First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Well, I finally got a chance to actually hunt out of the Viper yesterday. Wow, very comfy. There are a couple things I' m wondering about for those of you who use Summit stands. The rope that you are supposed to tie to the top section, how many of you use it? I find it cumbersome and tends to get in the way alot for some reason.

Also, the cable on the platform rattle when going up a tree. Is there any way to quiet this? I watched the video and they covered how to limit noise, but I think there' s gotta be a better way to do it. Of course Its a lot quieter then my old Loggy.

Other than that, no complaints other than I think the plateform need about 4 more inched on it, as I think its quite small.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

You better tie that rope. I know it can be a pain. But what happens when if your feet slip out of the platfoem while climbing or getting down. You will be stuck in a tree then. When I first got my summit I thought it was a bit loud also. But the more you use it the quieter it gets. I am quiet as a mouse when getting in an out of a tree.
good luck

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Better safe than sorry on the rope deal................

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

use the rope, its hard to get down a tree with the bottom of the stand laying on the ground, i agree the more you use it the quieter it will get, i love mine.[:-]

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

I don' t use the rope.........never have.

I use the strap that you secure the stand together with that has the tooth clamp on it.......the green one.

I hook my two pieces together with that and it gives enough room to climb and can be done very fast. The green strap is supposed to be for extra securing of the top part to the tree but I really don' t see how it would ever help except in a case of complete failure and collapse of the stand........and if that happens your saftey harness will be the most important thing.

Your cables are as quiet as you are......you will get better at climbing quietly like everyone has said. One thing I will tell you is it is a lot easier to climb quietly if the tree is not gigantic. When the cables are way out to the last nub or 2 they start to sag at that length and therefore drag more on the tree. With the cables shorter on smaller trees they are very stiff and move easily away from the tree.....as long as you remember to rock the bottom up by lifting your heels first the cables should not scrape the bark.

One thing I have found after owning my Summit for awhile is they are SO secure feeling that it almost tempts you to skip some of the " just in case" stuff. I have climbed more then a few trees with no connection between the platforms........I am so comfortable in that stand that I have mastered the technique of changing the length of my cable on the bottom platform while way up a tree........Not something I or Summit recommends doing I am sure ;) I have only had to do it a couple times and I was Veeeeeeeeeery careful.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Thanks for the quick replies. I want to use all the just in case stuff, but was wondering what everyone else was finding with this stand. I kinda figured that the more I use it, the quieter it will be. I am getting more and more comfortable with it the more I use it. Its a big jump from a Loggy Bayou to this! But, I' m sold on the Summit, man was that thing nice to snooze in yesterday afternoon!! Sure beats worrying about falling out while sleeping like I used to do in the Loggy. :)

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

i agree with atlasman on the security feeling of the Summits. I really hate heights but i am starting to get comfy with the Summit, yesterday i was halfwys up the tree before i remembered to attach my safety rope and once i got to my hunting height i actually adjusted the length of the cable on the seat portion.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Muzzy, if your stand has the mounts for the footrest, it' s a very smart investment to puchase one.That 6- 8 inches makes ALL the difference in the world, when it comes to stretching your legs out.
As far as quietness, the only trouble that I have found is when walking to the stand. The cables seem to make alot of noise on mine.Good luck! Cutt

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

I always tie the rope. Just keep it on the outside of the rail. It' s never caused any problems unless you are trying to take extremely long strides. You' ll get quieter after a couple times. One thing I did was epoxy a piece of inner tube rubber where the cable swages will make contact to the main frame. That helped some.

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RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

The first few times I used my Viper I wasn' t impressed with the noise, but after using it for a month it' s quieted down quite a bit. It just takes some getting used to.

A quick, spooky story about that security rope: USE IT!

This past week I was hunting a perfect little point that juts out into cut corn. Great spot, tons of buck sign and I saw two dandies in there before season. I got about 12-14 feet off the ground and my feet came out of the platform. I figured, no big deal, my string is attached. WRONG! I looked down in horror as my platform slid clear to the bottom of the tree. I said a really bad word and surveyed the situation. I was trying to decide what to do when my a** slid right off the pad out front and I tumbled out of the tree. Luckily I landed alright and got my stand down with a long stick. I sat at the base of the tree for 5 minutes and climbed up for the rest of the evening. Pretty hairy experience. I must say, I' m glad I wasn' t hooked in with my harness yet, because I' m not sure what I would' ve done at the end of the safety tether?!?

So tie your stand up! Good luck.

Tyler

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

the more you use em the better it is, i hunt from a grand slam myself but my dad has a viper and with my api i am pretty slick and very quiet but i tried the summit the toehr day and i was so clumbsy gettin in and out of the woods and in the tree it wasnt funny its not a bad stand i just wasnt used to it, i think after time they break in and get good

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

PAbearbuster, wow, that is pretty spooky! I wasn' t too concerned about climbing with the rope tied, but after reading that, I' m not so sure. Did you have it real tight on your boots? Man, I can' t see how your feet could come out of it, but then again, stranger things have happened!

I was more concerned with the plateform coming loose while sitting. I had it tied yesterday while sitting and wanted to see how good the plateform grips the tree and to my suprise, a little wiggle back and forth and it wasn' t very stable. I stood up on it and wiggled a bit back and forth to seat it again and it was fine, but wow.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

You' re all right as long as you' re sitting, but if you don' t have that top tied off, and you stand for a shot, it can fall down on you (especially on a smooth-barked tree...believe me, I know form experience). It' s not going to leave you stranded, cause you' re on the standing platform, but all the extra motion & noise from the top falling will sure ruin your chance at that deer.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

I' m glad you like the new stand. Fall asleep??? I don' t care what stand you' re in, you better not be sleeping. If you are sleepy, it' s time to get out of the stand because it' s only a matter of time before you have an accident. Also, if you are taking a snooze, you are not really hunting anymore, so you may as well sit/lay on the ground for a spell. Treestand accidents are no laughing matter. More hunters get hurt/killed/paralyzed each year by using treestands than from any other source. Please be safe. Sleep at home.:)

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

I use the rope too, to tie the top and bottom portions of my Summit together. However, I' m finding that more and more, the rope gets between the tree and the bottom v-jaws of the foot portion of the climber. When this happens, you cannot take long movements with the climber as your ascending the tree.

Anyone else have this problem?

Kindest Regards,

-Will in Maryland

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Instead of that green strap I use a bunge cord, also use bunges to hold the stand together while backpacking.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

I hear ya Braindamage..........I know I should tie it to the tree, I just don' t. Before I turn around from my climbing position I shift my stand side to side in a slight rocking motion to really dig the teeth into the tree. My stand is so solid once I get set up that I really have to yank on it to break it free when it' s time to get down.

I try not to climb smooth bark trees......they are more trouble then they are worth.

I am kinda surprised no one has asked me how exactly I manage to change the length of the cable on the bottom platform while up a tree. [:o]

I have side bags on mine and they made a lot of noise when walking so I put 2 small bungies on them now and they are silent.......no flopping around.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Atlas, Well, how in the heck do you? I' ve thought about it before, but " they" aren' t big enough to try it!!!:D Cutt

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Love my Viper. A few tips from the techies at Summit, who I pestered with calls after purchasing my stand...

For reducing noise: when carrying: (1) push the cables as far as possible into the framing, this will reduce any " bounce" from side to side within the framing. (2) use the green strap and wrap the two platforms vertically, not horizontally as indicated on the tape. Go vertically between the V and the outer edge of the stand, much quieter. When climbing: (3) be sure you lift the platform away from the tree so there is no drag against the bark. That usually rattles the cables and makes mucho noise.

Personally, as for the rope, I never tie my platforms together. Why take chances---I' m much more careful if I know I have to shimmy 15 feet down a tree because I was too careless to pay attention. I' ve also adjusted the cables once while in the tree, not fun. Had to bring the bottom all the way up and sit on the bar---luckily I have large hands and long arms. It is much easier to just adjust the angle by putting tension on the cable, lifting out the platform with your heels and then putting downward pressure on the tree-part of the platform with your toes. I' ve found I can manipulate the stand angle by an average of 6 inches on most trees.

AS for smooth trees, that' s like climbing telephone poles. To me that' s more idiotic than climbing without the rope tied, and an accident waiting to happen. Not only can your stand slip, but the tether rope for your harness can also slide all the way down the tree/pole. Not good.

I try not to take naps, but with a secure stand, 4-point harness and tether rope, I feel I' m just as safe there than as on the ground. Especially during gun season---not many bullets buzz by your head at 15-20 feet off the ground ;)

S&R

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

I have one tree that I climb that is in the bottom of a very deep draw. Problem is that the deer I' m wanting are on the ridge. This necessitates about a 40-45 foot climb. I have to shorten the bottom cable once on the way up and I' ve found that the easiest way to do it is to attach the seat to the tree like normal and face out. Don' t forget the harness. I' ve personally put 4 bowhunters in wheelchairs for life because of treestand falls.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

I also have a viper. I really like it. But I have a hard time getting the two sections apart after transporting it. The teeth get stuck to the V and it won' t come apart. It is a very noisy process doing so anyway. This happens when I push the two sections together all of the way. If I don' t push the one section in, it makes too much noise while walking. Any suggestions??

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Muzzyman88, I have a Summit Cobra XL and love it. I found that covering the end of the cables with tape so that it fits into the stand tightly works very well to dampen the noise. I also placed a piece of adhesive padding to the stand where the cable stems out from the stand. My stand is very quite now. hope this helps.

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Thanks for all the advice in quieting it. I' m off all next week for the rut here in PA and have been putting the finishing personal touches on this stand. I did do the electrical tape thing around a couple of the cable nubs and it did really quiet it! I also put some fleece where the two peices contact one another when you pack it, just for added quietness. I also put some camo tape around where the metal foot buckle is as I noticed there is a chance that when loosened, it can accidentally hit the platform and make noise.

Seems A ok for me know, I' m ready for next week!!

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

Wear your safety harness...

RE: First Hunt out of Summit Viper
 

I like my Viper alot,I also have a Cobra top that I use for bow hunting.I replaced the plastic rope between the sections with a more flexable clothesline type rope and made it a little longer.I can also attest to the bottom falling out[:o]I have found a few ways to make things work better for me but mostly it is just getting used to using the stand.And it works!I took my first bow deer from it this year.Ron