guys that use climbers
 

what kind of packs do you use with your climber? i bring alot of crap into the woods with me in a fairly large pack.. im looking to get a climber and will go on my back for the treck into the woods.. wondering what you guys do with your pack when you put your climber on your back

im thinking of strapping my pack to the back of my climber..

other then that i cant think of any other ideas.. except leaving non critical stuff in the truck

I just sling my hunting backpack over my climbing treestand, then put the stand on my back. I can secure a jacket, clothes or rattling antlers to the stand using bungee cords.

iSnipe

i think thats what im leaning towards.. im just trying to keep it as low drag as possible .. too many straps and bungees in the dark, in the middle of the ding weeds., might get annoying.. i might have the wife sow in some attach points with quick release plastic buckles so i can just pop off the pack quick

dunno.. ill wait and see what others might have for input

My stand is carried with the cables up so I just throw the back pack straps over the treestands "V" (the "v" that has the teeth to grip the tree) as if it were my shoulders and let it hang down the back of the stand.

I know others that wear the back pack in the front of them and the treestand on their back.

I use to do the same and attach my pack to my stand when I'd use my climber and I also carry a lot of BS in my pack Buuuttt.... I'd say to myself.....what the hell am I going to do if I do shoot a deer? Look at all this crap I'm going to have to carry out of here plus drag a deer. What if it's 200 pounds, I'm screwed!:eek2: I tell ya, makes for a loooong tiering drag if your by yourself and you've gone in deep! I've done it before and it no fun especially when it's thick and snarly. Mountain laurals can be a real bitch dragging a dead deer out all by itself not to mention with a stand & pack strapped to your back plus a weapon!

I know, someone going to say, all you have to do is drag the deer out first and come back for the stand & pack after! Right! Last thing I'll want to do after dragging a deer is trudge back in for my stuff. Been there, done that! So now I only use a climber if I've scouted a new area and I want to spend some time there to see if it's a good place for a ladder stand to see what kind of vantage points I'll have. I also have a small waist pack with the bare essential for those trips.

The answer to your unasked question
 

Be in shape, in shape, in shape. And getting in shape doesn't start just before hunting season. At my age, keeping in shape is year round.

I carry a 21 lb climber, about a 15-20 # pack, a rifle or bow with arrows, and ammunition, water, etc. I never got around to weighing it all. I don't want to know how much it weighs, exactly. My load over fifteen years.

I'm looking forward to some real cold weather this year, no leaves and a time for more hunter movement. Without a tree stand for awhile.

I'm a smaller guy so they straps are plenty long for me to put my backpack on first then put my climber on. The backpack normally contains clothes that I don't want to wear in so it's nice and soft and provided a nice cusion for the stand against my back.

I sling my pack over the back of my climber.

I used to use a summit viper and I had a couple of these on the sides. You don't mention what kind of stand you have but these may work for you. I strap my coat and my pack to my climber when walking in and often even on the coldest days walk in in just a shirt. By the time you get moving you heat up enough to keep you warm and yet you don't break a killer sweat and get all stunk up. These side bags are nice.

http://www.summitstands.com/productdetail.aspx?id=85123

Use cinch straps that compress your clothes and lash your pack down tight to the stand so they don't stick out so much. Re-evaluate your equipment also so you are not carrying extra crap/weight when you dont need it.

I bought a big fanny pack. Ample room for tons of things, and it goes around your waste for easy carrying and access if you have a climber with you.

I also throw my pack on my climber and put them both on my back. I dont use any bungees, I just use the straps on the side of my pack to attach them to the climber frame and it holds on nicely.

I've yet to ever hear anyone using bungess to attach their pack to their climber. Usually they just throw the back pack straps over the climber, then they put on the climber.

iSnipe

i have LW s&c and hang mypack on it.............the pack has quick releases on the straps so i hang it in the middle and wrap the straps around the stand and snap back to the pack & tighten up - have had no problems........

I have a blind bag (basically a camo, structured duffel bag) that has a single strap that I just throw over the stand when its on my back and it hangs nicely

my stand will be the LW wide sit and climb.. its on the way.. i just looked at my pack and it looks like i got two unused sinch straps with quick clips.. i might see if i can wrap around the plat form holes and see what i can come up with

i know how it sounds but weight wise im not too worried about .. i weighed my pack and its around 24 lbs loaded.. my bow is maybe 10lbs with quiver and arrows.. (ill get a weight too) and then the stand is going to be 21lbs bare minus any goodies i add to it.. i got about 500 yards into the woods.. including some nice hills.. im in my middle 20's .. fairly fresh out of the Corps, and when im not hunting in the woods im throwing weights in the gym..

last year i dragged two deer out at the same time.. my buck and a buddies doe.. he's a little guy.. im 5'9" 280... man i loved it.. i dug deep and huffed them buggers about 300 yards to the truck..

well off my soap box.. i cant wait till the LW and my harness shows up in a week or so!

check out www.climberpack.com

When I 'm back packing my climber..I use a fanny pack around my waist..it's amazing how much stuff can go in them..

When my climber is locked up in the swamp..I'll use my back pack...

ive used fanny packs in the past.. and they work well especially when you get the larger ones.. the only problem ive had with them is when your in your stand and your rifleling through the little bag you tend to pull more stuff out then you need and i end up dropping a ton of crap on the ground.... the nice thing about the pack i have now that its super compartmentalized.. makes it nice and neat to organize everything.

The best thing about the fanny pack..everything is right there..you don't need to REACh unto the pack which is hanging on a hook into the tree..minimum movement..I pack lite anyways..

I have 3 small compartments..
A. 2 Deer calls...extra trail tacks for scouting when finished hunting.
B. ThermoCell if your in the south / small mosquito repellant bottle in case thermo doesn't work..
C. Buck folding knife..trail tape for trailing wounded deer..compass..

In my camo pants pockets ...rope to attach harness...and rope for pulling up rifle....extra head lamp..and 3 AAA batteries..long hike to stand.

Shirt pocket ..New Testament
Back pocket..disposable rubber gloves..wallet.

That's it..no water or food..that's stays in the truck.

I know it sounds funny but I used to put my pack around my climber but it is to cumbersome and is hard on the back. it is going to sound weird but wear you pack backwards with the pack in front of you. It counter balances the weight of the climber. I know what it sounds like, but just try it!

Put pack on first then climber to hold straps back

WHy do you all need a back back anyways..I go as light as I can..I've went with guys who you thought were going camping or hiiking LOL ..keep it simple..Most of us where camo anyways which have extra big pockets..

I normally hunt over a mile from my truck. Since I can't drag a large deer a mile I use a two wheel carrier. Rather than make multiple trips I use the carrier to carry my stand and equipment to the stand and hopfully a deer and stand back to the truck.

Jerry

My solution would be to not carry so much junk. I suppose that if you were hunting miles from the nearest road, and were on a pack in/out hunt, sure, but for the typical day hunt... why? I used to carry my ALICE pack (one I bought while I was in the Marine Corps. SEMPER FI!) chock full of crap that I thought that I MIGHT possibly need. I'd be carrying 30+ lbs of extra stuff in an XL ALICE pack (w/ frame). The think was, I really never needed any of it so immediately that I couldn't go back to the truck to get it.

Now I travel MUCH lighter, and leave the non-essential stuff at the truck. I carry my weapon, reloads, my bullet short started if hunting with my ML, a small 2AA cell Mini-MAG light, my knife, a 20' length of 550 cord, my wallet w/license & tag, a pair of rubber gloves, my cell phone (on vibrate), a Coleman folding chair, and a pen. I'll also take a book and/or my iPod with me if I plan to stay out through the late morning-early afternoon hours. Everything easily fits into my pockets except the folding chair, which I wear slung across my back that weighs maybe 6-7lbs. If I do decide to use my climber, It goes in place of the folding chair. If I shoot a deer, I'll find, dress and tag the deer, then take my gear out to the truck first, then I'll come back to drag out the deer. I hunt public land where the parking area is rarely more than a mile from where I'm hunting, so it's not a long walk.

Mike

I use a two piece climber that are strapped together when on my back. I usually just tuck all my colde weather gear right under that strap. It works just fine. I have had no problems. I could see doing the same thing with a pack.