My viper is 20+ years old too. On long sits it does get a little uncomfortable as it has a bar under the front edge of the seat, and no arm rests. Sleep quite a few times 20ft up and no harness, should have fallen out numerous times. But that was in my young and bullet proof days.

So something else to carry. You use lineman spiked like climbing a telephone pole?
No way a tree saddle is as comfortable as a stand. Do you carry a platform to stand on? How do you attach it while hanging with your nuts shoved up into your intestines

I can honestly say I HAVE NEVER fallen asleep in a stand or on the ground deer hunting. Is you’re going to sleep go back home. Or at least sit in the truck

No. Climbing spurs are fairly expensive and illegal to use on most public land and some private landowner's nan them as well.

My climbing system fits in my pocket. (30ft of rope, a hand ascender , F3 device and some carabiners). Platform attaches to my backpack. I think you've confused a saddle with a safety harness which puts pressure on things you don't want pressure on if you have to use it. Platform is easy to set. Throw the strap around the tree and tighten it down. Stand on top of the post and can the platform down. When set properly, you can stand on the side edge of the platform and it won't even wiggle. If you do come off your platform for any reason, it's pretty hard to unless you do it intentionally, you just swing like in a swing set. If there's slack in your tether you'll drop a bit just s bit to shock yourself but no real chance getting suspension trauma like a fall in safety harness.

Once you figure out the bridge length and angle, saddles are very comfortable, some more so than others and getting better every year.

I have a couple API Crusaders, I like them. I leave them on different ridges so I dont have to keep carrying them up.
One suggestion, Third Hand Archery makes stabilizer straps, they "lock" the top and bottom platforms together, they really secure your stand. I attached a link.


https://thirdhandarchery.com/product.asp?PRODID=13

I’ve replaced my seat several times, right now I have one like a recliner, lol. And for the record I always wear a safety harness while climbing, sitting, and descending. I’ve been 30ft up when a storm came up and it got so windy I couldn’t safely climb down. I’d be facing north one second and East the next, lol. Never once have I felt unsafe or uncomfortable in that stand. I did have an API or something like that where the actual arms bend in to the tree and fell out of that joker the second time I tried climbing with it. It just wasn’t a Viper and got sold quick!!

I realize this is turning back the clock .But in the 1980's Loggy Bayou made a well built climbing stand . They her not to bad to carry easy to put on the tree and very solid once you had t attached to the tree One down side was they could be a little scary when using on a wet tree. But I bet if you could find one they still work fine because they where made to last

Turning back time the last climbing stand I had was a Baker stand big, heavy kind of a pain.

Won't use 'em, too dangerous.

Ill premise by saying Ive rocked climbed for over 25 years and climbed cell towers for 6. Saddles are for the fat or faint of heart IMO lol

I have two methods of climbing. The first is just using the platform itself. You start by placing your platform high on the tree. You climb up it. It has what climbers call an etrier (sling ladder). You climb up as high as you can and take your main line and girth hitch it around the tree with a locking carabiner. Then you can hang in that in your saddle. Then take the platform/ladder and place it as high as you can just under your girth hitch. Repeat till your at your height. This setup weight 6lbs i think

The second method I have been using is just to find a suitable tree and climb it. I have a saddle and 6ft of 7mm. I also have two 24” (“shoulder length”) slings. I climb the tree, find a good place where my feet can be. I hitch the tree with the slings. Sometimes its necessary for two if its a thick tree. I put my 6’ rope on these with a locker and clove hitch myself in on my saddle. This setup weighs 2lb9oz and is sweet for wallows way back or for russian olives where other stands wont work.

Other people bring lots of steps but I dont see the point. If you are gonna carry weight, just carry a stand.

I have a summit. For me the top of the stand has to be high so the longbow can be drawn. I like hang ons most for shoot ability

Lone Wolf I've had a LONG time.
Getting to.the age where sitting on a downed log, a stump, or a flipped bucket suits me better

I hunted for decades with a cougar claw. It will climb any tree and not wiggle. Downside it weighs 25 lbs. I would leave the house or truck and climb hills and hollers until I got on a good buck. Sit for days if necessary and kill it. Yes came in each night...

That was before back surgery. It ended my climbing stand days.. Ladders only now

I used ol man's for years still have 2 to but I just don't trust em because of their age.I can remember the Baker climber. I also had a couple Amacker climbers many moons ago.Looks like the Summits are at the top of the food chain now.

I like the ol'man stands but they are known to slip on hard barked trees. Be aware of that and use accordingly, mainly ensuring its got a good set before transferring weight.

Yes Warrior you are absolutely right . Been down that road .

Timbertall climber was my favorite, got stolen 2 years ago in sd
Haven’t found one yet to replace it!

Been down that tree, lol.

I have a summit I bought 10 or so years ago, very comfortable stand(forget the model), but since I hunt mostly private, I find myself venturing more towards lock on stands. However, on the rare occasion I venture into public land, or want to explore different parts of the properties I hunt, the summit works well. Relatively light, quiet, and once your used to it, you can get it hooked on a tree and shimmy up pretty quickly