Treestand Technology
 

There is always a lot of talk about bow technology and its advances from year to year. My question is...Why haven't treestand companies made many advancements recently? Particularly in the weight area. From a design standpoint, they are all pretty much the same. My biggest item on a wish list would be to have a stand, likemy summit, only weight about 12lbs. Seems all stands of that type are in or around the 20lb mark.

A few years back, what was once Ol' man treestands had a prototype of a titanium stand as large as a Summit that weighed 14lbs. The manufacturing process didn't yield a strong enough weld and it was scrapped.

I'd love to know why new materials aren't being investigated to build a lighter, stronger stand.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

Well, Ol' Man tree stands is still there. They have come back from financial troubles in 2006 and are making and shipping stands again. And more to your question, Ol'Man also made a lighter weight Carbon fiber stand at one time, and it was light and strong, the only problem is there are not a lot of hunters willing to shell out the BIG BUCKS for the technology. They couldn't sell enough of them and production stopped. There is a threshold, where most hunters stop, concerning how much they are willing to pay for a stand, and because of that, manufacturers feel limited on what they can and are willing to try to design.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

There's nothing stopping you from custom building one yourself. You already have the design. I took one already made and did it to some degree.

Just need to get inside the brain of an old guy. They had their faults but one thing they could do was take some junk and an idea and put it to some good use.

My uncle wanted to aluminum side his porch. He did. I put screens on for him once and some of the paint was peeling. He did it with Rolling Rock beer cans.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

The expense thing really surprises me. I would be willing to spend 4 or 5 hundred on a stand if it met the specs I was looking for. I did do some research on titanium welding its a little difficult. It needs welded in a sealed enclosure to keep oxygen from reacting with the weld. At least thats my understanding.

I'd love to see summit build a stand like the Viper or Razor and have it weigh about 12 or 14lbs. I'd pay whatever it cost. I used to hunt out of a Loggy Bayou that weighed 14lbs. Man, that thing was a breeze to carry into the woods. But it wasn't very comfy if you planned on sitting all day in it.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

I think your right it is a cost thing titanium would be very expensive and not enough people willing to spend that much on it

RE: Treestand Technology
 

The only new technology in hang ons iswith straps that can be hung 1st like the new millenium and the summit copperhead. These and the Lone wolf are all in the 12.5 # range. What is there to improve on? They work great and I never sit in my stands and wish they had any better this or that. I like the way my lone wolf alpha can adjust for crooked trees and the seat leveling feature is also nice. When you get into lighter materials than alluminum the cost is going to go WAY up. I think that my 12.5# stands with my climbing sticks mounted to them are still fine in the weight dept.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

I have a Summit Viper SS (20lb, minus whatever the gun rest weighs, sinceI took it off) and Ilike it, except the armrests limit the angle of may of my shots.

My Lone Wolf Alpha Assault is a great hang-on stand and only weighs 8.5 lbs (9 lbs with thefootrests I put on it). The set of 4 Lone Wolf climbing sticks I just ordered will get me 20' up in a tree for only 10 lbs. That putsmy total carry-inweight in at about 19 lbs, including climbing sticks (which are much easier to use to get into/out of a stand than using a climbing stand IMO). The Lone Wolfs are also deadly silent, since the platformsare made out of one piece of cast aluminum, there are no welds.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

Mountainhunter, you are going to love that setup.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

Compared to what we used to have and with little choices, treestands have come a long way. Also, a stand company that used carbon fiber had some problems with the platforms cracking.

But I also see a troubling trend with some treestand companies, too many are made in China and trying to corner the market selling them as cheap as they can, therefore heavy steel stands. Lot of the guys who buy these stands putem up and leavem. I put one up for a buddy a while back and afterwards told him he better like the choice he made because I wasn't going to move it again.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

I guess I see everyone's point. However, hang on's, in my opinion should be hung before season and let there. I was speaking strickly from a climber stand point.

They are a lot lighter than they used to be. They just seem to be hanging at that 20lb range for an awefully long time. Yeah, the cost would be more to use a more cutting edge material, but heck, if bow's can increase at the ridiculous rate they have, why not treestands?

RE: Treestand Technology
 

I've been hunting with some guys this year that their climbers are about 8 years old and they weigh 5 lbs more than my Summit Viper 04 model. The technology in their older climbers is unsafe compared to my 04 model. Technology is improving but I think it's toward ease of use, quiet functionand safety - not in weight or size yet. Email the Summit lab guy with your suggestions see what he has to say. They have answered my emails in the past.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

I see your point. But take me for example, I loved my Lone Wolf Sitnclimb climbing stand but sold it during the offseason to help pay for a new bow. But I have really missed that stand this season. So I bought a new Lone Wolf Alpha hang on stand that I have yet to use[&:], simply cannot decide whether to sell it and buy another LW climber or purchase the sticks and use it with the hang on. I don't need both because either would serve my purpose of moving to different areas, and not having to worry about it getting stolen. I also have some other hangons, but I do move them now and then according to deer movement. Dang, I am getting tired of using those screwin steps.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

Has anyone figured out if the "new" ole mans are being made here or overseas?
I figured since they "came back" after being gone they set up a new factory elsewhere. Has anyone purchased a new ole man and seen the beautiful "Made in USA" on the box?

RE: Treestand Technology
 

I agree that climbers could be improved somewhat.

I weigh 150 lbs. The stand I use is rated for 300, if I recall correctly (Summit Bushmaster XLS...great stand). I sometimes wonder why no one builds a stand with a smaller platform and seat to save weight.

Its easy to imagine that they're perhaps over-engineered to prevent lawsuits. If so, that's a shame.

I'd also like a lighter climber.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

DaveC,

I could not find the reference to the country of manufacture on their website, http://www.olmanoutdoors.com/, so I sent them an e-mail asking that exact question. I will come back here and post the answer, if and when I get it.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

Thanks Micheal, I sent that very e-mail to another stand manufacturer was interested in and never recieved a reply (northstar I believe) that told me answer[8D].

I'll be looking for your reply (it might not be until Monday though)

RE: Treestand Technology
 

hey guys lone wolf has a climber for about 340.00$ that weighs 141/2 lbs and works great from what im told thats over 6# lighter than my summit

RE: Treestand Technology
 

I have one of the Old Man hang ons with the CF platform. Great stand
My wife bought it for me about 4 or 5 years ago.
It was kind of pricey but I guess I'm worth it:D
I leave it out all season, pulling it during shotgun season and then put it right back up.
I have shot at least 5 or 6 deer out of it.
Might even hunt it tomorrow if the wind is right.
It is, by far, my best stand.
I am thinking of getting some climbing sticks though.
I too am tired of the screw in steps.

RE: Treestand Technology
 

IMHO, it'll always come down to economics. Suppose Summit manufactures and sells 10,000 climbing stands (4 different models with many common elements) that retail under $250, Lone Wolf, sells 1500 climbers that retail for $350.

How many $500 or $600 10lb stands do you think would be sold?

There will always be a small portion of the market that insists on the latest, greatest, and best. I believe maybe 1800 sold the first 2 years and then perhaps 500 a year after that. The revenue needed to recover R&D, tooling, Marketing, Profit, and Warranty costs and reserves are difficult squeeze out of such a small number of units.

All companies try to maximize return to risk, all the while the law of diminishing returns tells us while the 6lb difference between the summit and the Lone Wolf seems to be worth $120 to 1500 buyers/yr, fewer buyers will find value in an extra $150-$250 for a stand 4lbs lighter than the Lone Wolf.

Just my $0.02, all numbers are fictious and used for example purpose only.

Jim

RE: Treestand Technology
 

ct hunter, I know Lone Wolf has that stand. But did ya see the seat on it? Looks like a board would be just as comfortable.