ButchA

Excellent advice... Here's my take on it (I own a Summit Viper X4 from 2 years ago and love it! )

Carefully study the tree you want to use. Make sure the base at the trunk isn't too wide to allow easy hookup of the bottom platform. I have found a perfect tree in a perfect location, but the base of the tree trunk was huge, but yet the whole tree instantly narrowed. There is no way to get in a climber when it's already 3-4' off the ground - unless you want to do a chin-up or some gymnastic move to get into it! [&:]

Depending on the type of tree, Summit climbers will bite hard into the bark! When it's time descend, you might have to physically kick the lower platform to break it free. That's how stable Summit climbers are! Trust me... you ain't going nowhere once you'resetup in a Summit treestand! [8D]

Also, as everyone knows, set the climber to be higher in the front than in the back, once you first hook it around the tree. There is no proper way or rule. You just have to let the tree determine the angle of the treestand platform.

Another thing with the backpack straps. Ditch the factory ones that come with the stand. Yeah, alright, okay, they are real neat and camo colored, and the treestand is only 21 pounds anyway. But when you are hiking up a mountain ridge, and after about a mile anda half, those factory unpadded straps start hurting your shoulders and collarbones.

Like others have said, attach the safety rope and prussic knot to the tree first before you do anything else. And most importantly WEAR THE SAFETY HARNESS!! The Summit Seat 'O The Pants is a great harness. Others made good ones too. Just make sure you wear it before you even think of setting up that stand. Too many people have ended up with broken bones, in wheelchairs, or worse - have died from not wearing a harness. Put it this way - I won't climb a tree without my harness. If I was a fool and forgot my harness, well, then, I'm an idiot and I would have to run all the way back home to get my harness.

Lastly, try to do whatever possible to avoid falling asleep. The Summit Viper, Goliath, ...etc, are the most comfortable treestands around. Seriously... it's like you're in your favorite Laz-E-Boy recliner, getting all relaxed. YOU WILL DOZE OFF! [&:][8D]

Butch A.

Strut&Rut

NYB,

1) Definitely ditch those factory straps. Opt for the real backpack straps offered by Summit.

2) Get the permanent plastic toe keepers also. The bungy straps work fine, but the permanent plastic ones will not make a big ole "thwack" when you take your foot out.

3) The biggest frustration you will have is keeping your stand quiet while walking to the tree!! Fine-tuning this aspect will take a little experimentation, but I have a few tips for this...
a) Be sure to push the cables as far as possible into the stand. They should not rattle if you do this.
b) When you strap the 2 sections together, run the strap vertically (ie, thru the V). This will keep the two sections much tighter while walking, and was recommended to me by a Summit tech.
c) Place your saddle bags between the sections before tightening. This will not only keep them quiet, but you will not accidentally trip yourself.

4) If you have any questions, you can keep asking us yahoos, but I found the people at Summit extremely helpful. The technicians can give you more great advice with a 10 minute phone call than you would possibly believe. Make a list of questions, and then just fire away---have a pen handy, because the answers will come quick...

5) I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this one: Trees you should not climb: Birch, Cherry, Beach, Shagbark hickory. Climb those and I can almost guarantee you will slip at some point, and it may not be a short fall. Those trees are either too slick, or the hickory is just too damn loud. The bark can also give way, and you're left free-falling 15-20 feet to the ground. Here in CT I prefer Oaks and Ashes (straightest). In Central NY, I will climb those trees, but will also quickly climb Poplars and Bass too. I find they grab better (a bit softer), and typically they lose their leaves faster, so by the time those windy days come around you're not swaying as bad. Hemlocks are OK, but you will have to deal with the pitch for weeks, and I have not found a scent-free detergent that will remove conifer goo [8D]

JeremiahJohnson

BTB - I think you're referring to the older Vipers. I have two older ones and two newer ones. The newer ones don't use the sliding tab any longer. The new "trigger" type should work great and doesn't look like it would loosen or break in our lifetime.

justhunt

I installed 3 bolts in the side bar of the seat section to hang my bow, pack and binoculars from. The bolt on the left side is about 4" long for my bow and 2 on the right side are smaller, maybe 2.5". Use 2 nuts to secure them and cover with duct tape. Works great and doesn't interfere with anything.

wilk

when i get up my tree, i put the bar just about 1inch lower than my crotch for bowhunting and the bar is not in you way at all...
good luck, oh and by the way make sure your cables are pushed the whole way in past the last metal bullet on the cable or they will make noise when walking...

ButchA

Wow... I like this one! [8D] I'm going to take apart my Summit Viper X4 when I get home and redo the strap and run it vertically, instead of horizontally. (itdoesn't make noise now, but, you never know....)

Butch A.

NY Bowhunter

Thanks for all the tips. You guys rock . Now just a little more pouting/begging/convincing with the wife and I'm good to go. I suppose you don't have any advice on that do you?[8D][:-]

Chuck7

Let's your wife know the importance of shooting from above ..out of a tree..and that safety is the most important factor. Summit is the safest stand out there . Tell her Chuck 7 said so.

KEEP THAT HARNESS ON please.

Greg / MO

A nice Italian restaurant and a slow bubble bath followed by a massage always seems to work for me...

Also, this is another one that's often overlooked... If you're bowhunting, you need those critters in close. This actually should be protocol for any stand, but especially bulkier climbers: set up on the opposite side of the tree from which you expect deer to come in. The trunk of the tree will help conceal you, and you won't be left right out in the open.

ButchA

Just do it... Yeah, she'll get mad. She'll holler about saving money. She might even try to kick your a$$ for buying the treestand! But just do what I do: Mention how much steaks cost at the supermarket, versus having the necessary equipment so you can get a big buck (which will more than fill the freezer). If that doesn't work, plead insanity, act like a goofball, and throw a question right back at her, "Honey, I understand, but which would you prefer... Having me go hunting whereI'll now have a better chance of success, or have me sit home here and annoy you all day long?"

Butch A.