pirogue

I have the Summit Viper and like it for comfort, but not for packing. If I want to pack in a ways, or in thick or steep terrain, I'll use my Lone Wolf hand climber which is only 14.5 pounds.

ostie82

Not trying to high-jack this thread, but has anyone tried the new Millenium M-1 climber? I'm hoping to get a new climber this year and want either the Summit Viper or LW Sit and Climb, but I have seen that Millenium now has a climber and it looks appealing. It has the same seat as their lock-on (comfortable) and it has a level-as-you-climb adjustment.

excalibur43

I had a Summit Bullet Backpacker. Great stand! Folds flat for easy packing. Unfortuneately, I traded for the " Lone Wolf Sit & Climb". What a mistake! The Lone Wolf is light, but that's all it is. It is very uncomfortable,small, and has little room ( I couldn't sit in it for more than a couple of hours at a time)and you almost have to hug the tree while climbing or descending. The Summit is hands down the best climber I have ever used in my 41 years of huntingand I am currently looking at the NEW Viper SS.

ostie82

excaliber, what size guy are you? You mentioned that it was small, so I'm just trying to get a frame of reference. I'm 5'11" 195lbs, so I'm just trying to figure if it would be small for me. I am really interested in the Summit, but the LW is lighter. I like the SummitUltimate Viper SS, but with all those extras that thing weighs in around 26lbs.

buckwild41

I have compared in the field Summit and LW. Both great stands both have pros and cons. Ability to pack flat was important so I only considered the Summit Back Packer not the Viper. The Back Packer is significantly better at packability over the Viper but not as flat as the LW.

Overall weight the LW is roughly 4# less.
Comfort: the Summit was better to me.
Easy in climbing: the Summit did better as the rubber bands of the LW tend to grab the back side of the tree. Can be a pain at times.
Noise while mounting on tree: The LW was super quiet, Summit is good but folding out the Back Packer stand can make some (not bad) noise if not careful.
Noise while climbing: About equal
Ease putting on tree or breaking down: The Summit is easy but the LW has fewer part or at least parts that are faster to manipulate.
Room: Summit seems bigger
Cost: LW tendsto be the higher of the two.

I settled for the Summit Back Packer and love it. However, if I were shopping today and money was not a concern and weight was most important I would have toconsider LW hard.

VAhuntr

Having used both the Viper and the LW Sit & Climb, the only other stand that I would consider besides the Viper would be a Treewalker. http://www.treewalkertreestands.com/


I am 6' tall and weigh235 lbs. and the LW Sit & Climb is just not comfortable enough for me to sit still in for an extended period of time.

excalibur43

I am 5' 10", 215lbs. Yes, it is small, which I guess is partly why it is lighter. My hips rubbed on both sides of the stand when sitting. I am not a huge guy, I wear a 36" waist pants if that tells you anything. It is lighter to pack in than a Summit, but what is the gain ( IMO ). You are only packing in for a short time, but if you are a serious deer hunter, you may be sitting in it ALL DAY. For me, I prefer the ability to hunt comfortably, which helps me stay quieter and not have to move around alot. The Lone Wolf didn't have the comfort of the Summit nor the roominess. I usually pack in a couple of hundred yards, sometimes uphill though, but I would still rather pack in a Summit, just because I can sit comfortably all day.

deacon13

I would highly recommend summit stands. I have the ultimate viper ss and its great. It is the lightest most comfortable stand I have ever used. I have sat in it for 8 hours on one hunt and never hurt. Its like sitting in a recliner!Summit's customer service is second to none and they definitely stand by their product. The clip on the backpack strap broke and called prepared to buy another one. Tp my surprise they ask for my shipping information and told me it would be shipped within 2 days at no expense to me.

Doe Dumper

To echo Deacon's sentiments Summit is an absolute top notch company from the top down. The customer service is great and the people there are all super nice. A great company doing business the old fashioned way... one happy customer at a time!

I have a Goliath and have down several daylight to dark sits in it. I am 6'5 215 pounds and I can sleep like a baby in that thing when I get strapped in! Ive been using Vipers of some sort since the mid 90's and have never been disappointed.

buckwild41

Realizing everyone has their opinion. I must ask why folks tend to stray away from the folding summit models? I have one and find it a perfect answer to both comfort and packability. Just seems like when talking summit everyone selects and standard non-folding models and I always wonder why?