Older model climber tree stands
 

Are they pretty safe?

I just got a rivers edge climber from one of my buddies. It looks really old and is metal around the back not cables like the newer ones. I climbed a little ways up a light pile in my yard and man it just doesn't feel safe. Anything I can do to make it better?

I'll try to upload a picture tomorrow and see if you guys have ever used one like it. Would there be any problem with only going up 8 feet or so in the tree and hunting out of it?

I think you would be fine. When I was younger me and my bestfriend used his dad's hand me down stand (had the metal around the back instead of cable) and we never had any problems with it. To be on the safe side though id limit how high you go on it and if you don't feel safe on it then I would buy a different one.

The old "Baker" style climbers do not hold good on smooth bark trees. They do work OK on pines and other rough bark trees. Be careful! When in doubt, DON'T!

Use a safety harness all the way up!

Here's some pics of it.





I'm thinking about just putting it up about 10 feet and strapping it down and using it like a hang on since I won't be moving it anyway. You think that would work?

As I recall from the instructions that came with my Summit climber, never use a climber on a lite pole. -- too slick. That could have been part of your problem with how the stand felt.

This type of "clamping" has been around for a long time and does work well on a "real tree". On such trees with rather hard, slick bark ... such as a Sycamore, Hickory, Hackberry, etc. it does often have a tendency to slip. For sure tie the top and bottom pieces together> I wold suggest on each side. You can enhance the gripping by cutting "teeth" in the edge, but I'd be very careful doing so. They need only be small .... like the corner of a falt file ... to work well. You certainly do not want to effect the strength of the cross bar.

I was surprised to read of another (JagMagMan) remebering the old Baker type climbers. I did not know there was anyone else out here as old as me! Compared to the climbers on the market now, tahat was a death trap !

And I would not suggest using any climber on a "light pole".... the pole ground (a small diameter copper or copper clad wire in the photo) is there to carry current and can become energized. If you were to cut this pole ground and become in series with the two ends, could result is serious shock, even electrocution.

Old... but still breathing and hunting MoJo!

Ive done some reading on different forums and come to the conclusion that i slightly newer version of whats known as "the baker death trap". Didnt read anything about people actually dying in them but i read many of funny stories from people that were old enough to remember using these stands when they were younger.

Beings that the stand came out probably 20 years before i was even born i had never heard of them. I think ill just take the stand out and try to secure it to a tree good and put a ladder up to it.

Here's some of the threads with the stories if you would like to read them for a good laugh and maybe reminisce a little


http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...d.php?t=162356

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showth...ighlight=Baker

I have this same climber
 

I still use my climber as a back up. Usually keep it locked up to a tree as an alternate location to hunt from. Never have and issue and actually feel safer climbing and sitting in this stand than my new one. Its just too heavy to lug around. Just make sure you have the right angle when climbing. Give yourself some room when attaching to the tree. Good luck!

If it's welded together get it in the brightest light you have and look in craters at the end of each weld for cracks. If you find cracks, it's trash. No cracks, it's good as new.

My brother has a old baker the 18"x18" platform one. He bought it cheap from his boss who had bought it and just had to try it out at home on a POWER POLE. Went up about 15 feet and was turning around when it started to slip, he grabbed the pole and slid down with the climber spent a good amount of time in ER having slivers removed from belly and chest.


First thing my brother did was to sharpen the metal plate at the tree gripping part of the stand. Never had a problem in probably 20 years of using it.
I my self didn't care for high places so bought the bigger 24"x36" platform model baker. I also sharpened the metal griper plate on it. I still own it and do use it every so often still. Never had a problem with it in 40 years that was not my doing.
On the Bakers they recommended you keep your weight near the front of the platform so the gripper plate would grab the tree good.
I almost always used mine in Popple trees can't get much smoother bark that that.


These are the plates you should sharpen.






:D Al

Trouble with older treestands...
 

There no instructions, usually, available. Have a 20 year old stand that fits me. But it only holds 250 total lbs, too light for some modern hunters.
Seems there are fewer 180 lb. hunters, fit enough to climb a tree.

Back when the Baker tree stands first came out, a lot of guys looked at them and and saw how simple they were and decided to build their own. I worked at a power plant at the time and over lunch period a lot of guys would be in the maintenance shop building their Baker stands, Lots of those guys wound up with "baker chest and arms" from going down a tree a lot faster than they climbed up. I hunted on the ground then and I didn't consider those stands safe. Of course, that was before safety harness as well.

I had a Baker and never fell with it but climbing with it was a real gut buster...I'm talking hernia in the making. Mine is still sitting in a pine tree at camp and is now part of the tree. My summit is far and away a better and safer stand. Like was said use a safety harness and stay attached all the way up and down. I don't think I would elect to use old technology.

I built and used those old Baker styles a lot back in the day. Made them for the most part with a welder and angle iron.

Only time I ever had one fall, I was already on the ground watching my buddy climb down with one. He was bear hugging the tree and climbing and at the point of standing on the stand to regrip and dropped something he was holding behind the tree while climbing. That hit the back that was gripping and everything and every body just started down like you cut the cable on an elevator. Dropped about 10 feet and the bite in back hooked up again and came to an immediate stop. He was still standing there kinda not really gripping the tree and everthing was exactly the same only 10 feet lower. Every thing but the look on his face and that was totally white, just long enough for us both to take a breath and start laughing. What else could you do? It was the ultimate test on the stand integrity, nothing broke.

I had a friend with a home made baker stand in the late 70's. I was only about 11 or 12 at the time I tried to use it. I very slowly and deliberately managed to get it maybe 10 feet up and then very slowly and carefully came right back down. I immediately made the decision it was too much trouble. I didn't even consider using a climber again until about 20 years ago when I bought one of the original Ol Man climbers. The Ol Man is the climber that caused me to think it was workable. I still never thought it was perfect though. I bought the Summit Goliath several years ago, and I am impressed with it every time I use it. I'm wondering how much better climbers can get. I'm still waiting for a safe quick descent feature for when nature calls.

I think today's young hunters owe much to the test pilots of the early years who were not afraid to lose a nipple.

C. Davis

My baker and my brothers both came with a safety harness. Two really crude 2 inch wide braided nylon strap you fed thru a release type buckle. One for around the tree and one around the waist there was a D type ring that connected the two belts. Yup crude compared to todays harnesses but could have saved a bad injury, Hope if you used it and fell some one would come get you down before the belt cut you in half.


I got good at doing chin ups going up and down the trees with that baker. I was in my 20's then.


:D Al

You shouldn't take this part of hunting for granted. Get rid of it and invest in a new Summit or other quality climber. One fall and your life could be changed forever!!