20 foot ladder stands.

[nyslowhand]

Typically 15' ladder stands are in the 50-70# range. Some heavier as they get made taller &/or more substantial! Made lightweight intentionly due to shipping from mfgres in China. They are also refered to as permanent, so you wouldn't  be packing one in to your site the day of a hunt! Mine are all set-up &/or relocated no later than the end of July for Oct 1st hunting. I assembly mine in a large shed on my property and leave in 2X pieces; platform and one ~4' ladder section. 2nd piece is 2X ladder sections. They get strapped to a small-ish trailer & hauled as close to possible to where I want to put them up. 2X pieces bolted together and then uprighted against tree. Suppose you could haul the box in and put together at the site. Boxes are generally ~4-5' long, ~3'wide and ~12" thick. Boxes aren't always in the best condition either after the long trip being shipped from China & handled several times before it gets into your possession. So missing smaller parts or hardware is not uncommon due to tears in packaging (box).

 

[phade]

Ladder stands are certainly not what I call mobile. But, I keep a few put together, minus the sections, ready to go in-season. I've killed deer plenty of times on ladders hung mere hours before the shot.

[Arrow Flinger]

My 20 foot ladder stands weight between 80-100 pounds. I strap them to a deer cart and make my son drag them into the woods. Looks like a Rickshaw going through the woods!

[growalot]

Darn near all my stands are just hanging out in the wide open...and 1/3 of them are sitting at the bottom of and incline...what happens when you live near the top of a hill and most of property is below you...never stopped me from having buck, doe, fox,  turkey ect.... walking in around and under them...What I have seen is as the deer are coming in up hill from me they are not looking at the "skyline" but looking down......

 

There is  only one stand  that I have to really concern my self with movement. That is one that the incline has a saddle (if correct term) and the stand is 23ft high built between 2 trees and when they hit that saddle the stand is right at eye level before they reach the edge and start down again....I made half a box blind to cut movement...but they still sometimes catch me..in that case being taller is not good... just hang the stand so it is looking straight up or straight down the incline...you are most likely to be picked off by deer looking up as they go up the hill other wise...

[moog5050]

Just picked up some altitutde stands from dicks.  They are 21' to the platform.  Should be solid, but are heavy (80lbs).  As Phade said, use duct tape before inserting the sections.  Makes things much quieter.

[phade]

Just picked up some altitutde stands from dicks.  They are 21' to the platform.  Should be solid, but are heavy (80lbs).  As Phade said, use duct tape before inserting the sections.  Makes things much quieter.

 

It also helps if you have a really big guy on standby who can lift them without a care in the world.

[growalot]

I have put all my ladder stands (prefab) up by my self...bigger one with help from a pulley or long rope over a limb...and 15'-16ft one two stakes and twine to hold legs from popping as I walk the ladder up...it's taking them down I hate...

[Nomad]

I use 15 footers,cheap ones from Dicks. Most of them I bring in all assembled , I carry them on my shoulder,I wear a backpack and try to rest the beam on the strap. Easy walk really.

[Fletch]

I wait till stands are on sale at dicks for 49 bucks for the 15 footers. Then buy 4 and use the forth to turn the other 3 into 20 footers. Has worked well for me and if you use a 10$ off coupon for each and buy separately you can do it relatively cheap.

 

They also sell extensions but my way cost 1/4 of that.

 

I just went out yesterday and loosened up the strap on mine.

[NYbuck50]

If you can, spend the money on a few 2 man stands.. So much more comfortable than the little ladders, though i have several of both

[GreeneHunter]

I wait till stands are on sale at dicks for 49 bucks for the 15 footers. Then buy 4 and use the forth to turn the other 3 into 20 footers. Has worked well for me and if you use a 10$ off coupon for each and buy separately you can do it relatively cheap.

 

They also sell extensions but my way cost 1/4 of that.

 

I just went out yesterday and loosened up the strap on mine.

 

Good Idea !!!

 

[First-light]

Good Idea !!!

 

 

I heard of people doing this. I was told though you have to make sure you move the stabilizer up a bit because the ladder becomes very flimsy. 

Is that the case from why you have done?

[phade]

I heard of people doing this. I was told though you have to make sure you move the stabilizer up a bit because the ladder becomes very flimsy. 

Is that the case from why you have done?

 

I have a few with one stabilizer bar and a few with two.

 

Two makes a world of difference in stability imo, esp. if you have a few larger guys.

[Doc]

Well, I saw one up on the state land, and wondered why the guy would leave it there with all the theft and such that goes on over there. He left it up all through gun season. I still think he was goofy risking something that expensive, but now hearing what the weight of those things are, I can see why he didn't haul it in and out......lol.

 

Sounds like this treestand hunting has turned into some major work. I thought the climbers and portables were a pain but hauling 80 to 100 pounds up that hill, would certainly be out of the question. Of course, I have come down out of the trees for a few decades now so my interest is more curiosity than any intention to ever use one.

[nyslowhand]

Stabilizer bars - Put mine ~5-6' high and then crisscross a ratchet strap from one side of ladder, around tree and back to other side of ladder where bar is positioned. This really cinches the lower ladder section. Of course, you really need to torque the thumb screw when length of bar is set.

 

Can't imagine carrying a fully assembled ladder stand over any distance.   More power to anyone (Larry302) than does it!! Anyone not aware of it, the balance point (center mass) on an assembled ladder stand is near the 1st or 2nd ladder step down from the platform. Little more tricky moving one thru the woods as opposed to across or along the edge of a field. If you're young, strong & determined enough, suppose most anything can be accompolished. Us old "duffers" are determined, but lacking in the other traits, so we must get creative. LOL