bjanakos

I am almost embarrassed to ask but……

I bought climber last year and used it for the season. It came with a ratchet strap, but I had no idea what it was for. There were no clear instructions either, except how to assemble it and climb.

I can’t really think of a way to secure it to the tree with one ratchet strap and further more, how to secure the base when I am already 20 feet up. The seat should be little trouble. I can see the value of having a solid platform and it should cut down on noise.

How many of you secure your climbers and how does one do it?

wis_bow_huntr

Mine came with one as well, depending on what kind you have, I have a hunters view climbing hawk, with mine youre supposed to run the strap across from one cable to the other, this pulling the cables closer together. I used it once. I dont see how much more safe it can be with just the one stablizing strap. You can look online for a better users manual for your stand, Hunters View had a better one online than what came with the stand.

NavyDeerHunter

What kind of stand do you have? WIth my API there are two holes drilled into the seat portion of the climber...one hole on each side right by the "teeth" that bite into the tree when you climb. Put one hook of the strap in one hole and after going around the tree, the other hook in the other hole and ratchet it tight. Once it's there...it's there and I'm very confident. The foot portion of the climber is not secured in the same way, but is attached to the seat portion with a tag line just in case it falls away...you can pull it back up.

On my equalizer, there is not a ratchet strap of any kind, but I have never felt unsafe when in the tree.

RIStrutStopper

Ditto

bjanakos

Thanks all.

There are some times when I stand up on the platform and it cuts into the tree more and bark falls off etc. When I am set in my place, I try to "jump" on it a little just to seat it in better.

I can't see why pulling the cables together will secure it better, but maybe that's not a bad idea if you have to level the platform, or the seat a little more.

nbadger23

As the others have said.. depends on what type it is. I have a summit and mine goes around the seat. The instructions say to run it around the tree and around the part of the seat that presses against the tree - but nothing about doing anything with the cables that go around the tree. From what I see, it provides more downward pressure on the seat to have it bite in more and not slip. It definately does seem to make the seat a bit more stable.

snake123

I use a Summit Python and I don't really secure it to the tree. The seat has a bungy cord that pretty much secure the seat to the tree. Other than that I use an extra strap that came with the stand to connect the platform and seat together in case one would fall. My stand has spike like teeth coming from the platform and seat to grip into the tree....I believe this is all thats needed and feel perfectly secure when n stand.