EXACTLY! I just ordered one and got it yesterday. Haven't gotten to go out and play with it,but it appears to be built VERY well. I've never hunted in a tree in 20 yrs of bowhunting because of a small fear of heights and this is the first stand that made me feel comfortable enought to do it because of its features: http://www.equalizertreestands.com/

and

http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/tm.asp?m=953272&mpage=1&key=Buckshot&# 953272

I know a guy that spent 6 weeks in intensive care after falling 25ft adjusting his standing platform on his climber 25 ft up. He was not wearing a saftey belt.

That's is a shame. Did he come out of it OK after his hospitalization?

Was the stand he was using designed to be adjusted in that fashion?

I use a Summit and experienced the same problem years ago. Here's what i did and other posters have hinted the same. I size-up the tree, set my stand a little tight at the bottom knowing it will level-out when I get to my desired height. This takes some practicing, but it works. Funny thing is, I have memorized some of my favorite trees where I often hunt from and can tell you exactly how tight I have to secure my straps/guides before even getting to the tree.

I have, however, hunted osme trees that are almost exactly perfect from bottom to 30 some feet. I mean, same thickness and straight almost half way up the tree. Only downside is that these trees are mor eor less out in the open within the woods and not ideal for bow. I use them for shotgunning. It's the trees I use for bow hunting that require some special maneuvering. I have one tree I use for bow which nestles along a tiny pond and swamp area. I end up going up about only 10 feet which is fine as I and sandwiched between two cedars and I have plenty of cover. Opening day last year I had a 7 pointer walk right to my stand and stop. Easy shot, but I needed a doe first. Never saw that buck again last year, but proved my setup was perfect even though I was only 10 feet off the ground.

This may have been covered previously, but I sometimes have had the same problem when gun hunting 30 ft or so up. What I do is adjust my stand while it is close to the ground where the upper and lower platforms are pointing almost straight up. It is a pain in the butt when you first start up the tree, but evens out pretty fast once you start climbing. Likewise, coming down it can be a pain once you get close to the ground. That is the only way that I have been able overcome that. Once I did adjust the upper platform once I was up, but I don't recommend it unless you've been climbing for years and know what you are doing.