RE: build or buy a treestand
I've gotta agree with teamster, we make our own out of 1 inch square tubing, we can get it cheap and have the welder, chop saw, torch and drill in the shop. We made 16ft climbing sticks last fall, two eight ft sections, easily carried by one adult, all materials about $11.00, $4.00 for primer and paint, figure $10.00 an hour for my time and I had a 16ft climbing stick for $25.00, they sell something very similiar at Wally World for almost $50.00.