For those of you who use climbers, what do you use, and what do you like.... any pros or cons, on your choice

thanks in advance

I have used the API Grandslam magnum for years with great success. The climbing seat part does tend to get in way at times but I just lower it way down. It is extremely solid and pretty comfortable.

Big shot Buckshot.. Face the tree or away from tree and the ability to adjust for the size of the tree once you're up there.

Summit Viper, comfortable and rock solid when used with 3rd Hand stabilizer straps. All day sits are a breeze. Midday naps are pretty common.

Lone Wolf assault hand climber.

I've been using a Loggy Bayou for many years. But I'm also going to buy a Lone Wolf Hand Climber II Combo in the near future.

I never heard of that Buck Shot, so I went on U Tube, the level system looks pretty neat, but looks heavy......

I use a Summit now, and I am going to get those stabilizer straps from 3rd hand..

looking to buy a second one, going to look at the xop...... going to a deer show in 3 weeks and lots of them will be there

selling my last hang on, which is a LW

i used an ol man for years. switched to an xstand. super light weight and has front rail that drops down out of the way so i dont hit my limbs. there are some compromises with it but the 10lb of weight savings is wirth it to me. what ever you choose set the seat so that your knees are bent to about 90 degrees when sitting, when you stand up you should have good clearance to shoot. or shoot sitting down. also make sure you use a harness all the way up and down and tie the top and bottom of the stand together. i took a ride down a tree with an old tss many years ago. was not fun

Lone Wolf hand climber. I've used many of them over 30 years and none compare to the LW, for me. Every aspect of the stand is quiet. Right from the cam locks to the strap and even climbing up and down trees is quiet. Nothing tubular or steel to make noise. Not to mention they don't budge once set up.

Another vote for lone wolf hand climber. solid, quiet, packs great, reasonable weight.

Buckshot weight is less than the Summit Viper by 10#'s and less than a Lone Wolf..I had them all when I owned my Archery shop, and the Buck Shot is the Best.

I had a Buckshot Hot shot for a long time. Loved the stand. Right around 20lbs. Put a hazemore seat on it and it was 18ish. Looks like the lightest new model they have is 19lbs. My Lone Wolf Handclimber is 17lbs and packs totally flat. Lone wolf is lighter, packs better, quieter.

xstands are @ 12lb

I needed a lightweight climber for hunting remote public lands. I done a lot of research for the most lightweight climber with good reviews. I settled on the Summit Open Shot. After a few modifications and practicing with it in my yard I'm very happy. A camo paint job, adding a better tether rope, a cam strap used similar to the 3rd Hand straps and I added an old safety belt strap to make the seat a sit-n-climb if I wanna use it that way. After a bit of practice to be very familiar with it, I can zip up and down a tree pretty quickly and quietly also. It took a bit of trial and error to learn how to nest the sections together neatly for quiet transport, but got that down now. The stand is very stable and climbs well. Looking forward to christening it this upcoming season.

Hand climber vs Seat climber.. Another option to think about..

lots of good info here, thanks everyone

I love my Summit climber,once you're at the desired height,it's comfortable and stable. My only gripe with it is that does not fold flat for packing.

Just another vote for Viper....GET THE TIE DOWN STRAPS FROM "THIRD HAND"... Sweet!

Same conclusion as DarrinG - I have that same stand.

I'm a fan of Summit climbers, although I typically use hang-on stands a lot more due to the lack of climbable trees in my hunting areas.

Treewalker

API n Summit

Shawn my friend, I am way ahead of you, been hanging stands with different systems since 1979...... This post is for climber info,,,,, stay well

Summit Open Shot climber. Stable, comfy, and light. Only drawback is that the standard pack straps SUCK. Upgraded to the MOLLE system straps and IMO the stand is pretty close to perfect.

for that country I agree,,,,, I also have a M7, sticks and I am gone,,,,, but I have country in the western UP, that I want to use a climber in.....

I do agree, you need yourself a system, and environment dictates which one..............

why not have it all.... ha ha

Low Country XOP has designed a new carrier, that will attach to any stand, to be used on the back, so you do not have to use a make shift MOLLE, you can check that out on line.........

Definitely a matter of preference. I've always felt climbers were lighter, quicker, and quieter than sticks and hang ons, but lately I've seen a couple guys that could set up a hang on just as quick as a climber - sounds like Shawn is one of those guys. I like hang ons, and they do have advantages sometimes. I just can't quickly, quietly, easy put them up. I know it can be done - I just don't do it enough.

ground hunter - I will have to check out the XOP

Not sure why it is so important to convince someone our way is best. I’m not sure the OP cares about advantages or disadvantages of hang on stands. He asked about climbers.

I’ve used almost all of them. Without question the best two imo are summit and Lone Wolf but Lone Wolf is better. Easier to climb, easier to pack, more quiet. The summit is slightly more comfortable. There’s pros and cons to this. The summit seems to sit you back more and it’s easy to fall asleep. The Lone Wolf sits you up straighter and you stay more alert. Least I do. Now the API is terrible if you like your fingers. The teeth are sharp, actually too sharp and the came out as easy as go in. They’re way unstable compared to the two mentioned until this NOISY rachet strap is used to hold stand to tree. The pins that hold bike chain can be lost or dropped. In reference to Shawn’s question about the hang ons and non straight trees. They both have their place but imo hang ons are not user friendly on the day of use. They’re best left for the right conditions which obviously includes wind so they can’t be hunted some days. Plus me personally I rest spots maybe a week. This being said a one stand guy has no choice but to get a climber for maneuverability or lug all the stuff to set up and sweat all over his location each day setting up. A whole bunch of hang ons is ok. I just still think you’re handicapped cause deer could be 20 yards out of range and most would just “hope” they’d wander closer when w a climber they’d set up on a changing pattern and succeed

API used it for years liked it except for the rubber coated safety pins.I had 1 cracking & break under the rubber coating, made for an exciting ride down the last 8 feet.Also used TSS before that.

Shawn I appreciate your input, and I agree with you 100 percent. I can hang so quietly, I have got it down, like you, always tweaking my system.....

I am a hunting nut, not a bow nut, so this is what I really am into.....

BUT the newer climbers, are even more effective..... I just saw the XOP ambush climber yesterday, and was blown away, on its compactness and features, and pack system.......

can not wait to get my hands on one, in early August,,,,,,

I also hunt now, my friends private land in the bluff country of SW Wis...... I was on it all spring, and a climber will give me a lot of mobility there, and all day comfort....

I NEVER hunt the same place twice, I am always covert, leave no trace,,,,,, its more work, but it has paid off for me, in the long run

Looks like a lot of hunters here use climbers...... I like my Summit, but I usually cache it, back in my spots, and that does not always work,,,, it is not mobile enough for me, but it is a nice stand

I do not like hand climbers....... I did not go to a climber till I was 62, because the ones I tried were heavy and noisy,,,, that is changing,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Begin hunting out of climbing stands in 1976 (baker mighty mite) on public land. In 1999 found the best setup for a trad hunter, period. The Lone wolf alpha climber with a strap left to hang off the front of the climber section to allow for a sit and climb capability. Nearly as fast as climbing up a ladder stand, very quiet, so quiet have actually stalked within 60 yards of feeding deer in zero wind on a 15 degree day, climbed up the back side of the tree, and shot one of the same group a short time later. Have recently gotten rid of the harness type belt and gone to a sling seat/swiss seat/climbing harness which gives easier 340 degree shooting capability. The only draw back is that it is not comfortable enough to fall asleep in. Safest possible setup as one can hook in at ground level and slide the prussic tether girth hitch as you climb.

good info Mike,,,,,, thanks

Shawn to be clear I’m not saying you can’t but is it as silent carrying and setting up sticks? Say someone isn’t in perfect shape or not as practiced as you? It’d maybe not be the best answer for many. I know guys that do it. Myself in my younger days had many private spots I used hang ons. I’d take large lags and set em in trees I wanted to use and that’d do away w any climbing type apparatus. If you needed to move just buy a few more lags and set a tree for next time. This was in the day of the loc on lem, spirit, etc. they were light stands and you could get ropes instead of chains. It was pretty quiet. As I get older though things get harder. I mentioned in another post that I had a surgery that set me back but I’ve powerlifted my whole life and still work out and carry size. Still I struggle more than I used to and the sweat surely follows. A climber for me is just way easier in so many ways and though some may find it easy I believe many would find it harder and noisier. Imagine going through real thick stuff carrying climbing sticks. Just don’t think many could set up quiet enough for a quick hunt.

I also have a Lone Wolf climber and like it. I haven't used any other brand. One thing not mentioned here is the diameter of the tree a climber can go around. I think Lone Wolf can't be used on trees wider than 19". Many times there are bigger trees I wish I could climb, but can't. Lone Wolf company won't sell the climbing "strap" to accommodate fatter trees.

Bowguy makes a great point about fitness.

Hanging lock-on or hang-on stands with sticks is an athletic event. If you're not in great shape or are dealing with injuries, then climbers are much safer.

I like hunting from my LW hand climber but I don't like hunting for a tree to climb. I think it is a regional thing. I just got back from South Carolina coastal area and went to a WMA. There were a lot of trees where a climber would work great. Many more than where I hunt in Oklahoma

Lost Arra brings up a good point, it is a regional thing. I mean a lot of guys do not hunt from the ground, but in the UP, it is so easy to do so, because of all the cover, its everywhere, and climbers are great on the popple edges.

I hunt a lot of log jobs in the winter, so a climber is fast and easy,,,,,,,,,,,,

When I was in Southern IL, finding a tree for a climber was no problem. Plenty of straight, branchless hardwoods in those woods. But I also got busted a lot more in those climbers than I did in hang-ons with branches around me.

Around here, there are plenty of trees to use a climber on, and they are interspersed with smaller saplings..maple, hawthorne, witch hazel, etc., that help hide a hunter using one. This isn't a we versus them thing, it's a 'thing' about how to utilize stands, whether they are hanging or climbing. At my age, if I were to use a tree stand it would be a climber. I used them in the 70's and 80's with great effect and had no trouble finding a spot with good surrounding camo.

What Trap said.

Summit Viper, comfortable and rock solid when used with 3rd Hand stabilizer straps. All day sits are a breeze. Midday naps are pretty common.

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