BowHntrRick

This is a follow-up to a previous post in which I complained about the hassle of schlepping around a Summit Cobra XLS tree-stand. A number of replies ran something like this: "I have 5 Summit tree-stands andthey are all a pain to carry around but that's part of hunting so don't be such a baby!".

To those of you with this perspective I have one suggestion: sell those five Summit tree-stands and buy one Lone Wolf. I bought the hand climber: it weighs 2/3 as much as the Summit Cobra, packs down to a fraction of the bulk, carries on my back with no problem, and is no harder to climb with than the Summit.

Of course, some will say "yes, but is it as comfortable as my Summit?". The answer is "no", but then I thought being uncomfortable was part of being a real hunter! It looks to be comfortable enough for 3-4 hours at a time in the stand which is all I really plan to do.

From what I have seen Summits are quality stands with exceptional comfort, but the Lone Wolf is another level of engineering. If part of the philosophy for using a climber is to be extremely mobile, then why not design the tree-stand accordingly?

Greg / MO

Hey Rick,

I gotta admit, my wife and I were rolling last night reading your original post. Not that there wasn't a lot of truth in it; it just struck us as extremely funny (could have been the late hour we were reading it having something to do with it). She could relate, because I took her out a couple years ago, and she used my climber while I screwed in steps and went up a tree about thirty yards away and attached a hang-on. (Speaking of that -- if you really want to experience some work going up a tree, try screwing in a step every time you want to go up a bit, standing on that one, screwing in another one, climbing up onto that one, and repeating the whole process until you get high enough to take the stand you -- what was the word? Schlepped, yeah, that's it -- schlepped all the way in and is on your back the whole time you're climbing the tree and screwing in steps. Now you've got to figure out how to get it off your back and pull the nylon strap out far enough to swing it around the tree and catch it as it comes back around, tighten the strap and get up onto the thing without falling off. But that's another issue.)

Actually, I thought the gang was pretty light on you as far as the "don't be a baby" comments -- especially for four pages' worth of commentary. It can get much rougher around here, trust me.

I'm glad to see you're way more satisfied with your Lone Wolf. I actually do own a Summit (a Cobra XLS, to be specific), and have correspended several times with the owners of that company in the past, and they're great guys. I also believe they put out a great product. But -- everything's not for everybody. I'm just glad you found a product which will keep you in the woods and give you a chance to experience the thrill of this sport that we call bowhunting. We need more in our ranks, whether you're using a Summit or a Lone Wolf. Welcome to the club.

GR8atta2d

See I told ya.... for added confort down the road you can buy the sit and climb top portion only. It's available off the Lone Wolf Website.

BrianDamage

the lone wolf is 14.5 lbs., the cobra is 17 lbs. I can lug around that extra 2.5 lbs. if it means being comfortable. Comfortable means I'm not moving around as much, squirming to get comfortable.

supaarcher

I have the hand climber as well....got it for free from a guy that had no idea that they were expensive or good stands!
It is a fantastic stand for any hunter who has a long trek to his or her hunting spot. It is light and compact, you don't even know its on your back, and it is a solid material so that when you are going through brush and branches slap it, they don't make much noise. It only takes a second to unpack and throw on the tree. It gets a 10 in my book!

MA Jay

The Lone Wolf stands are awesome, and are much easier to "schlep" in then the Summits. Now I'm going to go out on a limb here... anyone who thinks "schlepping" in a Summit stand is a real pain, is going to quickly tire of the uncomfortable sit in their new Lone Wolf, and I'll expect you'll be posting half way through the season that your a$$ is numb and can't hold out till dark. It's defnitely a trade off, ease of packing of the Lone Wolf but an uncomfortable sit in stand, or an uncomfortable hike in with the Summit but a really comfortable sit in stand. You can't go wrong either way in my opinion, I chose the more comfortable sit in stand as I spend a lot more time in my stand then I do "schlepping" it.

callemin

I said it before and I'll say it again Lone Wolf all the way. Forget about any other stand.

early in

LONE WOLF, most quiet,secure and lightweight climber on the market. There's the best and there's all the rest!

Brett/IL

I agree with you guys! I have owned climbers made by Ol' Man, Summit, and API. None of them compare to the Lone Wolf Sit and Climb that I own now.

MO_Bowhnter

Sounds like you found the stand for you. It will make your hunting trips more enjoyable knowing you can count on your equipment to be reliable and fit your needs.