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Tree lounge foot piece climbing platform
- Thread starter Bwhana
- Start date
John, I think this is pretty cool and if your going to build a smaller one it would be very easy to make one that breaks down so you can strap it to your pack or even put it inside. I think what I would do is fab up the left side and the right side as solid pieces and make them attach in the center with spring pins or something similar. That way it can break down I to two pieces and you could carry it like sticks or spurs. Just a thought
I’ve given a breakdown version some thought, but I couldn’t get past the fact that the “V” at the front where it meets the tree needs to have a great deal of rigidity. Thoughts on this point are welcomed...
If I had one in hand, I could definitely come up with a design that works. I see what you are saying and your right. I've never seen one in person. But it doesn't seem like a hard project
2 things are against the break down. Structural strength and being loud. 2 things you don't want. Not to mention it would add weight because of the hinged peices.
Would have to design something that slid together and pinned and had plenty of overlap. Tube inside a tube.. that could be slick and help with packing it in smaller but brings up more noise issues
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And weight. But the concept for something more compact would be good. But I'm not that picky with it. Is light and very quiet, so I'm pleased.
So tonight I had a phone conversation with the owner of Tree Lounger, Mr. Wayne Prince. Super nice guy and very helpful. I explained to him that I was a saddle hunters and what my intention was with the bottom portion of his climber. He was very receptive to the thought. He does sell the bottom portion separately, it's just not on his website. He does take PayPal but there is no way to do it on his website, gotta call or email him. After shipping it was $88.50. Not sure when it'll get here but I'm sure it'll be soon. I just contacted him via the phone number on his website.
I talked top him last year, yea very nice guy. But the original lounger is very heavy and bulky. Me and @BrowninG77 Cut out some excessive weight and resized it to fit our style better. We've not built the 3.0 version yet, but it's on the work. I weighed my original lounger in at 9 lbs. Our original is ruffly 6 lbs (correct me if I'm wrong @BrowninG77 ). And we think our 3.0 should be right around 4.5 lbs
Maybe the hinge area doesn't have to be in the front or the back, but actually in the adjustment. You could easily use a slightly larger square tubing with bunch of adjustment holes.
Is the 9lb. just the bottom? Weight isn't to important to me right now, I just want to give this method a shot and this is the easiest/cheapest/fastest way for me to do so. I hope to tinker with it to where it will become my go to next year. After trying out the original I'll be able to customize a diy version to better suit my needs.
They made slightly different versions over the years. Mine is 7 lbs on the dot. As @Mr Price said, I too am targeting that 4.5 to 5 lb range and maybe less with some carbon sorcery. Either way, you are hard pressed to beat even 7-9 lbs with 3 sticks and a platform. One sticking is more comparable. This is not for everyone and certainly not for trees with limbs. It does offer solid climbing and a platform in a simple package. It is the easiest climbing method so have tried with a saddle outside of presets. Besides, everyone needs at least 3 to 10 options to be considered a true Saddlehunter.com follower!
I hunted out of a tree lounge exclusively for 15 years, and live 3 miles from the original factory here in North Georgia. In addition to unmatched comfort, one of the other things I liked about the tree lounge was there was no guesswork required when setting up at the base of the tree. If you mounted it horizontal at ground level it would automatically fall to a comfortable angle as you climbed. I would be very interested If someone can come up with a version closer to 5 pounds. I currently use the Lonewolf as my climbing method and platform, but a tree lounge style foot adapter would make climbing almost effortless.
The 3.0 (small version) for trees with diameter will be around 4.5-5 lb based off the mass properties calculations in SolidWorks.
I think I'm gonna start using my summit platform to climb trees this season. Here's why:
1) I love saddle hunting, but so far the climbing method has been the biggest issue for me. I hate the time it takes to assemble some methods. I'll still use everything I own, but I wanna try this to see how it compares.
2) The platform is light and I can strap it on my back. If I remove the part that wraps around the tree, the entire platform sits behind me like a backpack with minimal risk of getting tangled. I can then add my backpack and predator to it with some gear ties, thereby freeing up my hands to use snips to cut limbs and briars as I'm going in. I hunt a private lease, so I'm not walking a mile.
3) 90% of the trees I'd hunt on are straight pine trees with little to no branches until you get very high. That would be a perfect fit for a climber platform. I also like the stirrups the summit platforms use. They make it easy to pull the platform up if I'm hanging from my tether.
4) I'd no longer be limited by height. I could go as high as I need without being at the mercy of each method's height capability. These pine trees stay pretty consistent in diameter as you move up, so if I start with the platform at an upward angle I can get 30+ feet easily. I could also adjust down once in the tree if needed.
5) It's quicker and safer. I could get up a tree with my tether connected the entire way up which would be safer than using a lineman's rope while trying to get straps tight around a tree.
6) I'd no longer risk having three of my 4 sticks hitting each other or other components while ascending. Less equipment to manage at height.
I know the common response is "why don't you just use a climber then?". The answer is, because once I'm setup I prefer to be in a saddle configuration with the tree in front of me. I plan on using my predator about a foot above my platform and saddle hunt normally. My climbing is all I'll modify. We'll see how it works. Some of y'all may have tried this already. I plan of still using steps on either side of my predator for rotating around the tree to get a shot. Plus this way I can setup the predator directly in front of me which I find to be easier. If it doesn't work out (which is very plausible) I'll go back to steps/sticks.
1) I love saddle hunting, but so far the climbing method has been the biggest issue for me. I hate the time it takes to assemble some methods. I'll still use everything I own, but I wanna try this to see how it compares.
2) The platform is light and I can strap it on my back. If I remove the part that wraps around the tree, the entire platform sits behind me like a backpack with minimal risk of getting tangled. I can then add my backpack and predator to it with some gear ties, thereby freeing up my hands to use snips to cut limbs and briars as I'm going in. I hunt a private lease, so I'm not walking a mile.
3) 90% of the trees I'd hunt on are straight pine trees with little to no branches until you get very high. That would be a perfect fit for a climber platform. I also like the stirrups the summit platforms use. They make it easy to pull the platform up if I'm hanging from my tether.
4) I'd no longer be limited by height. I could go as high as I need without being at the mercy of each method's height capability. These pine trees stay pretty consistent in diameter as you move up, so if I start with the platform at an upward angle I can get 30+ feet easily. I could also adjust down once in the tree if needed.
5) It's quicker and safer. I could get up a tree with my tether connected the entire way up which would be safer than using a lineman's rope while trying to get straps tight around a tree.
6) I'd no longer risk having three of my 4 sticks hitting each other or other components while ascending. Less equipment to manage at height.
I know the common response is "why don't you just use a climber then?". The answer is, because once I'm setup I prefer to be in a saddle configuration with the tree in front of me. I plan on using my predator about a foot above my platform and saddle hunt normally. My climbing is all I'll modify. We'll see how it works. Some of y'all may have tried this already. I plan of still using steps on either side of my predator for rotating around the tree to get a shot. Plus this way I can setup the predator directly in front of me which I find to be easier. If it doesn't work out (which is very plausible) I'll go back to steps/sticks.
I've done the summit climber. It's not near add easy light or comfortable as the lounger style
I compared the base of my hawk self climber with 3 helium sticks and they are close enough I can’t tell the difference so I gave it a try. I would definitely recommend using a rappel rope for a tether and being a ratchet strap.
The ratchet is key to securing it at hunting height so it doesn’t slip or move on you.
The rappel descent method is awesome. You use your feet to disengage the platform and then rap down the rope in one motion. Way faster and easier than moving your rope down each step.
I often leave my platform (whatever I’m using) at hunting height and rappel down at night then SRT back up the next day.
I did have one issue and that was that when used with a self climber seat you are sitting further away from the tree. I had to move my foot loops closer to the tree to be able to get it to work efficiently with a tether.
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@MrPrice, and @BrowninG77 have either of you used this with a Guidos web or JX3 hybrid? Just thinking out loud if your cut down version would fit in the back of one of these when folded up it would make a nice compact system.