I posted a mini review of the Lone Wolf SC a while back. I just put a full season in this stand and feel I gave it a more than fair chance.

I decided that this stand just didn't meet my needs. I know I'll take a beating from the fan club of this stand and honestly, I can see where some are coming from. However, for the way I hunt, it was just a miserable piece of equipment to drag into the woods.

Here's my take.

The stands selling point is its quietness hooking up, climbing and while on stand. I will say that it definitely is the quietest stand I've used. But after that, the advantages end there.

Packing the stand, IMHO, isn't all that great. Unless you go out and buy several rolls of camo tape or other stuff to cover areas where the top section contacts the platform, it will make noise when you unpack or pack it. Once its all together, and you add the bungie, its fine.

More importantly for me was the fact that I folded it flat when packing and it was just one more thing I had to screw with at the tree in the morning.

One of the huge issues for me was the weight of the stand. My came in at 21lbs. Not 20 like they said. Even at 20, it was still 2lbs heavier than my Summit Cobra.

Sure the stand packs flat, but for me, it didn't make a difference. I strap my daypack onto the stand and it is going to stick out anyway. The fixed bars of most stands stick out the same distance anyway.

The comfort of the stand is horid. I've always been one that didn't want to get out of a tree. With this stand, I couldn't wait to get out. I realize this stand is built for hunting, not napping. But I need a stand I can stay in all day. The Lone Wolf, even with the foot rest kit, for me, was a torture chamber. The seat section is very narrow and dug into my hips. I'm not a very big guy either.

I think the biggest factor for me getting rid of the stand was the stability. On larger trees, that platform shifted on my several times. The teeth section is too narrow and there wasn't enough teeth biting into the tree. I've never been spooked in a stand like this one.

I took the stand back to Cabelas. Hats off to that company. I exchanged the stand for a new Summit Bushmaster. All I wanted was a light, stripped down climber with no bells and whistles. The Bushmaster weighed in at 17.84lbs on the same scale I weighed the LW on. It's more comfortable and I can setup and climb much faster with it. If you use a Summit long enough, you get the hang of them and can climb very quietly. I've climbed many mornings and had deer under me within 15min. So for me, its a none issue.

I'm not in no way knocking the LW. Different strokes for different folks. I've read comments where people who hear you have a Lone Wolf tells them that they're a hardcore hunter and such. It doesn't fit my needs and I'll hunt longer and harder out of a Summit.