Bought my first climbing stand

[Ifishandhunt]

I just bought a Guide Gear Climbing Stand. Not the top of the line but it should do the job. I got it together, talked with some friends on how best to use of it and popped in the safety video that came with it. Holy crap, that safety video scared the bejeezers out of me... and my 11 year old son that was listening to it from the next room where he was doing his homework. All of a sudden he walks in and says "Gee dad, doesn't that scare you about falling out of the tree or the bottom stand dropping out and you hanging there with your blood pooling up in your legs?" I said "yep it sure does and that is why we have to take it seriously."

My buddies all have climbers and swear by them, they love them. But for a little while, the safety video made me wonder if I made a mistake buying this. I guess it is their job to scare us and avoid a lawsuit. Although it came with a rope to attach to both parts of the climber so the are connected, I bought an extra strap today and plan on making sure the bottom climber is doubly secured and attached to the upper portion of the climber. Of course I will certainly be wearing my Hunter Safety System vest and I also have suspension strap in case I did slip.

Has anyone had problems where their feet slipped out of the straps of the bottom half of the climber and it fell? Or any thing I should be aware of that is a common problem with climbers?

[bowhuntingbiker]

I suggest climbing a short distance off the ground and moving around as you might while hunting. With weight on both halves of the stand, both are pretty stable. Stand up and the top portion becomes easily dislodged if you bump it or lift up on it as you rise. A friend of mine uses a utility strap to help keep the top half from slipping by wrapping it around the tree and afixing it to the frame. He suggests not using the ratcheting type because of the noise. Hope this helps. BHB

[OHIOCE]

I love mine, it is also a low end climber.  I use a a tie-down strap(non ratchet) to secure the platforms together to reduce noise when entering or exiting the woods.  I also glued the foam pads in place to ease assembley in the dark(depending on the style of yours this may not be neccesary).  Make sure you give yourself extra time in the mornings and start out very steep on large trees(the larger the tree the faster the circumference will decrease).  And with practice/experience climbing will get much easier.  No problems falling.  Good luck!!

[buckhunter21]

I have quite a few Guide Gear products that I've bought off Sportsman's Guide, and have been very impressed with them, especially for the price.  Hope you enjoy it!

[msbadger]

The guys have great advice and bowhuntingbiker is so right about how the top can ...well almost tilt you out of the tree if leaned in on from the side before securing it....they usually come with a small bungee strap but I like the heavier rubber tie downs...and I use the same on the foot rest as well....I had my foot rest slip on my Tree Lounge and thank heavens I made sure the two straps were fairly short....a strap on either side connected to the top on either side ...it was how I managed to dislodge it from the tree inorder to pull it back up...after setting up where I want to be and securing the top...I lightly bounce a couple of times on the foot rest ...squat down and secure it then turn and sit....Please pick your trees during the day ahead of time....we have many lrg "healthy looking" very dead ash trees and a couple of maple...with the leaves off ...you'd never know....Have fun and be safe....Badger

[DeanoZ]

Good points...I own a lone wolf climber and am very pleased with it.  It comes with two straps that keep the bottom platform from falling out...has it ever happened to me?  No...but what has happened is it may drop further than you can reach on the descent...and the only thing stopping it from completely dropping are those two straps...they also serve to keep the upper platform (seat) from dislodging as well if you bump it.  As others here said, when used properly they are very safe...just take your time and ensure you are wearing your harness and have your sling around the tree as you climb and descend...in my experience that's when there is the potential for problems/accidents...once your at your desired height and secure there is little that can go wrong, unless you fall asleep!  I love my climber, for me it provides the perfect combination of flexibility and portability.  Oh one other thing that msbadger alluded to...when you start at the base you want your cables snug enough that they pitch the platforms upward on a slight angle.  This will ensure your platform is level and not on a downward angle once you get to the desired height where the diameter of the tree decreases.  Positioning can be tricky and is a matter of preference, comfort level, and surrounding cover.  I personally put my stand on the opposite side of the tree from where I believe the deer will approach.  i like to keep the tree between me and the deer.  I also like to set up in trees that have other trees with foliage close behind me to camouflage me, especially since i most cases the tree you select won't have any at your desired height.  For the first and last couple hours of hunting light, when the deer are most active I stand just so I'm ready to go..the rest of the time and between I alternate standing and sitting.  You'll most definitely want to practice and play with your setup before you actually hunt so you know where you want to hang your bow, accessories, quiver, pack etc.  the wrong time to figure this out is the morning of an actual hunt, fumbling and making a racket as a buck blows by your stand...had that happen to me already   Best of luck!

[dmcianfa]

I have a lone wolf alpha climber as well and wouldn't trade it for 20 stands if I had the offer.  I used to have the hand climber, but since I've bought the sit and climb seat for it and wow, I can stay in the stand all day now, whereas before I would really have to struggle to fight the rear end pains about 4 hours in.  Standing, sitting, standing, sitting, jostling from cheek to cheek.   No more the sit and climb seat is still as light with the added comfortability.  Not to mention it is still the easiest climber to pack in and out as well as get up a tree with ease.  No comparison in my opinion.

[buckhunter21]

Good points...I own a lone wolf climber and am very pleased with it.

 
I agree they have some of the best stands available, but they are just a little out of my price range!  You def. get what you pay for with them though!  How much was your climber?

[DeanoZ]

Well I managed to get a deal on Ebay and picked one up for $250...still a lot of money but saved about $100 over retail....its worth every penny...the first time I used it you could just feel the difference in the weight, not just packing it, but climbing as well.

[Stickman]

Get use to climbing with it, get use to moving around in it, get use to heights. Use a hunters safety system and there will be no problems.