Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting How do you guys pack your Summit climbers?

I haven't used my Summit climber for a couple of years now, been using ladder stands mostly. With the full moon the last few nights, I decided to get the climber out and hunt in some different places because I haven't been seeing any deer. Do you guys with Summit climbers backpack your climbers with the cables pointed up or down. Up the cables sometimes snag in low branches, down they slap the back of my legs. What works for the guys who use them alot more than I do?

Cables down for me. Use the summits all the time and had one on my back today! just make sure that the cables are positioned all the way in the framework of the stand. good luck on the deer, moon has us messed up here too.

I pack it with the cables down. I've never had a problem with the cables hitting the back of my legs. I carry it with the cables angled back, not toward my legs. I have on rare occasion stepped over a log and had my calf hit the little "teeth" that bite into the tree. Make sure you have the straps tight and the stand as high on your back as you can get it...not hanging loosely down. I'm 6'2" which would be an advantage over someone shorter. I just this year started taking my tree strap(the belt that cinches to the tree with my harness strap attached) and loop it through the bottom of the stand then cinch it down on the top of my hip bone, like a backpack hip belt. This puts some of the weight on my hips, just like the hip belt on a backpack and keeps the stand riding a little higher on my back.
I also bought some padded straps.
Hope this helps.

edit: per lawnman above, make sure cables are all the way in and angled back. Positioned like that I don't see how they COULD hit your legs.

Cables down with a detachable carrying harness.

Guess I'm the oddball here, I've always carried it with the cables up, not sure why just seemed best to me that way.

Cables up strapped into the meat shelf of a Badlands 2200.

Down, with the cables pushed in as far as they go. I am over six feet tall though, so it doesn't bother me by hitting low on my legs.

Cables down for me with padded backpack straps.

Cables down and padded straps also.

I forgot to mention that the model I have is the Folding model that the angled cable bracket folds down flat on both seat and platform. This model wasn't made many years, mostly I think because of added cost, not sure the added cost justified the added compactness. This may be why I notice the cables more than most. I think I will try to get some padded straps. Where is a good place to purchase padded straps?

I rigged and old seatbelt to my Summit.
I carry with cables down and buckel the belt around my waist.
I strap my pack inside the stand and the belt helps take the weight off my shoulders.

Coach

Could you post a pic or two of how you have the waist belt attached to your stand? Been thinking about adding something like that myself.

I just ordered the padded straps from Summit.

Here is another excellent add on for Summit stands. I purchased these last year and really like them.

www.thirdhandarchery.com/product.asp?PRODID=13

Cables down

My Summit came with a strap like that when I bought it new, I also added the foot rest rail and the rifle holders to mine. IMO the foot rest rail is a must have item, it's nice to be able to set your feet up in a different position from time to time.

I guess I'm another oddball. I've always packed mine cables up. Came with the straps like that from the factory. My brother packs his cables down and has been complaining of hitting his feet on the cables.

This is what I use to carry my summit, keeps the stand a little higher so the cables don't hit the back of my legs too.

Game plan

Mine also came with a strap but the strap from Third Hand is two straps, one for each side. Cinches the top down much tighter and is quicker to boot. Take a look at the video. I also added the footrest and it made a comfortable stand more comfortable.

I had an older steel Summit Bushmaster that I remember carrying with the cables up.

I did look at the video but don't agree that those straps would be any faster then what I'm doing now.
My shoulder straps unbuckle at one point and are then reattached to both the top and bottom pieces of the unit to keep the bottom from falling if it was to get away from me about a "5 second job" to do, then when I'm at the height I desire I snitch it tight "maybe 10-15 seconds" with the single strap that came with the stand.

Hmmm....never seen a setup like that before. So your shoulder straps double as straps to hold the top and bottom sections together? Are these aftermarket straps?

Reason I ask is, all the Summits I've ever seen came with non padded shoulder straps that do not buckle and a single piece of rope to tie the top and bottom platform together.

On a side note, a benefit I found for the Third Hand straps was strapping the sections together when toting the stand in and out. They lock the sections tighter than the factory strap by itself.