Climber vs saddle setup

[Bowmanmike]

I hunted with a friend yesterday and he used a climber. Man did getting ready at the truck make me love saddle hunting even more. He strapped his giant climber on his back and had to carry his backpack on his chest. That is how i got into the woods last year. I couldnt believe the size of the climber compared to my predator platform.
I just put my backpack on that contained everything and carried my bow and off we went.
He kept catching that climber on branches etc.
Even packing up was more of a hassle for him than for me.
It was amazing to see the difference like this,i am never going back to a climber.

 

[dlist777]

Yeah, I used to use a tree walker climber. I would wear my pack parachute style on the front. I feel like a giant weeble-wooble waiting to fall over.

But, to be fair...sometimes when I'm climbing hopping from aider to aider or drilling in bolts or whatever, i miss my simple sit and climb....

 

[Allegheny Tom]

The worst thing about climbers is they limit which trees you can hunt.
All it takes is one branch at 7 foot and what could be the "dream tree" is not able to be climbed.

 

[Loopwing]

So true, BUT like has been mentioned there are some trees that I will still throw the climber on my back. I have a few poplar trees that the first branch is 40 feet up. These are my rifle hunting trees. I climb 30+ feet up an can see for 1000 yards. I don't shoot past 400 yards, but at 30+ feet deer aren't looking that high. The top half turns into a very steady rifle rest.

With all that being said 9 out of 10 hunts will be in the saddle.

 

[Bowmanmike]

So true, BUT like has been mentioned there are some trees that I will still throw the climber on my back. I have a few poplar trees that the first branch is 40 feet up. These are my rifle hunting trees. I climb 30+ feet up an can see for 1000 yards. I don't shoot past 400 yards, but at 30+ feet deer aren't looking that high. The top half turns into a very steady rifle rest.

With all that being said 9 out of 10 hunts will be in the saddle.

You are definetely not hunting in the Northeast

 

[MaxJac]

Yeah, I used to use a tree walker climber. I would wear my pack parachute style on the front. I feel like a giant weeble-wooble waiting to fall over.

But, to be fair...sometimes when I'm climbing hopping from aider to aider or drilling in bolts or whatever, i miss my simple sit and climb....

LWHC, in my opinion the best out of two worlds. Not bigger than any platform, works like any climber and I'm enjoying the comfort of a saddle. Of course, only on trees that allow for a hand climber.... but wait.... here in the Sandhills, 97% of the trees are pole like pine trees. All good here!

 

[brydan]

Yeah, I used to use a tree walker climber. I would wear my pack parachute style on the front. I feel like a giant weeble-wooble waiting to fall over.

But, to be fair...sometimes when I'm climbing hopping from aider to aider or drilling in bolts or whatever, i miss my simple sit and climb....

I'll probably never get rid of my sit and climb either, with a million places to sit on different properties it's still easy enough to use if the mood strikes. In the rain too, I still prefer a climber or hammock seat under an umbrella. I'm too busy for puritanism