I have had a viper for a couple of years now. What impresses me about it is that even though I don't use it much I can quietly and quickly get up a tree with it. If you used it alot I'm sure you could get up a tree in no time with almost no noise. Once up the tree it's very stable and comfortable. The bar hasn't been a problem for me at all , my bow is a Mathews Z max. There are straps on the seat so you can adjust how far the seat hangs down from the bar. I'm not crazy about heights so the bar gives me a added measure of security. I also use it to lay my gun across when I'm gun hunting I set it so it's tipped back just a bit. you can use it for a rest too. You can also buy just the climbing seat and use that for bow hunting and the other for Rifle. I also have a Loggy Bayou stand but I don't think it compares to the Summit as a climer .I like the summit much better. Hope this helps