I'm in the market for a new one, what do you like for sunrise-sunset hunts?
Lone Wolf Alpha "Elite." The big one. Solid, quiet and a very roomy platform-you can stretch for that shot or just stretch during a long day. It looks like they changed the seat but I have the one with the padded back rest. Maybe not quite as comfortable as my Summit with the side and front rails but nice and open for my 64" longbow.
I also like the lone wolf
Almost all of my hang on stands now are Climax stands. They are by far the most adjustable when it comes to leaning trees, and can set up in more situations than most other hang ons I have tried. On the heavy side, but solid and very quiet, and I have enough stands that I put them up and leave them for the season.
More and more though, I have been converting to ladder stands, and really enjoy the added safety they provide.
WHATS A TREE STAND.
I guess there is only one stand I even care to use, at least for the past 10 seasons - Lone Wolf alpha climber. If could afford a bunch of hang ons and put them out and leave em (Along with prussic safety lines and ladder steps)I would probably choose screaming eagle stands. For me the most important trait is quiet under all conditions. Last season I spooked a 12 pt behind my house I have been after for 3 years when my cheap (on sale) ladder stand creaked, had I been in the lone wolf I would have had an easy shot attempt.
Mike
waiting4fall, i have a millennium hang-on it's a all day stand,very comfortable.also have a lone wolf alpha hand climber it's good for about 3 hours.
Screaming Eagle
everyone has a different take on treestands because everybody is built different and expects something different in a stand. with that being said...I've owned or tried about everything out there and the API is my favorite.
I like my baby gorillas for reasonably easy to hang, very durable, very quiet, and I find them for good prices. I also like to lock them on the tree using the chain. I stand quite a bit so I can do all day in them between standing and setting. I really liked my Lone wolf hang on, but sold it. This year I have an assault for my carry in stand. It is real light and fits a lot of trees. For best all day comfort I have to go with the ladder stands. My favorite so far is one from loggy bayou. It is 18' and has a tip up metal mesh seat. The platform goes to about the tree so I can stand tight to the tree like my other stands. I don't care for most ladder stands that force you to stand out from the tree or don't have fold up seats.
I'm a recent LW convert (alha sit and climb), and I went up in it about 80 times, last season. If there's a better stand out there, I haven't found or seen it.
I checked the baragin basement at Cabela's a short time ago.....and they had the LW hand climbers on sale for $249.
That's a steal.
I kinda like my loft window... :rolleyes: ...
... mike ... ;) ...
Treewalker.
I have a lone wolf sit n climb. Best stand Ive ever owned. Bought the hand climber last year. It's a lot easier to shoot a longbow out of, but harder to climb with and not as comfy. I'm thinking of trying a tree saddle.
Gorilla king kong. Big seat/platform and very quiet.
Chipewwa wedge lock- great stands rock solid- easy to hang.
I have a LW hand climber but added a strap to the seat and convered it to a sit and climb. Its a pleasure to go up and down.
the best stand is the one you feel the most safe in...
Summit open shot climber
Milleniem Stands...so comfortable :)
Sunrise to sunset, definitely a millenium or Guidos Web.
I have 2 climbers lone wolf sit in climb an summit viper, by for the summit is the most comfortable but the bar can get in the way if u get cault sitting. Its my all day stand for sure, but i did add the summit seat to my lonewolf an it made BIG diference an i find myself using it more an sitting longer now.. The long wolf is the 1st choice for long hikes an normal sits 3-4hrs its vary stealth compared to other stands
Been using a Screaming Eagle and Climax for years. Recently bought a Screaming Eagle Eaglet and am looking forward to trying it this year.
I like the LW sit-and-climb in woods with straight trunk pines, aspen or maples... they are really easy to ascend. I have two LW hang-ons and LW climbing stix for other kinds of trees. Lightweight and a breeze to hang. Safe, too. Tom
LW assault and sticks. . . one set gets me to a new set-up every time. Ten minutes and I am up and ready to hunt.
chipawa wedge loc ... great stand, very solid, quiet, and soooo easy to hang. You can buy multiple hangers and just one wedge loc stand. Makes moving from location to location easy.
GameTamer TS 31
Know where I'm going -
LW Handclimber with a Gorilla Airride seat - too comfy...
Going somewhere new with no plan -
LW Sticks and the TreeSaddle.
Lone Wolf alpha here. Add a set of their sticks and you can get into any tree that will support your weight and stay as long as you can keep your eyes open.
LW Alpha, have some that are almost 20yrs old now and going strong. Change the straps & check bolts every year and go. There are more comfortable stands out there but no equal for strength and quietness.
I have the summit viper but I've only used it for muzzleloader hunting so far. It's very comfortable but I can see where the front bar could really get in the way for bowhunting. If I was buying one just for bow hunting, I think I would try one of the Lone Wolfs or Millenniums.
Screaming Eagle, with the larger seat. Still the best-designed and strongest stand out there. Only down side is that they are on the heavy side. :thumbsup:
Lome Wolf climber, but really prefer a Torges tree seat with my feet on the ground!
Climax are, in my opinion, the best stand out there right now - of course these are hang and leave stands, not carry in and out stands.
For carry in and out the LocOn Windwalker is my favorite. I've killed several good bucks from them on carry in and hang hunts.
For sure I'm not an all day sitter - I don't feel it is an efficient use of my time for whitetails. That said I've spent a couple of full days in the Windwalkers for antelope and I wouldn't suggest it! Climaxes are big and comfortable, though and would work well for that.
Ryan
Short hike in.... Summit Viper. Long hike in Guido's Web with woodpecker drill and 8" x3/8" grade 8 bolts.
If you put the top seat portion of your Viper a little lower you can shoot around the bar , no problem. The dead zone on a Viper is a shot behind you if the deer is around 10yds. Your lower limb will hit the upright portion of the seat climber. Practice in the yard in your Viper with your 3D and you will see what I am talking about. It cost me a huge buck ! Nothing as comfy for a long sit than a Viper. Like sitting in a recliner all day.
Only hunted out of a Guido's a few times, but very comfy compared to a Treesaddle. The standoff bar that holds you off the tree is the key diff in my book. Also the rigid seat and back of the Guido's web is more like sitting in a suspended chair versus the soft, conforming to your body Treesaddle. I just could not sit still for more than a few minutes in a Treesaddle. I was constantly standing up and trying to pull the saddle out of my butt. Felt like I was all pinched up and uncomfy. It was early season too and I only had on 6 pocket pants and a long sleeve T shirt. I can only imagine how cramped you would feel in a Treesaddle with a bunch of clothes on.
The plus of the Treesaddle versus the Guido's web is true 360 degree shooting. I love shooting out of the Treesaddle !!! Even more comfortable than a Summit Viper. Easiest shot in the world is directly behind you. The Treesaddle holds your body in the perfect, " T " shape so you will not shoot high due to not bending at the waist.
These are just my opinions on the ones I have tried. I hear nothing but good things about the LW sticks and hang ons as well as their climbers. I need to try the LW products for my own comparisons to the Summit Viper and Guido's Web. Hope this helps others in making decisions on tree gear !
nocams :coffee:
I've owned a bunch and the LW is one of the best, imho. However, I suspect I'll very very rarely use a conventional stand again now that I have a tree saddle. Consider one (or the Guido's web), I know I'm happy I did.
QuoteOriginally posted by bayoulongbowman:
Milleniem Stands...so comfortable :)
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
Specific brand aside the things I most look for in a hang on stand is a really big seat and a foot rest. I didn't realize how much a foot rest helps in long sits until I bought a Hunters Choice that had one. Really like that stand. Also, get one where the seat when folded up can almost serve as a sit/stand seat.
Forgot to mention that of the hang ons I have hunted out of the Big Game and Gorilla's that are 24" X 30" with the 3" thick foam foldup seat are awful nice. I would not want to try to carry in and hunt out of one of these the same day, prehung only, too heavy ! I do like the foldup seat so you can get back close to the tree and not be stuck out on the side of the tree and get busted. You can also slide the cushion off and take it in and out with you so it does not get wet.
nocams :campfire:
My favorite stand?
The base of a stout oak and the soles of my feet. Sometimes my knees, occasionally my tired butt. ;)
Muddy Outdoors. Quality stands, plus locally made in Camdenton Missouri. Link Here (http://www.gomuddy.com/news) Trying to talk them into being sponsors here.
Nothing but a Tree Lounge. Sunrise-sunset, NO problem. Good luck !
are you looking for a hang on or a climber? Summit climbers are to beat for comfort i have not used there hang ons
Screaming Eagle , hands down , Fred
You guys that hunt from dark to dark in a Lone Wolf hang on or a Screaming Eagle are TOUGH buggers...
I've done it, but I would much rather sit in my Summit climber if I know I'm going to be there all day.
I am with you Steve O ! That Viper seat is like a lounger ! I did hunt 14 hrs out of a Gorilla King Kong one day on a paid guided hunt in Illinois and was just fine. However, when you are paying to hunt and watching 30-40 deer during a sit like that it makes those 14 hrs go by quick. Especially when several of those 30-40 deer are 140-160 P & Y's !!!
nocams :scared:
Summit viper with the additional foot rest. I have spent many dark to darks in it.with a pee bottle and never decend during light. set it about minumum for you feet to be comfie and when i stand up to shout the bar is out of the way (i am 6foot).
You dark-2-dark and guided-types are nuts. Ate up.
I respect your commitment and investment, and admit I must be spoiled in some fashion, but wow...I can't bring myself to hunt that hard.
I'm only in it for the meat. Anybody ever figure out how to prepare antlers for the table, and maybe I'll change my ways. ;)
Climax
Hang on, Chippawa, climber, Lone Wolf.
I'll add an agreement to some of the other posts: while I prefer my tree saddle first, and most any lock-on second just because of the way I hunt, if I had to pick a stand for comfort and still be able to shoot out of it I'd go with the Summit Viper too.
I used one of DW's on a hunt with him and Skyler and found it very easy to adjust to the tree, very easy to climb with, able to shoot even with the bar with the right positioning, I felt very safe, and danged if it wasn't the most comfortable I've been in a tree...as if I were sitting in my den at home.
If I was looking for a climber I'd look at everything else first, then this one last. Bet you'd go with the Viper.
Just to correct any idea that I might be a "tough bugger"...
I said the Lone Wolf would work for you until your eyes closed. For me, that's about two, two and a half hours! :bigsmyl:
I like the ole Lone Wolf with the
flip-up seat. I have not bought
their new one because the seat won't
flip up out of the way.
I have two extra ones for parts.
Col,
I am just a meat hunter too, I see lots of deer but not always in range. so i just keep on sittin :knothead: . But hey, my wife thinks i am crazy also, but she loves the venison
MW,
I can't sit that long. Legs go all numb & tingly after about 3hrs, all the way from ankle to rump.
I try to stand & shoot after that and I become an unwelcome statistic for the State game agencies.
This year, I'm cutting branches for sit-down shots. Y'all done gone and inspired me.
Heh...guess that's what this place is for! :)
I am a dark to dark hunter as well.
Meat or horns, doesn't matter.
My vote goes to the Screaming Eagle design for an all around stand.
For hang and hunt, I don't think anyone can touch the Lone Wolf Assault.
Been using a Treesuit with Lone Wolf mini sticks(4 of them) for the past 4yrs. I have the recliner strap and the transporter system that is made for it. I sat in as much as 8hrs at a time and experience no fatigue. At 52 i like the fact that I cannot fall out of the tree and I don't have to go overly high either(16ft). To me to be able to brace yourself against the tree just makes your shooting platform that much more stable. I don't mind hunting hard but I like minimal sweat when setting up.
If your going to stay for extended periods of time you won't beat a tree lounge regarding staying comfortable. They are the most secure, comfortable stands I've ever used.
I still think my old style Loggy Bayou with the climbing band is the best. I just bought another one for backup cheap. Once set up it is silent, no bar to get in the way and won't move no matter where you stand on it. I know alot of people don't like them but once you get used to using it, no problem.
WestTnMan,
I had two Loggy's like yours for years and only by the grace of God did I not fall. I got rid of them after a couple of near misses on wet mornings and slick trees. I know Loggy knew they had a problem because they came out with a, " Band Aid" of sorts. It was two claws that you could slide up on the climbing band and two claws you could bolt to the platform.
Until Summit finally got smart and started making their stands out of Aluminum and developed the Viper I would have stayed with my Loggy's I did like them a lot. Just not worth dying for !!! The other benefit of the Viper is that the top seat portion has the rail that goes all the way around you. Not saying you could not fall out of a Viper, but personally think it is almost impossible.
Please be careful if you keep hunting out of your Loggy's ! Please go get on a wet tree and put your harness on and climb a few feet off the ground and you will see what I mean about slippage, especially on a Poplar ! I guarantee you it will slip. Only my humble opinion and I am only posting here for you because I care !!!
nocams :scared:
Oh, I know what you mean. I have had this stand since about '86, I have just learned how to use it and do wear a harness. I get up and stay seated in the climbing aid, mine has the seat strap, and attatch my safety strap. Then I get everything setup.
I have an old viper and like it a lot. I have a tree saddle and am still trying to get use to it. If I was getting a new stand, it would be the Equalizer, no doubt. https://www.equalizertreestands.com/index.php
Over the years I've had a Baker (and still survived!), Loggy Bayou, Gorilla, Ameristep and Summits. I just picked up the Summit Deer Deck Hang On... nice large platform. I am hoping it is a smart choice.
I have a summit viper classic, lw alpha hangon and several hang ons. Now i bought a guido's web. Im excited to give it a try. So far, my favorite stand is the viper....even though its heavy, its like sitting in a soft recliner. I can sit for hours and hours comfortably.
I had a LW sit n climb for about 3 months. Felt like I was sitting in a church pew. You sit at almost a perfect 90 degrees. There was some sdjustment but not much. Now, as for being quiet, it was the quietest one I've ever climbed in. But for comfort, I would choose the Summit Viper as well. I have the steel version so it's about 6 pounds heavier but I usually only hike about a mile so it's not so bad. But, if you don't keep the seat a little lower, the shooting bar will affect your bow. Maybe it could be took off? I've been meaning to go downstairs and look at it. Anyone know?
If I have to carry it in & out i'll take my Tree Saddle every time. Some of those big cushy Summits sure are nice to sit in though.
I second the Gorilla King Kong,for all day setting you have to have comfort seat arm rests and a foot rest.For climbers I use the Old-Man,the biggest one.I am 6' 250# needs lots of room.
I generally use LW Assault hang ons (the small ones) and the hand climber. Most of them have the old 2-inch foam cushion seats, which I find comfortable enough for all day sits. During the rut, I'll often sit dark to dark several days on end. Butt get's pretty sore after a while, but I don't think there's much that an be done about that. Like Whip, I've also begun to use a few ladder stands on my own land. The platforms aren't necessarily any larger or more comfortable, but once set up, they're the quickest and quietest to get into and out.
I love my Lone Wolf Alpha Hang On. You can set it up in any tree and they are super quiet, especially when the snow comes. No cracking platform to scare the game away
Lone Wolf is my favorite, Alpha Sit'n'Climb but I really enjoyed my grand slam supreme archery hunter as well.
I'll let you know if I ever find one.
Sunrise to Sunset! Aint no way.
I have a Timber Tall that I have spent many a sunrise to sunsets in but my next one will probably be either a Summit or Lone Wolf.
One that I wont fall out of :readit: ;) .
cant beat the lone wolf alpha hang on and the climbing stick super easy and fast to set up also lightwieght for pack in ddep into public land to get away from the crowds. i can go from ground to hunting in 7 minutes. love the system yeah it gets a little uncomfortable on those all day sits but Summit makes the trophy chair and if im gonna sit all day i will use that in conjunction with the LW. Good luck in your choice if you pick a LW you will not be disapointed.
Lone Wolf Alpha Assault for me. Portability is high on my list of priorities as I hang my stands and take them down the same day, and often hang 2 (1 for my little hunting partner). Not as big as some others, but I don't need more space.
summit bushmaster climber for long day sits...
Lone Wolf Alpha hang on or sit and climb...quiet in all temps, light enough to take anywere and expensive but worth it. There are so many places that carry them now that you can find some deals at the end of the hunting season as stores try to make room for the next season item.
Hang on - Lone wolf can't be beat, IMO. But @ 57 yrs. young have pretty much gone to ladder stands even though they're somewhat limiting as less portable.Good luck this season!
I have the newer type loggy stalker. Weighs less than most mentioned, full camo, great seat and no bar to get in the way. I wanted to buy my wife one and As far as I can tell loggy is out of business? Anybody know anything about this?
My remodeled Lone Wolf Hand Climber. It's a climbing loc on.
I hunt with four lone wolf sticks and a Gorilla extreme loc-on when bow hunting (which I am doing more and more these days).
For rifle and if the walk is not to far, the API Grand Slam Supreme is THE most solid climber I have ever had. But that's just my opinion.