First impression of climbing with LW Hand Climber

[pesqimon]

Got some practice in using the LW Hand climber.

I used an 8mm tether, with a Kong Duck to a RC harness.

Didn't go up higher than 10-15ft, while I still work out the kinks. Tough at first, got easier, though I wouldn't say my technique is ready for prime time.

It is definitely viable.

First I added straps for my feet. This was too close, and having my feet as wide as possible made it more comfortable.


Here it is with greater separation.


You may notice I attached a strap with a boat buckle to see if it made it more stable, or reduce the chance of it kicking out on me. Wasn't too bad to squat down and attach it. I am really not sure it helped. Seems to help, but the jury is still out.

As a platform it felt very comfortable to shoot from.

One thing that impressed me was the amount of damage to the bark. I mean, no more than any other climber but with all the talk about spurs and WE stepps, and the damage they do, it was on my mind. I won't worry so much about using WE Stepps if the damage is comparable to a climber.

Welcome comments, especially from @bongo and the rest of the "hand" climber user.

 

[REID2168]

glad u got yourself a unit...…..here is the one I told u I thought I lost then found thank goodness & a way to foot hold that's a bit easier & quiet with great packing & foot hold IMO......I used bungys with HD plastic ends and they don't clank nothing does...I also had the longer strap so I could always make the biggest tree the larger cable can accommodate if I had to do so since it can do anything the shorter version can do……..I as well made a small line that just loops through & hooks to itself in a convenient out of the way spot on the saddle in case u would loose the LW base its still attached to yourself by the line...…..im gonna try mine again this season with one of the newer saddles about to come out...….I used it with a Guidos last season and it worked great for my first time saddle hunting but the Guidos was just a bit warm for me...…..I sprayed some camo paint on mine as well and if I was you I would do that now if you intend to camo it that is...…...Good Luck!!!!!

 

[Windwalker]

I'll have to post a picture when I get mine out again. I just practiced mine for the first time last Sunday and it was easy as 1,2,3 once i figured it out. I put a strap on the tree above my head about 1ft, then put my hands with deer skin gloves in between the tree and the strap palms facing towards me. Then all I had to do was basically hold myself up and pull my feet up. Super fast up and down method I found.

 

[REID2168]

I'll have to post a picture when I get mine out again. I just practiced mine for the first time last Sunday and it was easy as 1,2,3 once i figured it out. I put a strap on the tree above my head about 1ft, then put my hands with deer skin gloves in between the tree and the strap palms facing towards me. Then all I had to do was basically hold myself up and pull my feet up. Super fast up and down method I found.

Exactly how I attacked it first time out of the box & worked well for me just the same.

 

[Nutterbuster]

@pesqimon, WE Stepps will do significantly more damage than that hand climber. Just giving fair warning. My XOP handy could go up and back down a tree and leave no trace. When folks talk about climber damage they're referring to the ones with blades or spikes that dig into the tree.

 

[Carolina_trad_hntr]

I've settled on using my hand climber top as a platform, but not as my climbing method. The hand climber was about as light to pack in, but the noise from climbing is what bothered me. Very easy to pack in for sure. If I could get over the noise, it's a great solution.

 

[pesqimon]

I will try the bungees. After discussing it with a friend, I realized my strap method might be too good. I probably want something that I can easilly kick out of if I get in trouble.

I also think that iit would make a fine platform even if I don’t climb with it.

 

[REID2168]

I found once I get set in the saddle I remove my feet from the bungees and it seems fine as long as u keep the pressure right......I may try some Heliums myself modded up with this as the platform now that im used to it & one of the newer saddles as well as my combo.

 

[pesqimon]

The bungees were a great idea! I was able to climb up to hunting height very easily with this method. My technique has really improved and I see ways I could make it even better.

I also continued to play with the boat buckle strap to add stability. It does add a little stability, which might not even be needed because while the platform does move a little it does not seem to want to kick out or anything dangerous. However, the strap does allow me to place a step on the opposite side of the tree, which might be handy!

 

[Cajunyankee]

@Nutterbuster, @pesqimon, @REID2168, @Windwalker

How are you working around branches?

 

[REID2168]

I only go up straight trees with no branches up to where I need to get...…..Good Luck!

 

[pesqimon]

Haven’t had that experience yet!

 

[bongo]

Got some practice in using the LW Hand climber.

I used an 8mm tether, with a Kong Duck to a RC harness.

Didn't go up higher than 10-15ft, while I still work out the kinks. Tough at first, got easier, though I wouldn't say my technique is ready for prime time.

It is definitely viable.

First I added straps for my feet. This was too close, and having my feet as wide as possible made it more comfortable.
View attachment 4992

Here it is with greater separation.
View attachment 4993

You may notice I attached a strap with a boat buckle to see if it made it more stable, or reduce the chance of it kicking out on me. Wasn't too bad to squat down and attach it. I am really not sure it helped. Seems to help, but the jury is still out.

As a platform it felt very comfortable to shoot from.

One thing that impressed me was the amount of damage to the bark. I mean, no more than any other climber but with all the talk about spurs and WE stepps, and the damage they do, it was on my mind. I won't worry so much about using WE Stepps if the damage is comparable to a climber.

Welcome comments, especially from @bongo and the rest of the "hand" climber user.

First off I’m very glad to see someone else likes this method I thought Donnieballgame and myself were a little off our rocker. I haven’t tried bungee’s but think that’s a great idea and will when I get home. But in case they break for some reason I would make my lifeline to the climber long enough to go around my feet in an emergency. The only thing I might change is tying it to the bungee itself and then the platform so when you hang in your saddle you can just pull up on the line to get your feet back under the bungees. One of the things I like to do is slide my tether around to the right just before I slide off the platform its much easier than swinging off the side as your tether won’t pull you back to the platform when you try to adjust the traction belt. Personally I don’t want my platform tight to the tree in case a buck comes from the wrong direction if I have time I came adjust for him but not if tied down. And as far as loud it can be or not depending on bark and your technique. As you get better at it you get quieter also. I really want to start going around limbs just because. But most of the places I hunt have suitable trees for this system. I have also found that the smaller diameter stiffer tether with Kong Duck is easier to climb with along with being lighter. I do want to try and splice it when I get home because I’m sure it would be easier sliding it up the tree. And would cinch up and slip less when you pull on it.
This system just makes sense to me for what we are trying to accomplish as mobile hunters. Less parts to deal with means lighter setup. For climber friendly trees climber seat saddle tether. If wanting to navigate limbs another tether/lineman’s belt and aider I’m going to try a couple different ones. But probably not right away as season starts when I get home in three weeks.
Maybe @Erniepower &@g2outdoors should start making a new cast platform. We’ll see how many people start climbing this way.
And don’t forget to climb with your bow on your back. You already are standing on your platform while you climb. If Bambi comes by your ready. If it’s the rut he might come to you wanting to know who’s scratching his tree.


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[Plinker22]

First off I’m very glad to see someone else likes this method I thought Donnieballgame and myself were a little off our rocker. I haven’t tried bungee’s but think that’s a great idea and will when I get home. But in case they break for some reason I would make my lifeline to the climber long enough to go around my feet in an emergency. The only thing I might change is tying it to the bungee itself and then the platform so when you hang in your saddle you can just pull up on the line to get your feet back under the bungees. One of the things I like to do is slide my tether around to the right just before I slide off the platform its much easier than swinging off the side as your tether won’t pull you back to the platform when you try to adjust the traction belt. Personally I don’t want my platform tight to the tree in case a buck comes from the wrong direction if I have time I came adjust for him but not if tied down. And as far as loud it can be or not depending on bark and your technique. As you get better at it you get quieter also. I really want to start going around limbs just because. But most of the places I hunt have suitable trees for this system. I have also found that the smaller diameter stiffer tether with Kong Duck is easier to climb with along with being lighter. I do want to try and splice it when I get home because I’m sure it would be easier sliding it up the tree. And would cinch up and slip less when you pull on it.
This system just makes sense to me for what we are trying to accomplish as mobile hunters. Less parts to deal with means lighter setup. For climber friendly trees climber seat saddle tether. If wanting to navigate limbs another tether/lineman’s belt and aider I’m going to try a couple different ones. But probably not right away as season starts when I get home in three weeks.
Maybe @Erniepower &@g2outdoors should start making a new cast platform. We’ll see how many people start climbing this way.
And don’t forget to climb with your bow on your back. You already are standing on your platform while you climb. If Bambi comes by your ready. If it’s the rut he might come to you wanting to know who’s scratching his tree.


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Dang @bongo, you should set up a donation box for all the good advice you give out.
Now if the top piece of a LW hand climber wasn't so hard to find!

 

[pesqimon]

Seems you can buy one from LW directly. There may be a few available here as well or ebay.

 

[HardBall]

https://www.lonewolfhuntingproducts.com/shop/Products/Hand-Climber-Seat-Kit__HCSSO.aspx

 

[donnieballgame]

You can get the XOP seat by itself, that's what I did its basically the same thing. I thunk it's a loot cheaper too.

I didn't use bungee's I used a strap then another strap in the middle hooked to my harness that I used to pull up on.

You definitely can get quiet with practice. I also found that using the extra strap to add security wasn't really worth it. The only thing you really need to watch out for is putting your weight on the seat close to tree because it could fold in on you which could suck lol.

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[Tapeworm]

You can get the XOP seat by itself, that's what I did its basically the same thing. I thunk it's a loot cheaper too.


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I talked to Cody at XOP & they won’t have hand climbing treestand again until 2019.



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[pesqimon]

You can get the XOP seat by itself, that's what I did its basically the same thing. I thunk it's a loot cheaper too.

I didn't use bungee's I used a strap then another strap in the middle hooked to my harness that I used to pull up on.

You definitely can get quiet with practice. I also found that using the extra strap to add security wasn't really worth it. The only thing you really need to watch out for is putting your weight on the seat close to tree because it could fold in on you which could suck lol.

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I am leaning towards agreeing that the additional strap around the tree isn't worth it. I am going to practice this way until experience shows me otherwise. I kind of like the idea of having a step on the other side of the tree but I don't know that I need it. If added security is needed, it's probably safer and easier to tie a strap from one side of the cable to the other in front of you, as suggested by Bongo in the video.

 

[pesqimon]

Found this rubber tie down thing and modified one to use with the hand climber. Works really well. Just the right tension.


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