[ajdal94]

Hey everyone,

I'm a college student who hunts a lot of public land and hikes a lot to get to my spots. I have a climber that i had before i went to school because i thought it was the best option. But it's too heavy with all my other gear. I have heard of the lone wolf stands and that they are extremely light but is it harder to set up climbing sticks and the stand rather then a climber? is it worth to sell my climber? Just looking for the best advice from anyone.

Thanks

 

[cbinz19]

I prefer my stand and sticks because I have more tree options and usually get better cover. I wouldn't say they are harder to set up just take more time. Take a look at XOP..,, almost the same as lone wolf but much cheaper.

 

[TheRiverBottom]

Stand plus sticks is just as heavy as a climber. Plus you have to go through the setup and take down trouble.

 

[zze86]

Had both the Lone Wolf hand climber and sit n' climb. Overrated and overpriced in my opinion, there are much more comfortable (if that's what you're looking for), much lighter (if that's what you're looking for) and just as compact stands out there for less $$$. The cast platform is nice in that it doesn't ding like a hollow tube would, but it adds more weight. If sound is a concern with the hollow tubes of other stands then some camo tape and foam does wonders for very little money and weight added. Looking at some of the newer designs from other companies, X-stand Treestands really stands out, if you forgive the pun. 12lb climber for almost $50 less than the LW sit n climb.

Sticks are more versatile as to the type of trees you can climb. Trees with low hanging limbs or that are slightly crooked are dangerous to impossible to climb in a climber. And who says you have to take down the sticks every time? If you know you're hunting a spot and no one else is going to be around, just leave them there. when you come back, all you gotta do is hook up your safety lines and climb. No setup and much quicker than a climber. If you left a climber somewhere, guess what? You'd still need to climb back up. The classic argument against sticks is that you can't climb up as high as a climber but new techniques have shown people climbing with just one stick and some rope. Stick and Stand combos are just as heavy as a climber as RiverBottom pointed out. Sticks and a saddle harness is a pretty light setup.

 

[wvridgerunner]

If the climber you have is a fairly decent model under 26lbs, there are a couple things you can do to make it easier to carry.

#1: Get a set of MOLLE shoulder straps and waist belt off ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NeW-BDU-CAM...498?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5b09bc0352

This makes it waaay easier to carry the stand, and takes all the pressure off your shoulders. With the waist belt, most of the weight is distributed on your hips, making the stand feel much lighter.

#2: Pickup a set of stabilizer straps from Third Hand Archery (watch his video to see the info on packing gear onto the stand): http://thirdhandarchery.com/product.asp?PRODID=13

Not only do the stabilizer straps lock the top/bottom platforms together while hunting, making the stand much safer, they're also great to use when packing your stand together. Just throw all your gear onto the stand, then crisscross the stabilizer straps over everything and cinch them down. This way, all your gear is securely on your back (and it feels MUCH lighter due to the MOLLE Shoulder/Waist straps). I have upper back problems and there's no way I could carry my 23lb Summit 180 Max 200 yards with the stock shoulder straps, let alone with all my other gear. With the MOLLE Shoulder/Waist Straps and the Stabilizer Straps, I can carry all my clothes, treestand, and pack (everything totals 65lbs including cold weather clothes) on my back for 1/2 mile in rugged terrain with no trouble. If I didn't have back trouble, I could carry it for a couple miles easily. This is just a $35 idea you can try before shelling out $400+ for a new stand.

 

[zze86]

^^^ Goods advice and little cost to upgrade

 

[jack mac]

Take a look at the New Tribe Revolution Aero Hunter. I hunt from an older model Tree saddle. I wear my saddle into the woods and strap Lone Wolf climbing sticks onto my backpack. In some areas I go ultra light and use an arborist's single rope tree climbing method. Not sure about the weight but I frequently trek up to two miles in without a problem. This year I shot a buck about a mile from my takeout had to hike my stuff out and get the deer cart. Wow, was I beat when I got the deer out of the woods.

The saddle rig is not cheap but in my opinion it is well worth the price.

http://newtribe.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=144
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2056828

 

[constitution]

get a nice sturdy light weight lock on and learn to climb with one stick. this is the best public land setup hands down.