Climbing Tree Stand
I’ll start off by saying that if you can find a tree that is large enough and straight enough, a climbing tree stand is the best choice for a hunter.
A climbing tree stand has the most to offer when it comes to tree stands. They are safe (when used properly), they are light enough to be considered portable and they are flexible enough to meet the needs of nearly every type of hunter.
They use gravity and a cantilever angle along with various methods for attaching the stand to the tree. These methods can be anything from steel cables, to bolts, to various belts and chains.
There are two sections for a climbing tree stand, top and bottom. When you watch someone raise a climbing tree stand it kind of reminds me of a caterpillar. The older original designs for these tree stands had the hunter hang from the top section (or bear hugging the tree) while using their feet to raise the bottom section.
The concept of raising a climbing tree stand is still the same today but the actual process is a lot easier with the changes made in the newer models. The easiest ones (at least in my opinion) are the ones that allow you to sit on the top section while facing the tree and used your feet to raise the bottom section up. Then you stand on the bottom section and lift the top section, lock in in place and then sit on it facing the tree and raise the bottom section again. The process is repeated until you are at the height you want or the tree branches out in such a way that you can’t go any higher.
The biggest disadvantage is that these stands are fairly small and not near as stable as a permanent type of stand. But that’s the price you have to pay for the ability to pick up and move the stand whenever you want. The other thing is that it seems that a lot of the time when I find what I believe to be the perfect spot there is not a large enough, straight enough tree to accommodate the stand. Taking these into consideration, the climber stand is still be best bet form most hunters for most conditions.
When considering buying a climbing treestand there are some things you should consider. These are not necessarily ranked in order of importance but Safety is the absolute most important thing to consider. Another thing is the noise level. The stand should be quiet while your moving it, while you are in it and while you are moving around in it. It should be small enough to be easily packed and moved and it should be light enough that it will not exhaust you when moving it or packing it in at the end of a hunt. And last I believe the simplicity of design should be considered. A good design will make the setting up, moving and taking down easy.
Taking everything into consideration and you will see why the most popular type of hunting tree stand is the climbing tree stand. If you are physically not capable of using a climbing tree stand, then you should consider a ladder tree stand.
A climbing tree stand may be the perfect choice for you, regardless, have fun, good luck and be safe.
