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How long does it take you to set up your stand?

9K views 68 replies 44 participants last post by  Double Lung 20 
#1 ·
I hear people say all the time how lighting fast they can set up their tree stands. I must be slow????

Climber:

After I reach my selected tree I check the wind then open my backpack pull out my safety vest and put it on, switch my cell phone from my belt to my vest pocket, take out my safety belt and put it around my waist for easy access, carefully put my stand around the tree and fit it to the proper size, put out my scent canisters, attach my pull rope to my bow, attach climbing rope and slowly climb my tree careful not to make a sound and to listen as I go up the tree. After I reach my apex, I attach my safety belt to the tree and my vest, put up my accessory holder, hang my binoculars, range finder and calls, pull up my bow, place it in my bow holder and put on my release. All this takes me a good 15 minutes.

Lock-on:

I plan 45 minutes. I use the rope steps which take a little time.

Ladder stand:

Even though the instructions calls for three guys to put it up I often put it up and take it down my myself Again I plan 45 minutes.

How long for you?
 
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#27 ·
Never really timed it, but prob around 15 mins too. Probably a little quicker in the daylight. Separate the 2 pieces of the climber and attach them to tree and tie to each other, attach pull-up rope to bow, climb into stand and attach safety harness, climb up, fasten alligator strap around top section of stand, attach fanny pack around tree, pull up bow and nock arrow and put in bow holder, attach release (and hope i don't drop it). I put my safety vest on before leaving the truck. What do you guys do with your pull-up rope after your bow is up with you - do you let it drop back to the ground or put it in your pocket/pack?
 
#28 ·
I plan on 45 minutes only because I usually pack my outer cloths in and put them on after set up.Use milleniums with the bracket and strap.And lone wolf steps.Also I am setting 2 stands one for my cameraman.And he helps by bringing the steps up as we assend.we use linemen ropes arount the tree and hss for safety.For pulling up my bow I use a strap retriever that operates like a tape measure.Before that I used to wrap up a rope by hand.
 
#31 ·
when i was younger, it would take me about 5-10 minutes with my climber. now it takes alot longer. as i get older and more weary of heights, i attach my HSS vest to the tree from the ground. it takes alot longer climbing and having to keep moving the strap up the tree but atleast i feel safer now. and nothing worse than getting up there and having sweat pouring off of you...especially when its cold cuz then i freeze. so i try to go real slow without breaking a sweat. it probably takes me atleast 15-20 minutes now.
 
#33 ·
For me it involved pre-season workouts, pre-season walks and hikes, and pre-season practice putting up the stand, so the first day wasn't a hunt day.

Of course, I went with one climbing stand, in and out the same day.

Any beginning in season workout didn't get me ready for leaving alone with a harvested deer, a tree stand, a bow, a day pack; all carried out on a warm 70 degree southern day.
 
#34 ·
Heres how most of my setups run. I hunt all public

Backpack has normally a lone wolf assault in it. Yes I said in it(eberlestock x2) with my clothes and water/food. One hand carries 4 lone wolf sticks, the other hand carries the bow. When I need a break I set the sticks or bow down or both for a min or two.

Find a tree in the area that works for the wind and has cover. Usually no trimming involved. Decide whether I need 3 or 4 sticks to be where I want. Attach 2 sticks from ground. Clip remaining sticks to harness. Climb up, hang on linemans rope and hang other two sticks. Pull up stand and hang it.

Drop rope that pulled up stand to pull up stuff. Climb down, put on remainging clothes. Attach bow, put backpack back on. Climb up and pull up bow.

I can do it fast in under 10 mins but to do it stealth takes about 20-30 and its a lot of work sometimes. I own a climber but most times I dont take it because I am most often in an area that wont work for a climber. Good luck putting a climber in a tree thats the size of a softball.
 
#35 ·
An interesting quote here:

Good luck putting a climber in a tree thats the size of a softball.

If I'm gun hunting a new area, I use my portable 12' Loc-On aluminum ladder stand. During the hunt, I'm looking at other trees to determine where I can use my API climber.

With the ladder stand I can lean it "softball sized" trees.

Just a thought.
 
#36 ·
Does somebody add so much time for every ten pounds the hunter is overweight?
And how much time for putting on a harness in the morning darkness. Now there's a time killer?
And I always saved time by putting up the tree stand, for practice, before the hunt.
The first and second time are always worse than the tenth time.
 
#37 ·
Here's something that I do as a way to "double check" everyhing:
once you arrive at your selected tree and have checked that it is cllimbable and a safe are, try getting everything ready to climb with your eyes close: securing the stand, putting on the vest, securing the vest, securing the firearm/bow/etc., making ready the pack.

Then, before climbing, look at everything.

By doing this, I'm forced to concentrate and visualize everything.

DISCLAIMER; DON'T DO THIS IF YOU HAVE ADD OR ADHD.....
 
#38 ·
308 ruger said:
Pa.Bone said:
I am not sure how long it takes me to hang stands, but the older i get the longer it takes.
I'm 49 and been kicking around the idea in my head of using a climber again. I used to use a loggy bayou, that was about 14 years ago. Anyone around 50 still using climbers out there, and if so which ones...
51 here and I really like the Summit climbers. We hunt all private land here in PA. I mainly use 2 man Summit ladder stands, the Double Barrel Stand, but for changing up locations and adapting to certain buck during different phases of the rut there's nothing quite like the Summit climber for me.
 
#39 ·
stackbarrel said:
308 ruger said:
Pa.Bone said:
I am not sure how long it takes me to hang stands, but the older i get the longer it takes.
I'm 49 and been kicking around the idea in my head of using a climber again. I used to use a loggy bayou, that was about 14 years ago. Anyone around 50 still using climbers out there, and if so which ones...
51 here and I really like the Summit climbers. We hunt all private land here in PA. I mainly use 2 man Summit ladder stands, the Double Barrel Stand, but for changing up locations and adapting to certain buck during different phases of the rut there's nothing quite like the Summit climber for me.
Thanks, I've been kicking around the idea of a Summit Viper SD.

I've been doing alot more conditioning these last few years, so got me thinking about getting back in the tree.

I hunt all public land so pretty much would have to be a climber.

I did buy a blind last year and that sets up in minutes which is great, and nice for when I hunt with my son, but i do know tree is place to be..
 
#40 ·
mus42tang said:
Does somebody add so much time for every ten pounds the hunter is overweight?
And how much time for putting on a harness in the morning darkness. Now there's a time killer?
And I always saved time by putting up the tree stand, for practice, before the hunt.
The first and second time are always worse than the tenth time.
Several years ago I went to a pre-scouted spot to put up my climber. I had not run through the routine before the season and had a new/different climber, couldn't find anything in my vest as I was not organized. I made it into position however I was noisy and pouring with sweat. I sat there all morning mad at myself for ruining what was a prime location and a great morning for an archery hunt. I swore I would never do that again.

Now I test my climber and other stands before the season at ground level, climb in the dark and I keep all my accessories in the same backpack pockets for years. Now I climb relaxed, quite and organized.. A much better feeling and a more enjoyable hunt.
 
#47 ·
SoYoCoTransplant said:
we put up 6 hang-on stands this weekend and 1 double ladder. It took us a day and half for just those stands. If rushed I could place one in an hour.

Climber is about 5 minutes from unload to bow nocked.
Must have been a hot job. I just put out cameras and it was a chore.
 
#49 ·
I can climb pretty fast in my LW handclimber. But I take my time. My tree strap is on the tree the moment I step into the stand and I slide it up as I climb so that takes longer. Then when I reach height I set my tree strap to the proper height, cinch the stabilizer straps down, then hang my backpack, then pull my bow up and hang it. I never cut myself short where I have to rush. that just makes noise, makes me sweat, and leaves room for errors when you rush.
 
#51 ·
i spend most of my time at the bottom of the tree...i dont wear alot of clothing in so im normally getting dressed at the base...after that if im in my climber (either a loggy or a summit) it takes me about 10 mins until im ready...its im in my tree saddle its about 15 mins depends on the tree
 
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