Favorite ladder stand

[Peeps]

After years and years of using climbing sticks with hang ons and doing some not so safe things to get from sticks into stand and back out I’ve decided to start switching my stands to ladder stands. I have a few and I like how easy and safe it is to climb up them and they are comfortable. This will also give my son more options as I don’t let him hunt out of the hang ons. Wondering what everyone’s favorites are. Looking at a price point under $175.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I bought a River's Edge Uppercut 21' ladder stand 4 years ago and have since bought 5 more. Love them. They are well built and well designed. Comfortable as all heck. I'm 6'2" and I could lounge in the thing all day. The seat and seat back are made of a strong mesh fabric which doesn't hold moisture and dries quickly. The ladder has a 3rd rail in the middle of the rungs that makes the thing stable and strong and quiet. They are heavy, and getting them up can be a chore...I do it by myself with a snatch block and using the winch on my ATV. Really happy with this stand. I think River's Edge replaced this model with a newer version...but I still find them and buy them at places like Amazon and Sierra Trading under the Uppercut name for $199 on sale. A little above your price point....but IMHO....worth every penny.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Peeps]

How do those mesh seats hold up. Can they be taken off after hunting season? I worry that they would be destroyed if they are permanently attached and the stand was left on the tree year round.

 

[Bszweda]

Mesh seats are definitely my favorite.

 

[mglenn005]

I don’t have a ladder stand but if I got one, my first look would be millennial stands. They are expensive but that is the most comfortable lock on stand I have ever sat in, and still sit in to this day.


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[yoderjac]

After years and years of using climbing sticks with hang ons and doing some not so safe things to get from sticks into stand and back out I’ve decided to start switching my stands to ladder stands. I have a few and I like how easy and safe it is to climb up them and they are comfortable. This will also give my son more options as I don’t let him hunt out of the hang ons. Wondering what everyone’s favorites are. Looking at a price point under $175.

Sorry, no recommendations at that price point. The characteristics I like are first a comfortable seat. I don't do well with a metal seat. I can't sit still for long. I love the new char type seats with no metal bar pressure points. Next, I like height. Everything in your price range will have a stabilizer bar. That limits you to straight trees which in many cases doesn't matter.

Personally, I've opted for more expensive stands. I'll just stretch out the time over which I replace my existing stands. I've sucked up the price tag for a 21' millennium. They have a double rail and don't require the stabilizer bar. This means the tree only needs to be straight at the point where the stand contacts it and above. These are very heavy duty and last many years. Besides the cost, the downsides are weight and angle. The weight is not a big issue for me as I'm hunting private land and don't move them. At the end of the season, I loosen the strap and lean them out from the tree a bit and ease them back slightly higher or lower. This lets the tree bar move against the tree as it sways in the wind when the stand is not in use and keeps the tree from growing over it.

The ascension angle is pretty steep. The ladder is wide and rigid and I don't have an issue climbing it, but it is a steeper angle than many ladder stands.

If you like tall stands and are ok with straight trees, one in your price range is the Muddy Stronghold 1.5. It is similar height but has a middle stabilizer bar. It is not a sturdy but is much lighter. It is just as comfortable once you are using it. Assembly was problematic and much harder than the millennium. You have to stretch the fabric seat yourself and it required hammering sections into place. The guy at cabelas told me how to do it because they had a half dozen returned because guys thought they were defective because of how hard it was to assemble the seat. If you are willing to put up with the assembly issue (it was a few years ago so maybe it has gotten better), it is a good choice.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Freeborn]

I purchased two of these at the end of the season 2 years ago and I am very impressed with them. These stands have a unique tubing that makes them strong and with both the base and seat attaching to the tree very quiet. With gear I'm about 290 lbs and these stands remain quiet with me on them. Overall instruction, fit and finish Is very good.

https://t.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/...xlxxxtsb/15fnsufstpstxlxxxtsb?uniqueID=672153

 

[Natty Bumppo]

How do those mesh seats hold up. Can they be taken off after hunting season? I worry that they would be destroyed if they are permanently attached and the stand was left on the tree year round.

That's a great question...and one that I had when I first bought these. I bought some lightweight canvas tent material and had my wife sew up some seat covers that I place over the folded up seat and back rest after the season. I strap them down with bungi cords and leave them on January through September. Mostly I am concerned about UV damage over the long run. So far, so good....it's been about 5 years and they all look good.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I don’t have a ladder stand but if I got one, my first look would be millennial stands. They are expensive but that is the most comfortable lock on stand I have ever sat in, and still sit in to this day.


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I agree about the Millennium portable stands....crazy comfortable, easy to set up, and light. I have 3 Monster 150's. I actually narrowed down my choice 4 years ago to the Millennium 21' ladder and the Uppercut. The Millennium ladder has many of the same features as the 21' Uppercut. The deal breaker for me was the fact that the Millennium ladder does not have horizontal arm rests. The supports on either side of the seat are at a 45. I personally just like a place to put my arm and shift my weight around in the stand to get comfortable.

 

[dsinwi]

A buddy of mine and I have been using the Big Game Stealth DX for the last 3 years. On sale they were $120 if I recall. They are a 17' stand. Using fasteners and gorilla tape I can quiet them down while entering and exiting the stand. Probably not as stable or as well built as some of the higher end ones but overall we have been very pleased with them. My mesh seat is just fine after 3 years in the elements. I like the idea of getting a cover it though.
We are both rather large fellows and we find them very comfortable.

 

[Someday isle]

I have two each of the Rivers Edge SYCT wide stands and X-stand Onyx. Both 17 feet to the rail. They are very comfortable and very stable. This is the third year for the SYCT stands and the second year for the Onyx. The seats have held up very well. One of the cables on one of the Onyx slipped through its clamp but it was an easy fix. I’d buy either one of them again. The X-stand is locked solid before climb up. Great design idea. The shooting rail on the Onyx is better and I left one on over the summer on the SYCT and the squirrels apparently are quite fond of foam rubber. It got chewed up really bad. We rifle hunt and bow hunt but they have to be bow friendly for us and they both really shine there. Plenty of leg room too. One son and I are both 6’4 and 190 and the other is 6 foot and 245. We have plenty of room. We also have Hunter safety system life lines permanently on all of our stands. We plan on replacing the lifelines with new ones next year just to be safe.

If there’s one drawback to the SYCT it’s that the arm rests flare out a little. I like to put a bow holder on the arm rest of the Onyx and it’s very handy. The SYCT doesn’t allow for that but it’s wide enough that I can keep my bow on my lap or just hang it on a hook off the tree.

 

[Wintomatic]

I'm using millennium m25 hangon's. I love the chain and the seats are so comfortable. $88 shipped from Amazon. I started putting those mesh lumbar supports (were on sale for $3.99 at menards) and bungee them to the tree. They make a world of difference.

 

[yellowdog00]

X-Stands. I have a few of the “Duke”model and really like them. 20’ with very comfortable mesh seats. Most important feature is they use cables and ratchet straps attached to metal jaws that grip the tree at two places making it much safer when you climb treeto attach final ratchet strap. They retail over $200 but I’ve gotten all mine on sale for $150. Although I would easily pay full price just for the safety aspect!

 

[Booner21]

A buddy of mine and I have been using the Big Game Stealth DX for the last 3 years. On sale they were $120 if I recall. They are a 17' stand. Using fasteners and gorilla tape I can quiet them down while entering and exiting the stand. Probably not as stable or as well built as some of the higher end ones but overall we have been very pleased with them. My mesh seat is just fine after 3 years in the elements. I like the idea of getting a cover it though.
We are both rather large fellows and we find them very comfortable.

We have a few of these as well and like them a lot.

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[Apple Junkie]

I purchased two of these at the end of the season 2 years ago and I am very impressed with them. These stands have a unique tubing that makes them strong and with both the base and seat attaching to the tree very quiet. With gear I'm about 290 lbs and these stands remain quiet with me on them. Overall instruction, fit and finish Is very good.

https://t.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/...xlxxxtsb/15fnsufstpstxlxxxtsb?uniqueID=672153

I can second Freeborn's recommendation. I bought 2 of these stands last year and they are the best I've used in the past 8 to 10 years. They are quiet and comfortable, and the seat material has not degraded one bit that I can see. Worth the money in my book.

 

[Peeps]

I finally got around to buying a couple ladder stands. Tough to find them still in stock right now. If my order goes through I have 2 of the Big Game Hunter HD 1.5 coming my way.

 

[DiSc0Rd]

I really like the big dog stands. They are above your price point but they are the most comfortable ladder stand I've ever sat in

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I finally got around to buying a couple ladder stands. Tough to find them still in stock right now. If my order goes through I have 2 of the Big Game Hunter HD 1.5 coming my way.

I think you will be happy with them. I bought two of them at the start of the season and have been very pleased with them so far.

 

[Knehrke]

As close as I can tell, the Big Game HD 1.5 are nearly the same as the discontinued Field and Stream Outlook 1.5, which is one of my favorite stands. I suspect that Big Game made them for F&S. They are a good combination of weight, stability, size, and durability IMHO.

Millennium, the L110, not the new cheaper stands like the L105 that have come out since they acquired Ol' Man Treestands, is still the Taj Mahal, and everyone jockeys for them on my properties.

 

[H20fwler]

It would be hard to beat the Millenniums, we have a few of the 110's and love them. Like sitting in a comfortable chair and extremely sturdy and quiet.