Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting summit viper classic vs viper sd

lookin to get my first climber. the classic can be bought for about 160 and the sd for 220. is the sd any better than the classic ?

The SD is 7 pounds lighter, and had the upgraded seat and padded side rails. Better is relative, I liked the seat height with classic better than the SD, the comfort seat sat lower for me than the classic, an issue standing and drawing over the rail.

Same size platform and climbing design.

For bowhunting, the classic did all I needed, but it is a "heavy" stand if you are hauling it in and out of the woods.

The Summit shoulder straps are marginal, you'll probably want to get padded straps for it.

I still have my classic, and probably will for a while, as a backup for my Lone Wolf.

I would go with the SD if you can spare the $60. You will appreciate the weight savings. I have a Summit Goliath and love it. Basically same stand as Viper with a little extra room on the seat.

Summit customer service is top notch too. I've used their stands for close to 20 years. I had 2 issues (non safety related) over the 20 years that they took care of immediately.

yea im gonna buy a couple of their ladder stands but considering going on and getting a climber as well

I have hunted out of Summit climbers for close to twenty years and never had an issue. I currently use a viper for archery work and a goliath for rifle and late season stuff when you typically have a bunch more clothing on. Both work just fine.