I bought a Summit Viper earlier this year. I have used it about 4-5 times and wasn't quite sold on it. This was my first climber and I found it to be noisy, heavy, and hard to shoot out of. However, it was very comfortable and I really like being able to go into a new area hunt then leave.

Anyways, I took it out again tonight to a spot by my house. After not seeing anything I began to climb down after shooting light had come and gone. On my first move with the top portion, I felt it just give suddenly and me start to lose my balance. Luckily there was a limb right there so I just grabbed it and balanced myself again.

As I was trying to figure out what happened I realized that the cable had actually slipped to the next setting. No question about it I'm taking it right back to Cabelas and hoping to get store credit on it.

and no I was no longer attached to the tree. I wear a harnass while on the stand, but once I am climbing I detach it.

SCARY!....yea if it does thatd Id take it right back!

"I wear a harness while on the stand, but once I am climbing I detach it."

I used to do the same, but this year I am strapped in and ready once I begin to climb or descend.

Glad it turned out ok.

So i hope you realize that you need to stay attached to the tree from the time you leave the ground until you return to the ground when using your climbing stand. Climbing up or down is when most climbing stand accidents do happen. I know its a pain to slide that harness and rope up and down the tree but its your life your talking about and that should be worth everything.

Wow, glad to here your ok. Good luck. So the cable stop gaveway andslipped to the next setting? Or did the notch give way and let the cable stop slip through it?

You will have no problem at all doing this. Their return policy can not be beaten. I'm glad you didn't get hurt!

Boo.

I've used a summit viper probably 130 times. I've NEVER had anything like this happen. Never. I actually don't see a way it COULD happen. Either the stand wasn't set properly....OR...the knuckle on the cable had to become detached (for it to slip). If your cable isn't broken....I'd bet on the former.

not callin you a liar but i dont see how that happened.. why do you think its hard to shoot out of???? the noise part,, yes it is noisy when you first start usin it.. the more you use it the more you get acustomed to it the less noise you make....

some folks just arent comfortable with climbers. I am one of them, maybe he is as well. If you do not feel safe in it, do not use it. But if you do use it, use your harness up and down. lots of silly little things can go wrong with climbers. over 90% of it is operator error. lots of steps when you are in a hurry to get huntin'!