Here’s a highly portable tree stand for the off the beaten path deer hunter. Climbing tree stands are super convenient for hunting hard to reach places and for hunting one spot one day and another the next. This unit weighs a seriously impressive total of 20 pounds and has a weight capacity of 300 pounds. It’s about as lightweight as a tree stand can get and even conveniently mounts to your back for easy trekking to your favorite hunting spot or to somewhere new in the landscape.
Summit also makes a highly comparable but slightly more robust stand — the Goliath SD, that has a 350 pound weight limit and only weighs one pound extra than the Viper SD.
The full perimeter frame of this stand allow you to both sit down and stand up while hunting, so although this is a compact and portable unit it’s still a versatile platform and seat to hunt from. The front bar allows for easy climbing and also doubles as a gun rest. Summit has even filled certain parts of the platform with a custom engineered foam for reducing noise while shifting on the stand to maximize noise control — pretty cool!
The silent foam padded seat can be raised for bow hunting and lowered for gun hunting making this stand truly versatile for any style hunter. Summit also sells a “surround seat” for their climbing tree stands that provides even more comfort and some added protection from the elements if fighting the cold is a constant battle where you hunt. Even though this stand is meant to be portable and trekked with, you’ll find it to be very comfortable and will likely want to use it over other, more permanent tree stands.
The “Quickdraw” cable retention system might be what makes this climbing stand such a favorite amongst hunters. It’s renowned for being an exceptionally simple, fast and quiet cable system that doesn’t include any additional hardware. You simply size the cable to the tree diameter, insert it into retention bracket and the Quickdraw trigger will lock into place. To remove the stand you just pull the trigger — it’s a really neat system that is both effective and safe.
Summit also has equipped this stand with their ergonomically designed “Rapidclimb” climbing stirrups for keeping any size boot secured to the platform while climbing. The tough aluminum construction of this stand is built to last a lifetime, but Summit has none the less covered this product with a five year limited warranty.
As a portable climber, Summit has made a reliable and rugged product here that can accommodate for just about any deer hunting style. Roam the wilderness and hunt where you want to with the Viper SD.
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