Pros and Cons of climber treestand vs Hang-on!
 

:confused0024:I've have always used hang on tree stands or ladder stands. I thought about buying a climber for my upcoming 2011 bow season in Kansas. Are climbers a great stand for midwest type trees. Most tree are bare all the way up. Do you guys that use them just cut the limbs off with a saw and just come back to that place with your stand? Or do you just find a good placeand go I'm gonna climb it and hunt there? I 've never used a climber and not sure how technical they have gotten with the modern climbers. Do they have ways were you can go around limbs and what not while your climbing. I just think that it would easier to find a tree that a hang on can fit and just put your sticks/steps and place it up there. I dont know. So pretty much just want to know the pros and cons of a climber more or less vs a Hang on. Im getting my tax return in so I'd like some input. Thanks Daniel:cool15:

I guess if you hunt a lot of ground the climber gives you the option of utilizing more area without setting a dozen or more stands.

I only hunt 120 acres and since I know pretty much where I need to place a few stands I just set hangon's in those spot and I'm good to go. I don't have to pack a stand in and out each time I hunt and can slip in my hangon's virtually undetected.

Climbers are very popular they just seem like wasted effort for me in my situation, but I am sure in certain situations (public land, etc.) are priceless :)

Dan

I can say I truly enjoy both and they both have their place in my hunting arsenal. There's a certain sense of pride when you walk away from a perfect stand location hung in preparation for the coming season. I hang 15 to 20 hang ons in prep for the season and really enjoy doing it.

That said, I also very much enjoy hunting from my climber. When starting out on new properties, going on trips, and hunting public land, a climber is key.

If I had to chose one stand, it would be a climber hands down.

Thanks for the input. Well I think I'm going to buy one for Elk season bc there are a few spots that a n old outfitter I knew that used to hang a few stand sand kill deer/elk every year. Aspens are just perfect for a climber. I think I'm gonna buy me a few hang-ons summits for whitetail 2011 season. I just dont see the advantages of using a climber in Kansas. I can buy 2 or 3 hangs on for the price of one climber. IDK Thanks

If you buy a nice comfy climber you will see why a climber is the way to go. That being said, I have 2 climbers and 2 hang on stands, all APIs. If I had some strap on steps, like I had a few years ago before they got stolen, I may hunt out of my hang ons more but, the climbers I have are very comfortable so, I can set all day if I want to. I wouldn't even try it in the hang on stands. The climbing sticks are way too bulky to take very far back into the woods. The advantages of the hang ons are that they don't weigh much, which is a mute point if you use climbing sticks like I have, and once you have them hung you can get into them quietly. I'd prefer a climber anyday over the hang ons. JMHO

Son, it depends on whether
 

you're too good at doing those swan dives from the swimming platform, twenty feet in the air. You see, some folks are much better at swan dives than they are at keeping their feet on a tree stand platform.

As stated, there is NO comparison in comfort, climber wins hands down.I only use Summit climbers. Hang on's are much more convenient IMO, as once you have them up, you just walk into your spot and climb up ( as long as someone hasn't stolen it!).Climbers are great for hunting public land, or going into a " new" spot, to check out the action before deciding on a permanant stand site, or during the rut, when you plan to sit all day.A climber is definitely a useful tool to have in your hunting gear, whether you use it all the time or just in certain situations.

I have lock-ons that I put in my best spots. The climbers are used when the deer are close too rut. I hunt different spots according to sign an deer activity.

I use both and agree that no hang on is as comfortable as a climber. I own and love my tree Lounge. I can get 60 feet in the air and sleep if I desire. The hang ons are unbeatable when you need a stand at EXACTLY the right spot. I hunt several areas in PA that have no decent trees to use a climber. At home in SC, I often put my climber on a tree and leave it there for the entire season.

I'll set 3 or 4 hang-on in my hot spots.
Then I'll prep the other spots for a climber.

During the season if the action needs to move, 75% of the time I'll use my climber.
It's the beauty of the climbers flexibility along with costs of needing too many hang-ons.

Both have their place. I'm a big guy(6'2" 250)...and I like a fixed position stand. I still have a couple climbers that I use also.

climbers are real nice when you are hunting new properties, state land, moving in on deer, going for a all day sit, and its a lot cheaper to own one good climber then multiple hang ons

however hang on stands allow you to get in more trees, get better cover, make no noise getting in and out once the stand is up

sometimes im just to lazy to carry a climber in and out, my 2 pet peeves against climbers is nothing is worse then hearing deer bust out when your climber makes a noise as your climbing a tree and that a lot of times it is difficult to find the perfect tree in the right spot or a tree that gives good cover from a climber

both climbers and hang ons make up a large part of my hunting love having both but if i could only have on over the other i would always take a climber

I'm a ladder stand kinda guy all the way!

I've sold all of my hang on stands, still have 1 nice climber left...but I almost never use it.

if you are in a tree with only a hang on you do not have the advantage of moving if you are seeing deer just a little to far out with the climber you are able to move your stand or just turn the stand to the other side of the tree.

Thanks for the input guys. Love it

I have a habit of falling asleep during those hot early season days. With that being said, climbers are my go to stand. Most of the time I leave them on the same trees pre-rigged to climb.

I use only hang on stands. I don't own a climber.

If i take a look around on the properties i hunt, i can find almost 0 amount of trees that are straight enough and branch free enough to use a climber. Theres not a straight tree anywhere around here.

I might have to disagree on that one. I have tried a climber but not hunted from one. I bought the big hang on from Menards, Big Dog 33'x35'' and it is very comfortable.

Haven't read the entire thread, so someone may have commented on this already, but I figured I should mention something about this statement. Some trees are better suited for climbers than others, and aspen can be tricky (especially when wet). Trees with tight, smooth bark, like aspen can be quite slippery and tricky when trying to get your climber to 'bite' as you climb, sit, and descend. I've spend countless hours in a climber, and the only time I've had a real scare was in climbing an aspen. I had reached my desired height (about 20 feet), and gave the platform a little bounce to get it to bite. Well, as I went to sit down, the platform let loose and fell from the tree. Fortunately, it was tied to the upper portion of the climber and it wasn't too difficult to retrieve and reset.

I've never had that happen on an oak or ash (rougher, softer bark). Point is, be careful when climbing smooth barked trees, and practice on them prior to hunting to be sure you're comfortable with them.

I use both, depends on the situation.

I think both have a place, when you find that perfect tree and it's not a good canidate for a climber then that is a hang on stand type of tree.I like to use climbers mostly and I have 4 and I can hang them on the tree and leave them and just walk in and climb up when I'm ready to hunt,it is also much easer to make a fast move and set up with a climber.I don't hunt public land anymore so I really don't worry about getting one stolen but, when I did hunt public land and I wanted to leave my stand for a few days I had 2 old man stands and I would take the pins out and replace them with long shank locks,if someone wanted them they would need some good bolt cutters to get them.