I personally have a summit viper. I have been extremely happy with the durability, comfort, and versatility of this stand. On the viper the seat has nylon straps that fit around the frame, the seat slides out of the way when you are climbing and then slides down on the frame for when you are sitting. As far as climbing, I stand on the platform and either sit on the front bar to pull my feet up or do like I'm doin a dip and pull my feet up. It sounds a little harder than it is. I put my girlfriend in it and she climbed the tree with no problems. I think you would be very happy with a summit stand. I've grown so fond of the comfort of my climber, that last year I found a gnarly looking tree that I wanted to hunt from. Due to the shape of the tree there was no way to climb it, so I put in tree steps and hung the stand like a regular lock on. It worked like a charm. Anyway, good luck with your decision.