Posted: Jul 22nd 2010, 12:18 PM
Hunting season is rapidly approaching, and Room needs lightweight climber tree stand. I routinely hunt up in the mountains, and while I'm in pretty good shape for 40 year old, I need to keep the overall weight of my kit down.
I always carry a two-day pack when I'm up in the mountains for those unforeseen incidents where help isn't coming soon. That pack at it's lightest is 15 lbs, but can reach 25 lbs if the weather is cold and I need a few extra thermal protection items. Last year, I hunted with a long range precision rifle (big mistake; too heavy). I have a lightweight rifle coming in the next week or so from Christensen Arms which should reduce my weight and profile tremendously.
While I enjoy still hunting, I have the most success utilizing a tree stand. On club property, I have access to a lot of permanent tree stands; however, up in the mountains, I have to hump in what I want to use. Most full size climbers are in the 20 to 30
lb range, which is way too heavy to hump along with a pack and rifle up several thousand feet of vertical. Don't forget, if I take a deer, I have to bring it all back down again. Lightweight climbers range from 12.5 to 18 lbs, and I realize you sacrifice some comfort for hiking mobility. I've thought about climbing sticks and a hang-on; however, there are many cases of accidents with these, and the time to set up is quite a bit longer than with a climber.
The two brands I've found so far are TreeWalker and TimberTall. The TreeWalker is at the high side of what is considered lightweight, and the TimberTall is the absolute lightest. Does anyone know of any other brands I should look at, or do you have any experience with either of these two?
Thanks in advance!
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