sounds like a summit viper...i have a bad back and LOVE mine.
i can hunt from dark to dark without getting uncomfortable...you really need to give it a try.
you won't be sorry.

I just talked him into climbing in his attic to get the name of this stand. It is a Predator Grand, fixing to go search the net for it now. Thanks for the reply's.

My Summit stand is rock solid and as long as I set the cables correctly and choose the appropriate tree/bark, I can almost do jumping jacks on my stand. I would not recommend this, just exaggerating a bit. Seriously, if you follow the directions, choose the right tree, use the full body harness, etc....you will think you are standing on solid ground no matter how high up you are!

I tried a friends Summit Viper 2-pc climber one day.

I thought "How in hell would I get this thing all set up, climb a tree in the dark and while doing that inch up the safety belt as well?" It was the scariest thing I ever did - and carrying that thing on my back was like toting my living room Lazy Boy with me - not to mention my bow as well.

Screw that I said! I use ground blinds. Like I said - cost me a whopping $16 for my ground blind material.

I think the most important part of being comfortable and feeling safe in the standis having a saftey harness you trust. I have tested my harness (a few times on purpose anda few times on accident) and I know that now matter what happens as long as I am properly using my harness I will be fine. That makes climbing 30ft up in a tree a lot more comfortable and it puts your mind at ease so all you have to worry about is shooting deer, not falling out of your stand. As for particular stands I own a SummitBushmaster and have tried a few other Summit models, they are all great stands in my opinion and I believe there is more thanone model that you can attatch the optional footrest to.

I'm just curious what a guys supposed to do when he's hanging off a tree at 30 ft in the dark?

???

it all depends on what part of the state you're hunting in. i personally hunt on private land pretty much all of the time. there is a bunch of public land but i don't know much about any of it. some of the wma's are supposed to be good but i don't know which ones specifically.

well you could call for help, take a nap, die, or continue to hunt as if it were a tree sling!!!

???? Are you sure it was a Summit? They are the most lightest, most easiest, climbers to pack in and out with. Maybe it was one of the older model Summits when they were all heavy gauge steel and weighed probably 35 pounds at max. The new model Summit stands are only like 21 pounds and honest, you don't even mind it - even after a 1 mile hike in.

Isn't FLA a little hot for hunting?

I can imagine hunting when its 90 degrees out, buddy, and the humidity is 90%!

???