I have a summit viper ss and it has the old straps that you have to put over your feet. Should i spend the extra cash and get the rapid climb stirrups or not? Last year my feat slipped out of the straps and i damn near fell. This kinda scared me. Will the stirrups help to keep my feet in? Thanks for the help!

I have the straps on my API. I climb with the toes on one foot pulled up and the other disengaging the teeth of the climber just to keep from dropping them. My brother lost the feet on his one time. It slid to the bottom of the tree. Dad had to climb up and take his foot piece back to him.

Tie the bottom of the stand to the top and you won't drop it...

I tie mine on the straps, makes it easier to put your feet in...

I don't own a summit but something I do with all my climbers is take the straps off and replace them with 12-2 romex. ( that is residential electrical wire). Its cheap and it really works well. I just wrap it intothe platform. I usually make 2 wrapsfor each foot.They keep their shape and fold out of the way after climbing.

I tie mine as well. We learned from my brothers mistake.

The stirrups are awesome, I love them.

Absolutly get the stirrups

Mine came with the stirrups. They're very handy.

I just bought a set of stirrups for my Ultra Viper SS and my dads API. I hate trying to put my feet in the elastic strings on the base.

They work well and like crenth is saying they also come with an elastic strap. You just put your heel against the strap, pull back and insert your foot in the stirup.

Like others have mentioned tie the top and bottom together with a rope so if you do loose it you can pull it back up.

Next stand you buy make a more balanced base an option you'd like to have. I can lift my current one with very light pressure under the side rail. No straps. No stirups.
It also fastens to the tree with ropes, the same rope I use to attach each other for the climb