Climbing treestand upgrades

elkyinzer

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Sep 9, 2013
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I am in the midst of a treestand overhaul. My stand (Summit Bushmaster) is probably 15 years old and in need of some love.

Biggest upgrade I want to make is a new suspension. I previously just had Molle shoulder straps. At first they were a huge upgrade over the factory webbing with foam pipe insulators that was my old man's idea of an upgrade. Since I put them in, I've started hunting mountain whitetails with much farther hikes. 2-3 miles with a daypack and clothes weighing in at 30+ pounds is brutal without a hip belt. This is a long overdue upgrade.

At first I tried stapping my MR NICE frame onto the stand. It carried beautifully, but I have some reservations. One, it adds weight. Obviously the treestand itself is rigid, so having a frame is unnecessarily redundant. Second, I am no scent freak, but my pack frame stinks from sweat. Third, I didn't test it with weight and was a little concerned my strapping method would hold. This method also requires me to strap/unstrap the pack. Not completely opposed to that, but would prefer a more permanent method.



Next, I had an extra set of MOLLE shoulder straps laying around and dug up my old hip belt. As part of the upgrade I am also replacing the bulky foam factory seat with a Hazmore seat, on order right now. The bulky seat was the obstacle to fitting the hip belt, so I was able to get it on there. It carries very nicely, I loaded it up with a 50 pound sandbag and it was not uncomfortable. I didn't have the load lifters attached before either, and they made a big difference.



Only thing, and a minor complaint, I could use a little more lumbar padding on the belt, and wondering how I could do that. Has anyone ever rigged a Kirafu belt to a treestand like this?



Also on the agenda:

Tore out the factory seat, have a Hazmore seat on order.

New shock cords. Going to go to a hybrid with the shock cord placement of the rapid climb stirrups (I don't like those) and keep current straps.

Replace tether, debating between lone wolf style or just going with basic paracord.

Wanting to find a spray-on rubber product to dampen noise. Mostly in areas that the climber and base clang together while setting up. Would love to hear experience with this.

Fresh coat of spray paint, going to mimic ASAT camo style.

New cables on order.

Thinking about installing a bow holder.


Let's see some of your climber mods and carrying systems.
 
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
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Wisconsin
Look up DIY Sportsman on youtube. He did a video about wrapping a stand with 550 cord to silence contact points on stands. Also look in the Whitetail section. There was a thread and some guys where talking about using Kifaru to pack in stands. Here in NE Iowa, Hill country, there are a good number of guys that are using the MOLLE straps and carrying a good load to sit all day in cold weather.
 

LostArra

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May 9, 2013
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Oklahoma
For climber accessories take a look at Third Hand Archery
I use his stabilizer straps on my Lone Wolf. Much better than the factory straps. The hip clip is handy when elk hunting and I stop to use binoculars.

ThirdHand Inc


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cg2737

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Jun 4, 2015
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Finger lakes, NY
Another vote for Thirdhand. I would not use a climber without his stabilizer straps. He also sells rubberized stick on platform strips that deaden noise.

I started using my Kifaru Frame and cargo panel to carry my Lone Wolf last year. It worked great. I attached an organizer and two #11 lock and load pockets. I would climb with the pack on my back and the hang it in the tree with all of my gear.
605aa594bb41a5663e281044a8d82553.jpg




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Tod osier

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Fairfield County, CT Sublette County, WY
I have a similar stand with many of the same mods. I put the hip belt around the upper part of the stand on the tree gripping portion. I put it on to carry and off to climb. This allows you to get the stand high on your body and is more comfortable for me (like a real pack). The clmber slips into the straps on the waistbelt and tightens down with straps. Pics below are pre shoulder straps and waistbelt.

You will like the new seat you have ordered.

For a bow/gun holder, I just have a 1/4" bolt in the hole on the stand upper where you have the tape. Pretty minimalist, but ti works well for me.

Finally, if you don't have them think about some stabilizer straps to lock the top and bottom of the stand together (straps at 45 degrees in photos). They work really well and when cinched down the top of the climber is locked in like you would not believe. Also keeps the bottom attached if you loose it on the way up the tree. Mine are homemade from cinch straps and they work really well. They also work to manage your load when packing in and can cross the back of the stand when on your back to keep your clothes, bag, etc... tight and the stand from clanking.

IMG_7378_zps3b6fccb8.jpg
 
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Brendan

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Rumor has it Kifaru is developing a tree-stand pack to mount to the hunter frame.

Personally - I'm a fan of Lone wolf when mobility is required. Have an Alpha Hand Climber and a Hang on - and both strap easily to my EMRII.
 

LostArra

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Rumor has it Kifaru is developing a tree-stand pack to mount to the hunter frame.

Personally - I'm a fan of Lone wolf when mobility is required. Have an Alpha Hand Climber and a Hang on - and both strap easily to my EMRII.

My Kifaru Cargo Chair (now discontinued) is a handy add-on for carrying cumbersome stuff like LW sticks or a climber. I am trying the Molle straps and belt right now just for my climber.
 
Joined
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the best upgrade i've made for treestand hunting in the mountains was buying a lone wolf hand climber. i still have my summit but i've probably only used it twice in the last 2 years. i estimate i spent 150 hours in my lone wolf last season. i have no problem sacrificing comfort for a stand that is quieter and lighter. Most importantly it packs flat which opens up a lot of possibilities on how you pack it in.

if you're set on keeping your summit you're on the right track. tearing out the stock seat makes packing the stand 10x easier because you don't have to detach the shoulder straps to fold the seat up and pull it through. i prefer the mesh slumper seat to the hazmore because you can adjust the seat height and it seems easier to manage than the netting.

ditch the tether and buy thirdhand stabilizer straps. i won't use a stand without them.

also try climbing without the bungee and stirrups. you can shave a little weight and gives you more room on the platform.

i tried the thirdhand bow holder and i know a lot of people like it but i just couldn't trust keeping my bow in there while climbing.
 

LostArra

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i tried the thirdhand bow holder and i know a lot of people like it but i just couldn't trust keeping my bow in there while climbing.

+1 plus it's kind of heavy for what it does.
It is funny that I have had deer come in before I even get my bow pulled up so I can see the need for having the bow on the stand as you climb.
 

N2TRKYS

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I've never found any use for Thirdhand archery stuff.

For lightweight stuff, I prefer a lockon and screw in steps.
 
OP
elkyinzer

elkyinzer

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Good discussion, sure beats the typical stale topics this time of year.

Definitely going the stabilizer strap route. I like the looks of those. I could probably ditch the bungees I use to secure my gear then.

I think I’m still going to try some spray on rubber products to dampen noise. I don’t need to do very much, just a few key contact points. We’ll see how it turns out.

This has nothing to do with weight. My stand now weighs 14 pounds via rough bathroom scale calculation. I’m man enough to carry that just about anywhere. I can’t stand hang-ons and challenge anyone to beat my combination of mobility, set-up time, and stealth with a hang-on. It ain’t happening. Yeah they may be 3 or 4 pounds lighter but the only other advantage is being able to get up a few trees that I cannot. And with a folding saw and some upper body strength there are not many I can't get up around here.

I see a lot of people carrying their Summits cables-up. I prefer to carry mine cables-down because I load all my gear on the “shelf” that creates. An all-day rut sit with heavy clothes can be 20 pounds of gear. I may even be able to pack out quarters or pack in a basic camp setup with this improved suspension. Another thing is I can’t have anything sticking up above my head. I’m already stretching it because I moved the shoulder straps one rung lower. I climb through all kind of thick shit, mostly mountain laurel, and it would drive me nuts snagging on much more than I already do.

Always lots of Lone Wolf supporters. I tried a Lone Wolf hand climber in my yard several times. Nothing personal, and I certainly could get used to it, I just didn’t like it enough to trade out my Summit. I do not like the rubber band that they use. It felt “floppy” while climbing. I didn’t feel like I could climb as quite as quietly. Once set it felt awkwardly bouncy. I know there are cables inside but I’m not even sure I fully trust the thing. It’s not noticeably lighter than my Summit (I think <2 lbs lighter), just more compact due to the folding design. Also, while I’m hunting I’m usually standing, but I have been know to take an afternoon nap during an all-day sit. Can’t do that in a LW hand climber. Just some personal preferences, absolutely sticking with my Summit for now mostly due to the cable preference. Plus it’s been with me through 15 years and probably twice that many deer kills, so I have a bit of a soft spot for it.

Quiet climbing, I like to squeeze in tight to bedding areas and cannot make a peep while climbing. Also the reason I hate the rapid climb stirrups which I’ve also tried and scrapped. I feel being securely strapped into the platform I have much more control over it, and have excellent control such that I can climb the tree without scraping and making racket. I’ve climbed within 40 yards of bedded deer twice (not knowing at the time) without them blowing out. People say climbers are loud but I don’t make a peep climbing unless it’s a cherry tree. I’d challenge any mobile hunter to be stealthier. I’ll post a picture of my hybrid setup, I will have moved the bungee out of the way for a totally open platform, but still have the platform control of the foot straps.

There was a mention of a Kifaru designed treestand pack. I would love to see this but skeptical what the execution would look like. Just need a good shoulder yoke and belt and versatile way to attach it to different stands. Basically the Molle system with Kifaru’s well-regarded hip belt/lumbar pad would be ideal. Like I said with attaching my MR frame, there’s no need for a bulky frame and a bunch of gadgetry because the stand essentially is the frame. And ideally I want something permanently attached to the platform, I don’t want to be dicking around with a stinky backpack frame at the base of my tree or stowing it up there.

Actually, I think there would be a pretty decent market for a minimalist climber made specifically for backcountry hunters. I’d love to see a LW/Summit hybrid design marrying the best features of both and an incorporated carry system. I’d even mix in some features of the old loggy bayou which was my first stand and a real joy to carry. I guess that would just take all the fun mods out of it and would be well over $500 off the shelf with a high quality carrying system.
 
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Joined
Oct 29, 2014
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for reducing noise at contact points you can also try some of that mcnetts camo form wrap. it's like a camo ace bandage that clings to itself. i ripped all the stock padding off my summit and wrapped the bars with that stuff and helped reduce noise where pieces hit each other.
 
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elkyinzer, what type of pack are you using when you're up in the tree? just curious.

a duplex belt and a pair of the x-ray shoulder straps rigged up to a stand would be awesome.
 

blackdawg

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Jan 11, 2015
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I have both my portable rigs ( Summit viper and Lone Wolf Alpha ) covered with Stealth Strips. Really reduces the noise. I second the Third Hand stabilizer straps with the Viper. The third hand bow holder works great on summit but it is too heavy,,looking for a lighter solution. In Straight tree country I generally carry the viper for day hunts, it is hard to beat imho. I also like the Gun Pullup rope that Third Hand sells, keeps my barrel out of the dirt and pointed away from me, also easy to handle, I carry the gun to stand with it wrapped around scope. I have tried quite a few ways to haul stands, with the Summit I have settled on the molle straps system with the Summit bags,seeking something better as the molle and bags have their drawbacks mostly due to the way stand packs up,,with the lone wolf sticks and stand,,the duplex with cargo panel /leech pack is what I have settled with, which also has some drawbacks, keeping the sticks in one place with molle straps/bungees and straps, stopping the clanging around when I crossed ditches, went through thickets,etc, hasn't worked as well as the cargo panel, the leach pack needs real shoulder straps instead of the little crossover strap for climbing,,,, if you don't want it at tree base, taking the duplex up the tree is a pain for me. Early season is much easier going in stealthy and quick. When I start longer rut sits and it's chilly the extra gear becomes a pain in rear, trying to get to the stand sweatless,quietly,quickly and up the tree safely,sweatless and quickly, is a challenge for me. I find quickly climbing being safety conscious is a time suck with all the extras for longer cold weather sits. I can't get the Lone Wolf hung in the dark quickly,quietly and get much height without breaking a big sweat when it's cold out. It's not so bad climbing with Summit if you can keep the sweat down before you get there, but you need pre- delimbed or straight trees in the dark. If someone has a solution for packing the bow or rifle at same time as the stand would like to see it, strapping it on hasn't worked for me, the one arm weight navigating hill, thickets, ditches, etc is something I would like to eliminate. Strapping the bow/rifle on cargo panel is just too rough on scopes/sights/rests/strings, imho and bungee to the summit hasn't been secure enough for me.
 
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
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I just bought a 24'' Bikini frame from a guy on here to attach to one of the new XOP climbers once they're released.

The stabilizer straps are a winner for sure.
 
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