Hang on tree stands- Find any disadvantages?
 

Checking the current hang on tree stands, and I was wondering if users of them found any disadvantage. Have never used one.

Any find difficulty getting them hung? Their advantage seems small size, but how long do you actually stay in the tree, as they are small? What's the better way to climb to the stand, and any disadvantages of using certain ways?

a hunter i became friends with had one in the same area of woods i hunted. he told feel free to use it anytime you want. i tried it out once or twice. wasnt to bad. he had a small ladder going up to it to get it. but i am a fan of those screw in steps, there like little posts you screw into the tree with your hand. very easy to take in and out. i dont know if your getting what i am saying so here is a link. http://www.shipstoday.net/products/H...ree-Steps.html hang on stands aren't that bad, but if if your going to drop 100$ i think i would just get a ladder.

I prefer hang-on stands to ladder stands. They are normally cheaper and they do not stand out as much. I prefer to hang climbing sticks on one side of the tree to access the stand. They are not difficult to hang with some practice but they are almost impossible to hang if you try to do it without attaching yourself to the tree with a safety harness.

The down side is you need the tree to be relatively straight. Ladder stands are still needed when you have that perfect spot but no tree is big enough or straight enough to put up a hang-on.

I am a big guy. I have used lock-on stands for years. A key for me is to get the largest size that I can manage !! Some of the all aluminum ones are not too bad. The big disadvantage is usually the difficulty putting one up. I use a combination of a stick ladder and screw-in steps, where necessary. For a safety while working on getting one set up, I use a safety similar to a "lineman's" climbing belt. This helps a lot because both hands can be free most of the time. Also I will set the entire ladder/step configuration first. Then hang an extra step up above where I intend to set the stand. I use a cheap pulley/rope deal I con****ed to raise up and hold the stand at about where I want to lock it onto the tree. This helps me manage the weight of the stand as I secure it to the tree. I hang a HD climbing rope well above the stand and then use a Prussic knot to keep my hunting safety harness secured as I climb up/down to lock-on. This may sound like over kill, but I once fell from about 6-7 feet off of a stick ladder (icy). No real injury. Just bruised. I had hit wrong or had been my usual 16-20 feet up, would have been a whole different story. And I always use a full body harness, and use a lift rope to bring my bow or firearm up/down.

I use a hang on that I like. Find a comfortable one. I set my steps first. I use the posts that screw into the tree. Then I climb up and harness myself to the tree. Next I pull the stand up with a rope and attach it. Not to hard.
-Jake

I only use ladder stands.

If a ratchet strap fails on a hang-on you're going down!

Most hang-ons don't have arm rests, or shooting rails.

Harder to climb into and out of.

The trouble I have with ladder stands is that they are designed to be put up on trees with little or no cover and they are a fixed height. I prefer branches around me for cover and the flexibility to put it a whatever height I want. Plus I hunt public land a lot. A hangon is more portable and easier to put up and take down for a one time use.

im going to be trying a tree saddle for the first time this year, cant wait to see how it works. Up to now, i always used climbers. Im not real comfortable messing around at height, so trying to put up a hang on always got my willies goin

The next hang on stand that I buy is the ones that you first secure the bracket to the tree then pull up th estand & slide the stand into the bracket.