nodog

They are a safe stand if you do your part. People fall down very safe stairs all the time. Your first step out of a tree is a little farther than 7.5 inch's (the distance between one tread and another on a well built stair).

Other stands are safe, lighter and quieter. They are also adjustable, a huge improvement in safety. My older summit isn't I don't know if the new ones are. None are perfect. Whatever. get to know it well. I had a top section crumble and got a first hand education on the need for reinforcing that center section like summit does. I was 3/4 the way up in the dark. As soon as i took the next step I felt the stand give. I stopped and looked it over seeing nothing wrong using my head light, went to climb again and my head said I'd better look closer, it was coming apart.

Instead of loosing my head and climbing down in the dark I got settled as best I could hunted the morning and then came down in the day light watching it come apart with each climb down. I was in control the whole time. Had I not been very familiar with the stand things could've turned out much different.