Carry a minimal amount of stuff. Decide what is absolutely necessary and use bungees like JimPic said. I have a viper and I bought 2 side bags that strap in between the uprights. I usually carry my gun, and strap everything else to my stand. If I am hunting a remote area for a few days and going in and out I leave my stand and gorilla lock it to a tree. Then when I pull out of there I pack it back out.

What kind of stand do you use? My viper weighs 17 pounds, which is bearable, but those lone wolf stands are lighter. I would loveto test one, but I won't buy it just to try it. I wish these manufacturers or cabelas would have some treestand days where you could go and try different stands and evaluate them for noise, weight, ease of use etc.

Knock one down.
T.