Allright guys, my stand is hanging in the woods right now and will be until next week. But maybe this will clear some of it up until I can get some pics up after pulling it. This is intended to face away from the tree and you sinch the top section to the tree with the provided strap you sinch the stand together with. Know that I use an API linemans belt harness.
The Summit Viper is the best stand I have ever used for this. Not that the API Grand Slam will not work, but it is a lot heavier. Loggy Bayou's and the Ole Man Stands are good as well, but they adjust to the tree by the size. Meaning if you are hanging in a small diameter tree, they collapse tighter, making hanging low inside the wrap around hard, ecspecialy with a lot of clothes. So make what you got work, but know the Viper is the best.
First thing you gotts do is get rid of the fold up seat with the back rest. It is not needed like this because you are so snuggled in and the backrest is just more bulk to carry and makes getting the seat pushed back outta the way harder. It also will not adjust as low as the Muddy Outdoors. Plus the Muddy seat is designed to be smaller which is adequate to be plenty comfy, but gets totally out of the way to not cause interference.
The seat I am currently using is actually an older API cordura seat that I swaped the Summit seat for. I will be replacing it wiith the Mudy seat in time as it is superior for comfort vs just the material. Whatever seat you choose, just make sure it will adjust low enough to allow the top climbimg aide to be strapped on between waist and belly button level, while allowing you to maintain a comfortable seat. If you can't do that you are just limiting yourself and waisting your time.
Once you get the seat adjusted this way, you will notice that it is so much more comfortable. You are enclosed when setting, alot of your movements are hidden, and you don't have to worry abot falling out iif you nod off. You will also notice that when standing and strectching or just to get upp, you will be so comfortable you will inadvertantly lean against the bar instead of staying all scrunched up because the bar is knee level which causes a real ballance issue. You could pass out and not fall out of the stand.
But the most important thing is the bar is right against your gut when you get on the end of the platform, ensuring the string angle at full draw is beyond the bar because you are out against it instead of back 12-15 inches. And the lower limb clears everything because you are ut that far. On shots close to the tree which is the ardest for ant trad archer, you simpy bend over, the bar acts as a pendaluim, to hold you up and out, making it literally ppoisible to shoot the end of the stand you are standing on.
There simply is not but one very small spot that you cannot shoot and that is the base of the tree directly under the stand on your bow arm side when facing away from the tree. But it is an area that is not oobtainable from any other stand either. So you are not losing anything, only gaing a lot more angles that other stands can't offer due to cables or climbing aids marketed as out of the way.
I have owned a bunch of climbers, open faced and wrap arounds. And the wrap arounds, ecspecially the summit or API, offers the bowhunter so many more shot angles than the others if you use the bar like this. It is common thought to set it like they show you and outfit the stand, but the seat adjustment and that bar is your biggest friend here if yu get high above your thighs and above your lower limb. Look at it this way, instead of trying to get the bow low enough when drawn, your bow is out from the stand 20 inches or so, at least. It is a no lose. You can't hit anything with that lower limb but air, cause that is all that is there.
One more tip, sometimes I adjust the climber section once I get to hunting height one notch higher to tip the front of the stand up if I mis guessed the right adjusment. You'll find out in time that guessing to high on the feet section is worse than low and the climbing section can be adjusted if you guessed it to lose. It won't wear you out like a non bar climber that you are constantly leaning to stay on the platform. Nothing will wear you out quicker than an open faced climber you have had to stay on edge to keep from falling out because the platform is tilted forward. This really is the bombdigity.
I have sopent my life growing up on roofs, walking walls framing and setting truses as my whole familly was/is carpenters, but this is the easiest, safiest, most comfortable way that it dooesn't require any special fondness or skill. The only offset is the added weight of the bar. But with one of the simple sling type seats, your Summit Viper willl tip in aout 17 pounds. all the positives are worth the extra pound. Plus, doing it like this gets the bar higher for using as a gun rest, sleeping bar, or the most comfortable set by leaning forard on it like you would a desk. And it is well above your knees and thighs which eliminates balance issues, while providing you the support and safety to lean 90 degress to shoot your toes off. You can't shoot directly below the stand with anything but a br climber for this reason. Just get the right seat, fool with it for a couple minuutes and you will see.
I'll revisit this thread next week when I'l post pics after pulling the stand. God Bless
Topic: Climbers or Hang-ons for trad hunting ??? (Read 732 times)
