I have a Summit Goliath. It's not heavy, but it's bulky. I've been using the shoulder straps that came with it but they are really uncomfortable and some of my hikes to where my stand will be are well over a mile. I usually just bungee my pack to the tree stand. If I kill anything, it's just horsepower than gets it out along with all my gear. At 55, I'm getting to the point where its just a lot to do. I look at what I'm about to throw and my back and think "that's a lot of stuff right there." A fixed or permanent tree stand is not an option. And I don't want to just ground hunt.

Just wondering what some of you were doing to get all your gear to where you hunt when taking it on an ATV or your truck is not an option. And if anyone knows of any better after market shoulder straps for a big climber.

Thanks.

I just use the backpack straps that are on my Summit. Those would not be hard to change out if one found them too uncomfortable. An internet search for "climbing tree stand shoulder straps" brings up many, many options. One thing I really like about the Summits are the sling style seats. Comfortable. And I can loop the top bungie over the stand and make a pocket to put my pack and extra clothes. Makes for a pretty easy package to assemble/disassemble.

I agree, the seat is very comfy and I've dozed off in mine before.

I've just been bungee'ing my day pack to the back of my stand, but it makes for a pack on my back pushing 2 feet thick.

I may also look into getting a cart to haul my stuff in. I think it would be pretty easy to get one into the places I hunt where I use my stand.

I use a deer cart. Get to within a reasonable distance from my stand site, lock the cart to a tree and carry in.

Nowadays, reasonable distance is 6 or so feet......

Before I packed a climber in and out a mile I'd use a hang on stand and a ladder stick and leave it on thw tree

I can't leave a stand up.

Vic, what deer cart do you use?

The climber we use for that weighs 15#. (No longer made. ) Add several pounds of daypack and that's my limit. Been a long time since I was mad enough at deer to carry more.

Sherpa makes an attachment that joins the parts of your stand together and, with the wheels, makes a cart. Since you don't mind a lot of weight that might be worth carrying. Never tried it myself. I'll walk a mile toting the stand out and return with the big deer cart. Well, I did. Been a long time since I was....

I'd get new straps and a waist belt if I felt I needed to carry all that weight. My packs for carrying 20 pounds or more all have waist belts.

My stand alone is 21 lbs. I use an HS Systems harness which is comfortable but heavy. Ad a few more pound for my pack, and it get's pretty heavy pretty quick.

I'll start researching new shoulder straps and waist belt. Any recommendations, though?

I don't remember the brand name, I apologize for that. I saw it in a Sporting Goods store, took it home, and found a way to make it work.

It looks like this:

It's about that size, too! (grin)

Thanks, Vic. I've seen these, too. A cart may be my best solution.

I use a couple of summit vipers. For up to a half mile or so i just use the factory straps and deal with it. For longer walk ins I have strapped the viper to a Elberstock mainframe. One I figured how to get everything tight it works pretty good. I have carried into the NYS Silver lake wilderness area like 5-6 miles with the mainframe, summit viper and camp gear for a 3 day bow hunt. Not too bad.

noKnees, Your suggestion and especially your avatar reminded me that I have an Alice pack frame in my attic. I'll pull that down and see if I can do anything with that.

Get one of the military hip belts that go on some of the packs and shoulder straps too. They are all padded and well built . I put that on my lone wolf and pack in over a mile sometimes with a day pack strapped to the stand like it ain't nuthin. I found the stuff on ebay years ago. A hip belt will put most of the weight on your legs instead of your back and not wear you out so fast.

Summit Viper on my back.

Thats the one I use

Would it be possible to stash your tree stand in the woods someplace close to your hunting area? Just a thought.

Molle II hip belt and shoulder straps. It is worlds apart from the factory straps. There are videos about how to set it up on a Summit stand. Get a Hazmore Silent Seat to cut down weight and bulk and work with the Molle II set up. A set of Third Hand Archery stabilizer straps and you are in business.

It might be, but I wouldn't feel good about it.

I use a 16 year old.

Almost everywhere I hunt is wooded mountain sides. I have to strip to base layers no matter how cold it is when walking in. I usually carry lunch/water in a pack and use the pack to put outer layers in while hiking in.

I used a summit for many years with the factory straps. Light, non-supportive pack with cloths/etc bungyed to the climber. The bulk was a bad as the weight going up the mountain. It sucked but I killed a lot of deer out of it.

Several years back I picked up a Lone Wolf climber. Not nearly as comfortable to sit in or climb with but much better to carry...mainly because it folds flat and has much less bulk. Light pack still strapped to it on my back. Better than the summit but still a lot of work and uncomfortable.

A couple of years ago I picked up a Mystery Ranch Popup 38 and used the meat shelf to carry the flat Lone Wolf stand. Still a fair bit of weight but balanced well, fairly compact, and the pack/belt worked well for supporting and carrying it.

Last year I used a tree saddle with the hand climber of the Lone Wolf as a platform and a climbing aider to climb. About 8 lbs total for everything, low bulk, and easy to strap to a pack. Really comfortable. There is a learning curve but I doubt I'll ever use a climber again.

Tree saddle seems to be the rage currently. How comfortable are long all day sits in a saddle set up? I could take a nap in my Summit stand. It is bulky to pack. Using the Molle II system the weight isn't much of a concern. My son uses a Lone Wolf and loves it. But as you said, it isn't as comfortable to sit in and maybe not as secure if you have a Summit with the wrap around bar on the top section. I hunt big sections of public ground in the steep rocky Ozark's and often pack .5 to as much as a 1.5 miles in the timber and have considered a saddle set up.

I think it's very comfortable. I hunt out of lock on stands a lot and during the rut I'll often do all day sits. The tree saddle beats them by a long shot and I did a few all day sits this past year. Near the end of the season I started using it in my lockon stands with the stand as the platform. There's so many ways to sit/stand that you can change positions all you want. You can use a strap around your back to make a back support to lean back on. It's not as comfortable as a Summit but I like it a lot.

LOL. Your own personal sherpa. That's how I feel. Like this

I got my ALICE pack down. Yeah. No.

#1, it's a lot smaller that I remember it.

#2, my circumference is bigger than it used to be. The shoulder strap padding is minimal and cushioning inside has very little give to it.

Not going to work.

Not sure about the laws in Old Virginny, but here up north we can put up a stand and leave it in the woods all deer season with our name or DNR number on it. I don't see people where I go, so a cable and a padlock on a stand cached in the woods is my own solution. We've all seen stands left in the woods, but it takes a real low life to take one.

I pack it in on my back. I use API's and they're heavy but I just muscle through it I guess.

You can do that here on private land. And you may technically be able to do it on department owned or state land. Here is the rule:

D. Portable tree stands that are not permanently affixed can be placed on department-owned lands on or after September 15 and must be removed on or prior to January 31 of the following calendar year.
Tree stands will be considered abandoned and will be confiscated by the department if left on department-owned lands after January 31.

So, I suppose it can be done. I've never seen anyone do it where I hunt. And I would not put it past someone to vandalize or steal my stand. It's just not an option for me.

I just bought a Kifaru Stryker XL pack with their Duplex Tactical frame to lug in my Lone Wolf Sit and Climb and Summit Viper stands. Pricey, absolutely. Worth it, heck yeah. Carries the stand so effortlessly and securely. I have the XOP treestand transport system as well. It's a good setup, but you have to lash your pack to the stand and then use the straps to carry the stand. Seemed cumbersome. The Kifaru combines the best of both worlds, packs your stuff and your stand in with ease and comfort.

This. I remove layers until it's flat cold when starting out; that way I have dry layers to put on when I arrive. I always have clothing stuffed into the stand, or a small pack strapped to it. Not a pretty carry.

I leave mine up all season and just take it down and lay it at the bottom of the tree after the season. Plenty of people around and nobody has taken one. The only issues I’ve had in WI was someone taking my SD cards from the trail cams a few years ago.

Molle belt and Kuiu Upgrade shoulder straps for mine. Summit Titan, Viper, and the death trap Lone Wolf Wide Sit, picked up helium sticks so I can leave climbers up this year and throw a few lock inside up as well. Some of my spots require a 2-3hr hike including dropping 2k’ and ascending again in extremely steep terrain made for mountain goats. Having the stand strapped around my waist with the center of the load higher on my back works for me.

I hate tree stands. I hate carrying them way more.

I cable lock them to my tree and leave them right there at the base. Lots of folks around here do something similar and it seems to make sense.

Again, I hate tree stands. I’m a stalker but they are efficient at times.

- my Summit Goliath is great for naps

At the base huh, erebody gota piss somewhere.

Like killin while I am on my feet.

Me too but when ya only have 5 acres it pays to sit still - I’m sure you understand

The only stands I’ve had stolen were on private land. I’ve had a couple of ladders on my public patch for 6 or 7 years with no problems, cabled of course. Began using a couple of hang-ons 3 years ago; again no problem, and one is where it can be seen pretty easily. I find other stands pretty often. Seems that quite a few leave them at the bottom of the tree for the season. I’ve also left carts in the section I hunt. So far, so good with those too. I consider the risk the cost of doing business on public land. Dragging all that crap in and out daily would turn hunting into a chore.

I’m beginning to transition to ground-hunting. 70 year-olds don’t bounce so good. Took a nice stool with a bag under the seat and added straps. Only a bit heavier than a rucksack and 1000% better than a cushion on the ground. Not great for still-hunting even with the legs taped, so I only carry it when I plan to sit.

x2. I use an external frame pack to carry in stands. Bungee cord it to the frame

I'd do more ground hunting if I could. But I prefer to hunt with a rifle when I can. We have counties here in Virginia where you have to elevated 10 or more feet to use a rifle, otherwise its a shotgun affair only. Some of my favorite places to hunt have this restriction. Otherwise, I'd be in my makeshift ground blind.

Use a Summit Viper - not too bad to carry in and out. Didn't see this mentioned but, use meat bags and quarter the deer then stuff and strap on the stand. Maybe get some support with a hip strap too.

Wow, that's interesting.

Yep, some of the central Virginia and eastern counties have that restriction. Some say 10 feet, some say 15 feet. These are local ordinances, not state laws. For instance, Cumberland County where the Cumberland State Forest is requires you to be at least 10 feet up to use a rifle on or near public land.



The western mountain counties usually go by state law, which is pretty liberal. Many central counties allow rifles, but some require you to be in a tree stand. The further east you get, the harder it is to find a place you can hunt with a rifle at any height, though there are some exceptions. Muzzle loaders are a major exception and most counties allow you to use those throughout the season at any height. I believe we still have a couple of areas requiring buckshot.

When I was actively bowhunting, my favorite way to pack in was strap my pack to the inside of my climber and then throw the climber on my back and mountain bike into my spot. Covered a lot of ground in short order and didn't disturb the deer as much either......