Best Self Climbing Hunting Stands – Deer Stands of 2017

Best Climbing Deer Stands – 2017 Hunting Stands

Every deer hunter has a preference when choosing the type and style of deer stand that works best for them, but we all want a stand that is light to carry, comfortable for a packed in hunt, easy and quick to put up, has high quality, is safe, and cost effective.

So with these characteristics what are the best climbing deer stands and who makes them? Well after a lot of research and trying many different stands there are only two companies that stack up, Summit and Lone Wolf. Yes you can find several other stands that are cheaper, but not with the quality and comfort these stands provide. There is also a new cumber on the block that adds an interesting design aspect that we will mention below, but due to poor quality and service they may be out of business, we will just have to see.

Summit Goliath SD

Summit continues to develop great climbing deer stands for a good price. The Goliath SD design has no parts that require removal and is attached to the tree with a rubber coated steel cable. The cable is easy to swing around the tree and feed into the square aluminum tubing, which has a spring load lever for positive locking.

The stand takes less than a minute to set up and is easy to climb with. The teeth on the Summit are very aggressive, locking your stand in tightly. However, this also requires extra force when breaking this deer-stand free from the tree. The Goliath SD offers extra room and has a weight limit of 350 lbs, making this a great stand for the bigger hunter or the hunter that likes to stand more then sit. This self climbing deer-stand also comes equipped with a large comfortable seat.

Summit Goliath SD Specifications

– 5 Year Limited Warranty.
– Mossy Oak® Breakup Infinity Camo.
– Aluminum 5-Channel Platform Frame with Dead Metal, Sound Deadening (SD).
– Wide Aluminum Seat/Climber Frame.
– Foam Seat with Backrest.
– Rubber Coated Steel Climbing Cables.
– Stand Weight: 21 pounds.
– Tree Size: 8 to 20 inches in diameter.
– Seat Height: Adjustable.
– Seat Base Dimensions: 18 by 12 inches (WxL).
– Backrest Dimensions: 12 by 20 inches (WxL).
– Overall Dimensions: 20 by 36 inches (WxL).
– Platform Area: 20 by 28.75 inches (WxL).
– Seat Frame Size: 21.75 by 26.5 inches (WxL).

Price $319.99
Weight rating: 350 pounds.

Pros & Cons Of The Goliath Sound Deadening (SD) Deer Stand

Pros- The Summit Goliath SD offers a big platform, which is great for both the larger hunter or the hunter that feels more comfortable standing majority of the time. This climbing stand is relatively light, easy and quick to place onto the tree, has a positive locking cable spring, and is comfortable when sitting for long periods. The Goliath SD use Sound Deadening technology (foam) to help keep the stand quite even during cold weather.

Cons- This Deer Climbing Stand is too heavy for long packed in hunts, has a large seat that is always in the way when climbing, hard to assembly for carrying, bulky to carry, catches brush easily when carrying, and requires you to start your climb at an angle to compensate for the loss of tree diameter when climbing.

Conclusion

The Summit Goliath SD is the best stand for the hunter that is looking to keep it in the woods for the hunting season or for carrying short distances. It is superior to portable stands that require steps and is much easier and quicker to use. This stand is a perfect compliment to ladder-stands when you have private land to hunt. The advantage over the ladder-stand is how easy it is to move, fine-tuning your position to the deer’s habitat. This is a great stand for both the Gun and Archery Hunter.

Lone Wolf Alpha Sit and Climb

Lone Wolf has the most technologically advanced stands on the market and yes you will pay for this quality and comfort. The Lone Wolf Alpha Sit and Climb Deer Stand is quite, easy to pack up, and light for carrying on long packed in hunting trips.

This deer stand is made from solid cast aluminum and has no welds or hollow tubes, reducing noise year round. The attachment method is a belt-and-cam fastening system, which makes it quick and easy to set up. The stand collapses/packs down to 4 inches for carrying on your back and is comfortable when carrying for long distances.

Lone Wolf Alpha Sit and Climb Specifications

– Limited lifetime warranty on all castings, 1yr. warranty on parts and components.
– 3-D camo platform design.
– Comfortable 2-panel, contoured foam seat pad.
– Belt-and-cam fastening system (belts made of polyurethane reinforced with steel cables).
– Pivoting Sit & Climb bar.
– Stand Weight: 20 pounds.
– 2 pockets to hold concealing brush.
– 2 hooks to hang accessories.
– Built-in (Cast) bracket to hold your compound bow.
– 30″ x 19.5″ one-piece cast aluminum platform.
– Top dimension – 17.25″ wide.
– Fits trees 6″ – 19″ in diameter.

Price $419.99
Weight rating: 350 pounds.

Pros- The Lone Wolf Alpha Sit and Climb offers a large platform, which is great for both the larger hunter and the hunter that feels more comfortable standing a majority of time, such as Archery Hunters. This climbing stand is easy and quick to place onto the tree, has a positive locking mechanisms, and is suited for longer packed in hunts. When carrying, it hugs your back well and does not catch the brush like many other stands. The Lone Wolf climbing stand is exceptionally quiet all season long. The pivoting sit and climb bar provides ease for climbing and can be set up for either the Gun or Bow Hunter. The 2-panel contoured foam seat offers seating comfort for long periods.

Cons- This deer stand is not cheap and still a little heavy for long pack-in hunting trips. It also requires you to start your climb at an angle, to compensate for the loss of tree diameter when climbing. If you miss calculate the tree diameter at your final height you will end up with a forward angle on your platform, which can be tough to hunt in for long periods.

Conclusion

The Lone Wolf Alpha Sit and Climb is very expensive but worth the price when it comes to quality and comfort. It is the best overall climbing deer stand and extremely comfortable for carrying long distances. It is superior to portable stands and much easier and quicker to use. The bottom/standing platform is large, safe, quite, and as solid as they come. This climbing stand is well worth the price and is suited for both the Gun and Bow Hunter.

Up And Coming Deer Stand Technology – Equalizer

Buckshot Manufacturing developed a climbing deer stand that can be adjust to maintain a level platform at any height. The best of these stand was the Equalizer, note I said was since the company is no longer producing stands.

Equalizer Specifications

– Made in the USA.
– 5 Yr. Guarantee on all Welds and Frame.
– Powder Coated Mossy Green.
– Hand-Crafted, with each customer’s name laser etched onto their frame.
– Completely Modular Frame design.
– Geared Leveling Arms.
– 22’ Wide x 27” Long.
– Active cable adjustment 10.25”.
– Tree Size 8” to 20” diameter.

Price No longer available!
Weight rating: 300 pounds.

Pros- These deer stand eliminated the need of having to incline the tree-stand at extreme angles to start your climb. Then as the tree tapers (diameter gets smaller) you can continue to adjust it to a level position, allowing you to reach higher heights and still have a level platform to hunt from. The tree-stand has up to 10.25 inches of adjustment, allowing for up to 6 inches of lost tree diameter. The advantage of having a stand that will level are; safety, eliminates uneven pressure on your legs and body, and eliminates from standing or sitting at a forward angle.

Cons- The problem here was the Quality of the Deer-Stand and the Manufacture (Product & Service). These deer-stands had detachable parts that were easily lost, knobs that would break off, and a leveling mechanism that required you to remove your feet to make leveling adjustments. Then there was their service, which was less than desirable.

Conclusion

This stand design is a good idea and thinking outside the box. However, it was comprised of parts (pins and knobs) that detached and were easy to lose. The platform used smaller aluminum tubing and the steel cables were covered with plastic, giving this deer-stand design a lower rating for quality. Then there is the safety aspect of taking your weight off the lower platform to adjust for leveling, which increases the odds of the bottom platform falling. Another concern was climbing down your tree in the dark, needing to remove your feet to make leveling adjustments. This makes things very interesting or scary, to the point where you skip the adjustment and end up with the same angle as any other climbing deer-stand. But let’s see if they make a comeback and what design improvements they incorporate.