I ALMOST bought a climber this year, but came to my senses and bought another ladder stand. Climbers, if they're for anyone, are for fit and strong folks, not fat old men like me.
When I think about the homemade stands we built in the 60s using sections of saplings cut on site, it makes my blood run cold. Later, we started using treated 2X4s and plywood, but they still were potential deathtraps due to age, weathering, and tree movement.
Another item I'll never use again is screw-in tree steps. I had a bunch, made of 1/2 inch steel and also a tool for installing them. The tool made them easier to install, but the tremendous torque it provided apparently twisted the step rather than screwing into the tree. The last time I used that stand, on the way OUT of the stand, two of the steps broke off in my hand. Fortunately, I hadn't shifted my weight to those steps yet. The stand was pretty low, so I was able to hop off to the ground. I used strap-on steps made of polymer with nylon straps for a while with no problems, but haven't seen them for sale recently.
I like ladders, and have two on the public ground I hunt now. One is only about 9 feet to the foot platform, as I left out a section of ladder. I've taken 3 deer in 3 years from that one, so it must be high enough.
Glad you're okay.
