I'm also a Viper XLS user. Absolutely love it! Like any climber it takes a little practice, but it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. The Summit folks are big on safety and their harness takes just a few seconds to put on and attach to the tree. Taking the fear of falling out of the equation makes it much easier to get up and down from your tree.

I don't really mind the bar because it's nice to rest your bow on it. It's definitely worth the money.