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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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#52 ·
Takes a long time to hang the lock ons and with 2 of us to make it safer though sometimes I wonder why because I hunt my climber more often. That takes about 15 minutes from the base of the tree (taking my time setting the stand setting the holder and such)
 
#53 ·
Hang on stands take me about 15-20 minutes with climing sticks once set when I get to my location it takes me about 5 minutes to be in and hunting, I can get 25 feet up in my climber in about 5-7 minutes hunting in 15, don't use any ladder stands but helped a buddy with one last year and took us about a half hour.
 
#54 ·
I call bullshirt on these 5 minute climber - unload to nocked arrow whatnottery.

I'd say 1 minute at least in just making sure you get the perfect angle for the bottom sections to the taper of the tree. Getting both pieces attached (quietly).

If you're climbing with a harness and moving your strap up as you go that slows you down a bit.

Getting to the height you want - securing strap to top section. Attaching bow hanger, attaching quiver hanger, attaching a triple claw for my backpack (minute or two)

Hoisting up bow, getting nocked, hanging the quiver, situating clothing, getting necessities out of pack such as binocs, grunt tube, etc.

Bottom line is if I am doing things quietly and correctly I'd say it's closer to 15 minutes before I am sitting still not having to touch another item or piece of equipment.
 
#55 ·
Im gonna have to agree with you on this. I use alot of strap ons and i always set them about 2 months in advance, but i also use a lone wolf hand climber that i got last year, and while it may seem like 5 minutes to set up, in reality its probably much longer. Im almost always doing this in the dark to. Once i reach my tree i gotta unravel the stand and secure the rails in place. Top section goes on first usually and then the platform. Then i hook my bow to the tow rope, get in the stand and start climbing. I usually get up about 18-20' in most spots, sometimes higher. Once i reach that height i gotta set the stand, tether the top and bottom sections together, put my bow hanger in the tree and pull the bow up. Ill hang the bow on the hook, take the quiver off the bow and hang it in the tree, and then nock and arrow. Usually at this point i still have to put my gloves, hat, and face mask on, sometimes even my shirt or jacket just so i dont get all sweated up when climbing. I do all of this as slow as possible for two reasons. One i dont want to be heard and two not to get sweated up and winded. I try to be as careful as i can when doing this because i take so much caution when walking into my stand that the last thing i want to do is spook everything once i get there. Im usually in stand and ready to go at least 30-45mins before visable shooting light.
 
#56 ·
Just got done putting up 7 lockons the past week. I had a guy (who doesn't hunt but likes to get outdoors) with me. It took me about 45 minutes to put up the 20' sticks, hand the stand using 2 ratchet straps, put the lock on the stand, gather everything up, then move to the next one. I always make sure I'm strapped in, and that takes time when you are moving up the tree to tie in, then unclip, climb, then tie in again. Once the stand was up, I didn't cut any lanes this year. These stands are for late season, and I'm waiting till the leaves fall and then only doing minimal trimming- I have a 14' pruner that I can use from the stand and from the ground.

The one tree is a huge shagbark hickory. Had to put screw in steps on that one, and it took the better part of 90 minutes to do that one.

As far as my climber, once I'm at the tree (and if I can remember what the settings on my Summit were last time) I always figure 15-20 minutes to strap in, climb up, tie it, pull up bow, finish dressing, then nock an arrow. If its a chestnut oak, and wet, it takes much longer because the stand tends to slide on those.
 
#60 ·
You gotta start taking a cordless drill with ya for those screw in steps wayne, esp for a hickory tree. lol I screwed a set into a locust tree last year and ended up having to screw them in the last few turns by pounding them with the palm of my hand. Boy did i regret that for about 3 months afterwards. I dont know what i did but it must have bruised something in my palm. So now i use a cordless drill. As far as the video's are concerned im not very impressed. The climber video was horrendous. I cringed every time i heard the stand make a noise. The guy obviously wasnt doing this with quietness in mind or scent control. the one stick method was cool but not practical. Just about any young guy can slap a 16-20' ladder stick up and hang a stand in 5 minutes if he wants to rush it or he's late for a hot date. Its the trimming that takes the most time and I have to trim my stand sites every year. I was somewhat impressed with his organization in the first video but then again, he was making this to put on youtube so organization is to be expected.
 
#61 ·
Double Lung 20 said:
attackone said:
Nice...what hang on is that? Also, is it worth using one stick? Seems like it would be more trouble than carrying an extra two? Just curious...
sorry they arent my videos found them on another web site but it the tree stand is a loc-on limit. i dont know about the only one stick, looks neat and fast but i think i will stick with me 4 lone wolf sticks
 
#62 ·
I use the one stick method every now and then with a Quidos web.It takes some practice but it works pretty good.You have to remember,there's a strap on the botton so you get almost 8 feet up with the first hook up.

I can guarantee that I can be 20 feet up in a tree in less than 5 minutes from the time I get there till I'm all set up with a LW handclimber.I don't fold the handclimber up.I starp the seat to platform so both are facing the same way.When I get to the tree,it takes less than 30 seconds to have it off my back and hooked to the tree.It takes me about 8 pulls to get to where I want to hunt.At that point all I do is haul my bow up,nock and arrow and set it in the bowholder that already attached to the rail of the platform.It takes me about a minute to get the sit and climb hooked up but I cam climb faster with it.
 
#63 ·
lots of you are crying foul on the 5 minute climb. i see your point, and the way you describe it, you are probably right. two things that can speed my climb are:
1. i use a primos bow sling and wear my bow on my back when i climb. no pull ropes to mess with. once i reach my hunting height, i'm already holding my bow.
2. i hunt with my quiver on my bow. it never comes off. i also have a small gear bag already attached to my stand when i arrive at the tree. when i get to the top of my climb, i have nothing to hook up to the tree, un hook, or pull up. i just turn around and sit down, and put my bow in the holder that is permanently attached to my stand.
 
#67 ·
I just use an extra rope from a lone wolf climbing system.I hooked it on the middle tree brace and let it hang about 2 feet below the first step.It takes some pre-season practice to get it right but it's a viable option when you want to travel light.
 
#68 ·
For hang ons, if it is a tree I use year after year about a half hour by the time I get the screw in steps right, stand hung and leveled, strapped in, chain and lock, bow hanger and rope, cut any branches necessary.

New stands up to an hour.

Ladder stands a half hour.
 
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