270 win.

i have never used a tree stand and was looking in cabelas for one. I want a light one and I will be just bow hunting out of it. These are the 2 I have picked. I liked thw bushmaster stand from summit for a climber and the kong lounger xls for a hang on stand. what do you guys and gals think.

Allseasonhunter7

i have akong and dont like it the climber is a good one tho the i prefer smaller lighter treestand ,

supaarcher

It really depends on where you are hunting, what the trees look like, and how often you will be hunting there. A climber stand is good for spots where you can't leave your stands, and you have to cary in and out. Then you can take it in, set it up, and climb. The downfall is that you have to have trees that have no branches, and they can be a little noisier.
A strap on is nice if you can leave it in the tree (unless you like taking it in and out) and you can use a tree with more branches.
I guess its up to you.

PABowhntr

In terms of overall comfort and ease of use I would say climber...and the Bushmaster is a very good choice. However, when it comes to practicality I would say the hang-on because you put it in any type of tree whereas the climber you cannot.

njbuck22

it really depends on where you are hunting. Climbers are good for areas that you know have straight trees without many branches, they are good to go into an area that you dont know too well, and get up a tree and hunt in. Hang on stands on the otherhand take alittle more work to get up in the tree, but will allow you to hunt out of any tree that you want and will allow you to get up high in trees with many branches that you can use for back cover. My personal preference is a hang on stand, once they are set, you can quietly slip into the woods with your bow,get into the standand start your hunt without making a sound. Both have their pros and cons, but it really depends on your needs.

NorthernHunter

I've had both a climber and hang-on. I hardly use the hang-on unless I am hunting an entire week and I set my hang-on up in another location for quick and easy access if I change locations mid-day or I don't care to carry my climber. But on 99% of my hunts, I use my Summit climber and it's awesome. I do both bow and shotgun. I tend to swing the seat out of the way when bow hunting as it sometimes gets in the way. They are light, durable, strong and sturdy and solid. Most importantly, I feel safe when I'm in my Summit!

quiksilver

There are a few criteria.

I'll start off by saying that a lock-on is probably the best to hunt out of. There are a few advantages - no set up time (once it's set), no carrying stuff in/out, you can hang it in some branches for cover.

Now - here's the dirt on lock-ons. They get stolen. Often. They're also a huge pain to hang up. (you really won't be able to change positions daily)

A climber is my usual, b/c I hunt a lot of hardwood forests, where the tree canopy is 50 ft. high. It's easy to find a white oak or a wild cherrythat is suitable to climb, with little limb-sawing required.

If you want to hunt a field edge or scrub brush, the tree canopy is usually low, and you'll have a really hard time finding a "climbable" tree. You'll need a lock-on.

My advice is that if you're hunting somewhere where your lock-on is safe, take a trip out and look around at your likely hunting spots. You'll see whether or not there are good climber trees standing around.

Either way, a folding limbsaw and a safety belt are a must, so make sure you have those before the opener.

Also be advised that lock-on's require either climbing sticks or screw-in steps. Screwing in those steps isn't easy and is best aided by a cordless drill, some daredevil-monkey-type climbingand no fear of heights. Climbing sticks are probably easier to use, but also a theft risk.

I'm part monkey, so I hang my lock-ons so that nobody else would even attempt getting into 'em. My first step is always about 8 feet off the ground.They're usually concealed in the crotch of a tree anyway.

They both have their advantages, but a climber is completely useless if you can't find a tree to climb.