There's been a lot of talk lately about Lone Wolf climbers here lately. More specifically, talk about how to fold the hand climber/seat out of the way to make more room.

I also had a TG member send me a pm about how I pack mine up, but I mistakenly deleted it before I could respond, so I have no idea who it was. Hopefully he'll see this, and maybe I can help some others.

This is how I fold mine while hunting to have more room on the platform....


First a pic from the top to see how much more room you'll have after folding it out of the way. Also a lot more bottom limb clearance...

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From the front...

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From the side.....you can the the bungee it hooked together off to one side or the other of the tree so as not to stick into your back when seated.....
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From the back.....The bungee with a built in hook...this one came with my stand when I bought it when they first came out. Mine was actually one of the original V-bar stands, that was converted when the traction belts came out....

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Close up...
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This is how I do it on a small tree that's too small to keep the bungee tight when hooked together.

Hook it the same in the center,in the back. But hook the bungee to the belt on each side of the tree as to keep the bungee tight and the belt in place while folded....

Front....
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Back.....
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Side.....
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Now the packing of the stand....


Nested together....

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Hooked in the back.....

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I don't think there's a flatter packing climber on the market....

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With my pack on it....

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String loop I use to hook on to so as to keep the pack up where I want it. Another smaller bungee sucures the bottom of the pack...Rock solid!

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Interesting.

2 things come to mind:

1.  Are your upper and lower not tied together in any way?

2.  I have the sit and climb.  If I'm going to spin the upper to get it out of my way....can I not just o this with my current upper...and save myself the expense of the extra upper?

IF that seat would fold up....the hand climber would be the PERFECT climber.  Conceded.

Thanks for the pics Curt...

I'd asked about that a while back... I'd plannned on getting the handclimber as well, but I've fallen in love with a wide sit and climb... I'm just a bit thick and it is so much more comfortable than the regular...

My back starts huring in my Lone Wolf hang on so I figured the hand climber would be just like it...  I start fidgeting after about 3 hours... in the sit and climb I have to fight falling asleep...

I'm a bit worried that it might cost me a shot behind me... but I'm shooting a short 56" longbow so that may help...

Thanks for taking the time to demonstrate and take pics...

I love my Lone Wolf's...

Jonathan

I always wondered how to get that seat folded. I have the same bungee with hook, now I know what it's for. Thanks for taking time to take pic's and post them.

Ernest

Great photos and explanation...but,

I too am concerned about the lower and upper portions being separated without the straps.  What happens if you lose your footing while climbing (up or down) and the lower portion falls to the ground?  How do you "safely" get down?

I have tried my partner's hand climber with both portions attached, and it seems to still have plenty of room w/o the seat folded.  Granted, shots to the rear would be difficult or impossible, but...

I have the sit n climb and do agree that that it does restrict certain shots, but I really feel safe, secure, comfortable in it.

Newer LW hand climbers do come with straps that keep the top and bottom segments tethered to each other.  Those straps will prevent folding the seat in.  Another way to tether top and bottom is to just tie a short piece of rope or fairly stiff bungie from the back of the seat cable to the back of the platform cable when they're on the tree.  Needs to be long enough to permit the climbing motion.  Then, when you get to the desired height,  wrap each bungie around the tree trunk as Kurt has shown for the seat above.

Thanks for the pics. and explanation, Curt.  I've always had a problem with my seat sliding down on smaller trees when I fold it up.  I'm going to give your suggestion a try while hunting in Kansas next week.  Also, was trying to figure a good way to attach my pack to the stand and you answered that one as well.

even with the straps which keep the seat and base attached, you can fold the seat as he has shown. best climber IMO

I have the seat climber and i just do not like it. I think i may order the hand climber unless someone would like to trade my seat climber for the hand climber. I guess i need to ask that on another thread.

Overspined.  You're right depending on where the straps are attached.

this place is something else....I was in my LW yesterday thinking if this seat would only fold up....I love it. Thanks for taking the time to post this !!!!

I second Brack Shooter.

I don`t own a LW, but I can see they are certainly a hunting companion worth carrying on your back.

I have a newer model with the straps between the sections.  They help secure the pieces together for packing and make the stand rock solid when the stand is in place.

I've learned to really love this stand but it took a little while for it to grow on me.  Just took some practice to get comfortable climbing up and down in the dark.  A big help has been one of the newer lightweight LED headlamps with the red LED.  Sure helps to have some light and both hands free and the softer red LED doesn't blind me and wreck my night vison.

The seat does fold up against the tree pretty well with the bungee that is shown in Curt's pic.  That took a little practice too but it is a quick silent operation.

Another big help is that I always use some kind of a bow hanger.  Usually one of those rubber coated, screw-in deals.  Then, I have my fanny pack that can attach around the tree.  Before I did these things I dropped a lot of stuff and it's no fun to try and climb back down just to get a glove or something!

So THAT'S what that bungee strap was for!  I've been trying to figure out since I got the climber (used second hand, no instructions) what to do with the bungee with the hook on it.  I tried everything I could think of (including using it like my old Summit for an ankle grabber on the base while climbing) but it just didn't seem to work well for anything.

I ended up putting a 24" bungee around the base and hooking it on two loops to keep the rear of the HC Seat from flopping down and clanging into the base when I stood up (much like the new ones now have the straps).  

Hot Dog I gotta go try this!!  (unfortunately, though, I'll be needing to move my MOLLE Rearpack that I've got mounted up under the seat I think...   it might be in the way now).


Thanks a TON for the pictures, Curt!!  I'll actually have more than 10" of deck for my size 12's to tap dance around now!  And my toes were so getting used to feeling the breeze under them...


:D

Got the same setup as Curt's above that is for sale if anyone would like to try it out, drop me a pm. I found that it was just too heavy for me in my advanced age and health.  Great stand though,served me well.

I have an older V-bar stand. Lone Wolf will no longer sell just the parts to convert to the belt.

good info

My Hand Climber is pretty old and it came with the bungee and the side straps. I never have used the bungee except to tie down for carrying.

Once the straps are pulled down tight from top to bottom section I don't think the top section (seat) will fall down. However, when using the straps there's no folding the seat up without using the bungee and unhooking the straps. But since I sawed almost all the seat out except for part of the side rails and the back bracing and put straps from rail to rail and a foam seat on top. The seat will move in when I stand and push my leg against it therefore giving me more standing room.

My only problem with the stand is it's so hard to get the fasteners on the straps to open. I have to take a pr. of vice grips with me to open them up when taking stand off the tree. Only thing I can see to fix the problem is to file some of the fasteners off and I'm afraid I'll remove too much and it might come loose.