Ranger Joe

I am looking to buy a treestand.

1-what is the best place to buy one either online or chain store

2-what is the most comfertable climing stand for the money that is very safe and usefull to a bowhunters needs

eelriver

Best price: either chain store or internet.....it's a commodity buy.

IMO best climber: Summit Viper. I got a heck of a deal (end of season) on one a couple of years ago. They are a little heavy to carry in/out, and takes a little practice to get proficientat climbing, but once you're set up it is really an all day stand.

BGfisher

I'll second the Viper, but with one comment. It's not really that heavy for what you get. The weight is kind of average at about 20#.

I've spent as much as 11 hours a day in mine without feeling like crap when I got down. Same cannot be said for some of my past stands or my Timbertall.

Gut Check

Don't be afraid to try ebay. You can buy new and from reputable sellers. I bought all of my Lone Wolf's there and the transaction was easy, no sales tax, and I received the items with 3-4 days.

I would second that the Summit is comfortable. I don't know if heavy is the right word for it. Maybe a bit bulky. The issue with the Summit is the way the braces and cables extend from the vertical plane when packing. I also have a Lone Wolf sit-n-climb and (2) Lone Wolf assaults with climbing sticks. If you are in terrain that has thick underbrush then the Lone Wolf is the only way to go as it fold flat. Plus it is much lighter.

If you are in the market for hang-on's the LW assault and climbing sticks are superb. In fact, I almost like them better than a climber as they are more versatile when setting up in a not so perfect tree or a tree with extra foliage on it.

Good luck with your purchase.

Joe A

https://www.equalizertreestands.com/index.phpHere's the one I use and I love It ,and I am a big guy.

Ranger Joe

So as it turns out I picked up a used treestand last night. My best friend's wife gave me my buddy's treestand (he was a CMPD officer that was killed in the line of duty). This stand abviosly has a lot of sentimentality for me and I am gratefull to have it. My only question is, how do I get it "packable" for the field. Never used a climing stand. IT's a viper, in good condition but I thought of replacing the cables just to be sure. Does Bass Pro sell Viper cables? Also doe snayone know how to use it? If someone could take a few pictures of how to pack it and how to use it I would be gratefull. I have always hunted out of ladder stands or homemade hangers. There are no instructions with it and I am going to NH this week to hunt. THought one of yall might could help me out.

rustynut

go to summits web site, they should have instructions and maybe a vidio.

http://www.summitstands.com/catalog.aspx?catid=viper

BGfisher

Real quick. To pack it you shorten the cables as much as possible by sliding them into the stand. Fit the foot portion inside the seat part and use a couple bungie cords to hold it in place and keep it from rattling. These also come in handy to hold your coat or whatever while packing the thing in and out, soyou don't get all sweaty.

Take a piece of cord (rope) and tie it to the seat portion somewhere to use as a haul-up rope. Just wrap it around the stand for packing. Then just leave it on the stand so you can never forget it. I like a 20' piece as it lets me gauge how high I am going. Something else useful is to shorten the seat straps so you don't sit down in the stand too deeply just in case you might get one of those shots from a sitting position.

You probably don't need new cables. They don't break. The rubber may wear off them, but this doesn't hurt anything.

One word of caution. We would like to hear from you in the future so DO NOT leave the ground without a full body harness. Learn to put one on and how to move it as you climb up and down. If you've never fallen just consider that your first time might be your last, and it won't be the stand's fault.

Now go practice. Set the stand on a tree with the front end at about a 25 degree up angle. It'll flatten out some as you climb the tree, as the tree gets smaller the higher you climb. This becomes a trial and error thing. That's why I say practice. Take your time and be quiet and safe.

Ranger Joe

Thanks to the guys that replied. I will look at the website as well as take the advise on wearing a harness. any recomendations on a good one I can get from Basspro? I would not hunt without it (my wife would not let me hunt...or anything else for that matter [:@]) I am going to take it into my back yard and practice this weekend. I will be in NH on tuesday morning and after I buy my lisence I will tkae a walk in the woods and practice (with my bow in toe of course) and find 2-3 good hunting lanes and mark them so I can find then in the wee hours of the AM. Anything I would need to replace on it? IT is in good shape about 2 years old, maybe 3, a little rust on it, plastic cable covers a little frayed. Oh also when hunting from a climer do you think I would be ok to hand my back pack from the stand (with a bungee) or could that spook a deer??

rustynut

I wear a fanny pack and strap it to the tree once I'm settled in. I also bought a spare quivver holder and attached that to the stand. You will want a bow holder mounted to the stand also, so you can stand up and use your hands for the back pack.