160 - 165 pounds . the regular size platform is plenty big enough for me to be comfortable . I think my complete stand weighs around 12 pounds . a larger sized guy would probably appreciate the bigger platform , but it would weigh a little more . I have a summit stand in my shed . a guy I used to hunt a little with asked me to store a bunch of his stuff while he was getting divorced . I haven't seen or heard from him in 8 or 10 years . I need to get it out and give it a test ride , just to see what it's like .
Darkhorse
Handloader
- Mar 14, 2014
- 800
- 150
Actually it wasn't even a real baker. It was a home made copy of a baker a friend gave me. No foot straps nothing. And I was about 19 and had never even seen a real baker up close. I had lots of guts and no brains to temper them.
I make some foot straps out of an old belt and nailed them on, then went out into the back yard and picked a good pine ( I lived in a pine orchard about 10 miles from town)where the limbs began 25 or so feet up. I wrapped my arms around the tree and stomped up a few feet. I returned to the ground and put on a couple of sweatshirts and a canvas hunting coat to protect my arms and tried again.
Somehow I made it all the way to the limbs, turned around and sat down and just en joyed the view for awhile while I rested my arms. Still no problem so I turned around and started down. The very first step when I tilted my feet forward to break the blade from the pine bark.....the stand fell off my feet and all the way to the ground 25 feet below.
It was a friday and no one was at home to hear my frantic yells. So I wrapped my legs around the tree and by easing arms and legs just a tad so I'd slip just an inch or two, and so made my way to the ground.
The inside of my arms and chest were a bruised mess with blood oozing from the pine bark and pressure.
Of course anybody who has used a climber will recognize right off; You need a strap behind your ankles and a rope from the top half to the bottom to keep it from falling if it gets away from you. Plus some of the really neat new safety belts.
It also helps to actually think things out before you do them.
Maybe somebody can learn something from this.
I make some foot straps out of an old belt and nailed them on, then went out into the back yard and picked a good pine ( I lived in a pine orchard about 10 miles from town)where the limbs began 25 or so feet up. I wrapped my arms around the tree and stomped up a few feet. I returned to the ground and put on a couple of sweatshirts and a canvas hunting coat to protect my arms and tried again.
Somehow I made it all the way to the limbs, turned around and sat down and just en joyed the view for awhile while I rested my arms. Still no problem so I turned around and started down. The very first step when I tilted my feet forward to break the blade from the pine bark.....the stand fell off my feet and all the way to the ground 25 feet below.
It was a friday and no one was at home to hear my frantic yells. So I wrapped my legs around the tree and by easing arms and legs just a tad so I'd slip just an inch or two, and so made my way to the ground.
The inside of my arms and chest were a bruised mess with blood oozing from the pine bark and pressure.
Of course anybody who has used a climber will recognize right off; You need a strap behind your ankles and a rope from the top half to the bottom to keep it from falling if it gets away from you. Plus some of the really neat new safety belts.
It also helps to actually think things out before you do them.
Maybe somebody can learn something from this.
jimbires
Handloader
- Aug 16, 2011
- 3,156
- 1,865
let me start off by saying , I'm not bashing any of the tree stands . there are a bunch of companies selling them , and hunters have a bunch of different wants and needs . I'm going to show a bunch of pics of 3 different stands . these pics show items that I feel are important to me , your needs could be completely different . I do not know much about the summit stand since I have not used it .
the three stands are and old Baker , I'm guessing built about 1975 - 1980 , I think it was called a slim Jim . my lone wolf with the regular seat . a summit that I could not find a model name on .
lone wolf
Baker
summit
I measured the thickness of the stands being ready to carry .
Baker , I added the round pipe to be able to do chin ups for climbing . I've never sat to climb .
lone wolf
summit , this stand does not fold . also , I could not figure how the two sections fit together for ease of carrying .
adjustability for tree size . if you've ever been in a stand that is tipped upward or downward , it's not comfortable to be in .
the summit uses a cable with the bulges to lock into a slot . these bulges are roughly 4 inches apart .
lone wolf uses a tooth belt . the teeth are 3/4 of an inch apart .
Baker uses a series of drilled holes that are about 1 inch apart on the platform , and about 2 inches apart on the hand climber / seat part .
the foot stirrups .
lone wolf doesn't have anything special for this . you just stick your toes out through the hinge .
the Baker uses a elastic strap set up .
the summit uses a web type strap with an elastic strap .
carrying harness .
Baker . narrow shoulder straps that cut into my shoulders . I added wider nylon strap in the crucial area .
summit , has a decent width strap . these should work well if the two pieces of stand do not fit together . the harness was installed so the wide , tree side , is down . I'm guessing that if the two pieces do not fit together you harness one and hand carry the other .
lone wolf came with very narrow harness straps . I knew these were going to be a problem before I even used the stand , so I bought better straps .
how they bite into the tree
lone wolf just has teeth that does a good job of preventing slipping .
summit has a tooth set up too . looks like it would work well .
Baker has smooth flat metal . I never had a problem , my Dad did with his . Dad drilled out a rivet on each side and bolted a small ratchet strap to help pull the stand in tighter . this stand came with a elastic bungee cord to secure the platform and seat to the tree .
the elastic bungees can be seen in this pic . this stand used wing nuts on the adjustments . I painted them orange to help find them when dropped . yes , I carried a couple spares that saved more than a few hunts . I never want to deal with this wing nut set up again.
the summit is a bulky sized stand . this is pics of the seat part . it has a shooting rail which makes it a fairly large sized item . one pic the rail is up , the other pic the rail is down .
climbing I stand and do a chin up and also pull my legs up . I just put my fingers through the grate seat on the lone wolf .
I added the round pipe on the Baker .
by not using the summit I have no opinion on how to use it . I think I'd try holding on to the platform where the shooting rail pivots .
one feature the lone wolf has that I really like for archery hunting is a bow holder . it holds the bow securely , in a nice position for being seated .
these are hanging on the summit stand . I have no idea what there used for .
the three stands are and old Baker , I'm guessing built about 1975 - 1980 , I think it was called a slim Jim . my lone wolf with the regular seat . a summit that I could not find a model name on .
lone wolf
Baker
summit
I measured the thickness of the stands being ready to carry .
Baker , I added the round pipe to be able to do chin ups for climbing . I've never sat to climb .
lone wolf
summit , this stand does not fold . also , I could not figure how the two sections fit together for ease of carrying .
adjustability for tree size . if you've ever been in a stand that is tipped upward or downward , it's not comfortable to be in .
the summit uses a cable with the bulges to lock into a slot . these bulges are roughly 4 inches apart .
lone wolf uses a tooth belt . the teeth are 3/4 of an inch apart .
Baker uses a series of drilled holes that are about 1 inch apart on the platform , and about 2 inches apart on the hand climber / seat part .
the foot stirrups .
lone wolf doesn't have anything special for this . you just stick your toes out through the hinge .
the Baker uses a elastic strap set up .
the summit uses a web type strap with an elastic strap .
carrying harness .
Baker . narrow shoulder straps that cut into my shoulders . I added wider nylon strap in the crucial area .
summit , has a decent width strap . these should work well if the two pieces of stand do not fit together . the harness was installed so the wide , tree side , is down . I'm guessing that if the two pieces do not fit together you harness one and hand carry the other .
lone wolf came with very narrow harness straps . I knew these were going to be a problem before I even used the stand , so I bought better straps .
how they bite into the tree
lone wolf just has teeth that does a good job of preventing slipping .
summit has a tooth set up too . looks like it would work well .
Baker has smooth flat metal . I never had a problem , my Dad did with his . Dad drilled out a rivet on each side and bolted a small ratchet strap to help pull the stand in tighter . this stand came with a elastic bungee cord to secure the platform and seat to the tree .
the elastic bungees can be seen in this pic . this stand used wing nuts on the adjustments . I painted them orange to help find them when dropped . yes , I carried a couple spares that saved more than a few hunts . I never want to deal with this wing nut set up again.
the summit is a bulky sized stand . this is pics of the seat part . it has a shooting rail which makes it a fairly large sized item . one pic the rail is up , the other pic the rail is down .
climbing I stand and do a chin up and also pull my legs up . I just put my fingers through the grate seat on the lone wolf .
I added the round pipe on the Baker .
by not using the summit I have no opinion on how to use it . I think I'd try holding on to the platform where the shooting rail pivots .
one feature the lone wolf has that I really like for archery hunting is a bow holder . it holds the bow securely , in a nice position for being seated .
these are hanging on the summit stand . I have no idea what there used for .
Darkhorse
Handloader
- Mar 14, 2014
- 800
- 150
Yes, I believe that baker is the slim jim model. It had a longer platform. I used the regular for several years with no problems after my learning experience with the homemade. But I will never use the baker again. Much better and safer ones out there.
On the Summit, I believe you slide the bottom piece inside the top piece and strap them together with one of the friction straps supplied with the stand. With the cushions it is a tight fit.
I have no idea what those 2 cable things are hanging off the stand.
Mine was an older model with a full oblong seat section and no gunrest. To climb I put my elbows on the rails instead of sitting on the stand. Stand up, then grip the rails and lift the stand, seat against tree, then break loose the bottom and lift up and seat against tree, then repeat.
Once at hunting height you take one of the same friction straps you used to strap the 2 sides together, slide it through the top supports and around tree and tighten, sorta locking the seat to the tree. Then you can break loose the bottom and adjust it and level it at the same time. Pretty neat after using a Baker.
If you look at the climbing strap for your boots just imagine a trying to bend over with cold weather gear on and get a big set of insulated boot toes into that flat, flimsey strap!
I added a treated 1X1 cut to length and held to the stand with u-bolts in lieu of this strap. I could adjust it sliding it up or down and tightening it. Just slide your boot tips under it and hook the bungee behind your heels and up or down, you go.
Those photo's are better than a thousand words....
On the Summit, I believe you slide the bottom piece inside the top piece and strap them together with one of the friction straps supplied with the stand. With the cushions it is a tight fit.
I have no idea what those 2 cable things are hanging off the stand.
Mine was an older model with a full oblong seat section and no gunrest. To climb I put my elbows on the rails instead of sitting on the stand. Stand up, then grip the rails and lift the stand, seat against tree, then break loose the bottom and lift up and seat against tree, then repeat.
Once at hunting height you take one of the same friction straps you used to strap the 2 sides together, slide it through the top supports and around tree and tighten, sorta locking the seat to the tree. Then you can break loose the bottom and adjust it and level it at the same time. Pretty neat after using a Baker.
If you look at the climbing strap for your boots just imagine a trying to bend over with cold weather gear on and get a big set of insulated boot toes into that flat, flimsey strap!
I added a treated 1X1 cut to length and held to the stand with u-bolts in lieu of this strap. I could adjust it sliding it up or down and tightening it. Just slide your boot tips under it and hook the bungee behind your heels and up or down, you go.
Those photo's are better than a thousand words....
wisconsinteacher
Handloader
- Dec 2, 2010
- 1,976
- 285
My top three picks are: Lone Wolf, Lone Wolf and Lone Wolf. I love mine!!!!
