Ladder stand modifications

Lee Haakenson

5 year old buck +
How many of you modify your stands and what do you do? Just got done with this stand. Nylon washers between all fastened joints, spray foam in tubes, paint to break up the color. Looking for ither unique tricks.
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Like the spray foam idea, that's one I haven't tried.
 
Like the spray foam idea, that's one I haven't tried.
It deadens the sound but is messy using the foam. Use vinyl tubing on a great stuff can to fill it.

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Added another section to this stand. Its getting pretty tall!
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The foam is a good idea. I've added ladder sections to make them taller and like to tape the clips that hold the ladders together so they don't make a racket
 
I do!
I've put the two stands together to get up higher a couple times, putting them up is a little spooky. I attach 1" steel conduit to the outside to stiffen them up and lesson any chance of buckling pounding it down in ground and securing with heavy duty #175 zip ties all the way down, I also use two braces on them. They end up being 25'-26' up and are pretty quiet but take a little getting used too...I wear a harness in the tall ones!

And like all my stands I repaint and ad pipe wrap to the rails, double pads on seats and wrap anything that could make noise with electrical tape.

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I would like to know how you guys get those extended length stands up against the tree, and then how you get them secured to the tree?

Pics, videos ... how to ...:emoji_thinking:
 
Looks great Lee.
 
As an Engineer I have to say be VERY careful in how you modify/alter your stands. Unsupported lengths and the like can create failures and put you at risk. I realize I should like a stick in the mud, but with how manufacturing is always about the thinnest, lightest, cheapest materials to make a few extra cents profit.....you can be seriously jeopardizing the integrity of your stands. Many stands use the bare minimum to meet the designs and when you start adding additional weight, or increasing distances and the like things can change quickly.....some may not fail right away but instead over time after flexing and flexing and then....it don't flex no more!

The expanding foam is great....deadens sound, keeps water out of the tubing preventing rusting AND fills voids where things with stingers can hide.
Nylon washer and lock nuts or premium grade hardware can be great as well (hit with a shot of flat black spray paint). Many of my stands have the "snap-pin" type joints. Slide them all the way to the outside and then wrap them in duct tape to help keeping them from catching on clothing and the like. I also like the foam tubes held on with zip-ties on metal surfaces as well where practical (shooting rails and the like). Yes the critters will eat it. I replace every year and use black pipe insulation for like water heater pipes. I also prefer a fixed pull rope (I really like 2). 1 for my pack and 1 for my weapon. I prefer to go up the tree with nothing on me other than my clothes. I like at least one pull rope on each stand as there may be a time you forget one or the like. I also like to add a skirt if I can. I tend to use the cheap camo burlap and zip ties. I can't say I have spray painted mine.....yet.
 
I would like to know how you guys get those extended length stands up against the tree, and then how you get them secured to the tree?

Pics, videos ... how to ...:emoji_thinking:

Easy way. Go up in a climber. Tighten your straps.
 
Where I hunt, 15' is plenty high or I wouldn't be able to see down through tree limbs, brush, etc. Fiber washers, stainless steel hardware, duct tape on pins, flat paint - all pretty standard for me.
 
Easy way. Go up in a climber. Tighten your straps.

I have very few trees you can use a climber on due to their diameter and branching especially that high. If only it were that simple ...
 
I have very few trees you can use a climber on due to their diameter and branching especially that high. If only it were that simple ...
Ok so use climbing sticks then. Not that hard. And it’s the safest way.
 
Be careful depending on plastic zip ties for anything structural. Unreinforced plastic loses a significant amount of strength when exposed to the elements. Your 175 pound zip ties might be 5 pound zip ties after a couple years.

I like adding the pipe as a reinforcement though, but I think adding a couple of rubber dipped chains at the top and bottom would guarantee they stay in place when the zip ties degrade.
 
Be careful depending on plastic zip ties for anything structural. Unreinforced plastic loses a significant amount of strength when exposed to the elements. Your 175 pound zip ties might be 5 pound zip ties after a couple years.

I like adding the pipe as a reinforcement though, but I think adding a couple of rubber dipped chains at the top and bottom would guarantee they stay in place when the zip ties degrade.

Zip ties get replaced every year, the sun will definitely degrade them over time. Menards is a pretty cheap source for heavy duty ones.
 
Ok so use climbing sticks then. Not that hard. And it’s the safest way.

Yeah I get the easy to figure out stuff ... thought there might be some new ideas. Sounds like you have some type of plantation planting where straight, no lower limbed trees, essentially new growth are common. Not that simple with a 36" plus diameter oak or maple and a 22' plus tall ladder stand.

I can walk up a 18' - 20' ladder stand, after that chair & extended ladder over comes the fulcrum point. ... which is me

If you are extending ladder stand to 25' ... ?
 
Yeah I get the easy to figure out stuff ... thought there might be some new ideas. Sounds like you have some type of plantation planting where straight, no lower limbed trees, essentially new growth are common. Not that simple with a 36" plus diameter oak or maple and a 22' plus tall ladder stand.

I can walk up a 18' - 20' ladder stand, after that chair & extended ladder over comes the fulcrum point. ... which is me

If you are extending ladder stand to 25' ... ?

If I’m by myself I’ll go up with the sticks. Choker strap on the tree at the height of the platform, pully and rope. Climb dow Pull it into position. Back up the sticks and strap it down. I use sticks and hang ons personally. But my father at 60 years old now would rather hunt ladders. In fact as I post this I have 4 of the millennium 21 footers in the garage that still need to go up.
 
^^^^ I used to use climbers all the time. But with a bad back and age, it's been ladders for me the last 5 years or so. Sneak in, no noise, climb up & sit down. Me like !!
 
I don't usually do much to my ladder stands, but I do like the idea of break up paint. For me, 16' is plenty high enough as I usually tuck my stand into a tree with two or three stems.
 
I have drilled 2*4's into the tree on my left and right for gun rests. I'm 6 foot 5 inches tall and I feel like I have to crouch down too far to actually use the manufacturer's rests. I added 45 degree braces and a front cross bar on one. More solid than the manufacturer rests by far.



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