BigWay

Well I've been looking for the perfect climber for some time now. unfortunately I haven't found it yet. I bought a lone wolf sit/climb before the season started. After about 2 months use I have come to several conclusions good and bad.
The Good- The tree stand is solid and very quiet. The molded aluminum base is
amazingly quiet. The belts that go around the tree are quiet and easy to
use. It's light and because it folds flat it travels well (doesn't catch on
everything in the woods). I also like how the sit bar folds under the
seat to give the stand an "open" front.
The Bad- The damn thing isn't wide enough. This creates two problems. It only fits
on smaller size trees. The other is when I stand up in it I have to be
careful I don't pick up the top part with my hips sending it sliding down
the tree. I'm not a big guy 6 ft. 200 lbs. with a 34 inch waist. This
becomes a bigger problem when I wear bigger heavier clothes. It needs
to be at least 4 inches wider top and bottom. The other problem is the
seat needs to be adjustable. You should be able to raise and lower the
seat in the top part. Right now the stand seems to "pinch" me at the
hips. This probably could be solved by the stand being wider.
Well anyway 350 dollars spent and still looking for the perfect stand. Any
suggestions and or comments.

ijimmy

Ive , bought 2 stands this year , a Timbertall , and a Summit . Both great stands . The guys on this board allways tout Summits , and now I know why . The stand was on clearance and I picked it up for $150 at dicks spots in pa , after selling my api to a guy who neaded one for $100 . best $50 I think I ever spent .The summit grabs a tree like no other , very steady and climbs great , allso their seat is the most comfortable of any stand I ever sat in . You cant go wrong with one . If you are complaing because you felt like the stand was too narrow , get a golith , they are widder than an average stand , and may offer you some more comfort .
The timbertall cost me $350 lots of coin , its lightweigt , around 15 lbs . it climbs well , not as well as the summit , though , not even close . tHe seat on the timbertall sucks , compared to the summit . It has no padding just fabric and straps and a small pad for your back . Ill have to replace it with a summit seat ASAP . The model I bought is rate for guys with a 34 inch waist or smaller , so this is definatly not what you want . Not a bad stand though . $200 bucks to save 5 lbs , man thats expensive . next time I want a lite stand I think Ill get a summit brushmaster . The leveling feature on the timbertall was about useless to me allso . Get a summit you wont regret it . The lab coat guy rules

Cougar Mag

Big Way, if you place a bungi cord around the top section it will not slide down. This should be done with any stand so it won't move.

The Lone Wolf stands are the best in the industry in my opinion, and will climb trees that other brands can't. They are also the quietest. But I do agree their should be an optional top for bigger guys. Here is the difference: on some of the other brands the platform is placed inside or on top of the seat, while with Lone Wolf the top section is placed on top of the platform. While the Lone Wolf seat may not adjust in height, its design does allow for the hunter to stand closer to the tree. Personally, I don't care much for standing near the edge when taking a shot like most stands!


There is no perfect climbing tree stand, but since you demand a wider top section I would suggest a Summit Goliath or Viper.

gibblet

i have a brand new summit viper. i also bought a used ol man this year - 3 yrs old. the ol man wins hands down. it climbs much better than the summit, just as quiet, and folds flat for hauling. the mesh seat is actually comfortable, and you just feel like you have a lot more angles out of it. my neighbor has used both of them also when we go hunting together and his statement was he likes the ol man 5 times better than the summit. that's my .02. next year i'm going to try the tree suit - what could be lighter than that, and it will allow me to get over some branches if i've installed steps. i'm going to get the climbimg base with it to test it also. if i like it i'll sell you my summit for a great deal.

VAhuntr

I understand your disappointment BigWay. I used a Sit and Climb in the past and it was just too uncomfortable for me. I went with the Summit Viper and IMO it is a better stand. I can set it up much quicker in the dark, with practice you can climb quietly and there is no comparison in comfort. I also found that the Summit actually grips the tree as well or better than the Lone Wolf. The only advantage to the Lone Wolf is that it packs in and out of the woods a little better than the Summit.

5 shot

Summit Goliath. It's plenty big, quiet, super comfortable and holds well to every tree I have tried it on.

Crazystups

The Treelounge baby! Espically since they are on sale now. I just orderded a new one for my self. I have one of the original stands I love it its great the down fall its 2 HEAVY. The new designed ones are only 18.6 lbs. You can get the Bowhunters Special for $279.99 thats what I ordered on Friday.

Heres the link... www.treelounge.com

rcd567

Thanks for the heads up BigWay. I too am looking for a good climbing tree stand but unlike you, I'm even wider. 6', 235 pounds. Guess I'm looking at Summit. I usually walk in a long ways and am looking for something lite, but will consider all options. Too bad there isn't a pro shop in the area that sells Summit so that I could as least look at them out of the box.[&:]

GR8atta2d

Buy the alpha hand climber top part of the stand. It does not have a front rail. I am just the opposite I have the hand climber seat, and just ordered the sit and climb top part. Once I get it, maybe I can offer you a deal on the hand climber seat. CHeck it out on the lone wolf website, you could order it from them for probably arounf $120.

standorstalk

I am a Lone Wolf man. I do agree that they aren't the most comfortable stands in the woods, but if you pay attention to their advertising. They stress how quiet they are. In my opinion, there isn't a quieter stand on the market, and that is important to me as I hunt often close to bedding areas. That is where these stands excel. So there is give and take for the perfect stand. To me, it's one that is whisper quiet, and comfort comes second, so the Lone Wolf is my best choice. However, my preferences obviosly are not the same as every one's. That is why you must choose what your preferences are, and then get opinions from hunters with the same preferences. Good luck in you search for the perfect stand.