Would you rather

Put up multiple cheap lock on ($40 each). And have easy time getting in and out, but they are harder to set up and take down before and after season. Also the risk of noise and being uncomfortable. Or invest in one quality light weight lock on that you set up and take down each hunt? I'm thinking XOP Vanish $149 at Cabela's.

Multiples.

Putting up and taking down each time defeats the purpose of locons to me. I would rather just use a climber.

Spend another $75 and buy that Summit Goliath in the classifieds and be done with it...

This. I will not hunt from a lock on.

Several sets with sticks and millennium collars. Take stand w u after you replace the cheap shoulder straps.

Cheap lock ons bother me because they're probably not as safe, or as comfortable. I agree with the climber idea. Or buy some $60 ladder stands from Sportsmans Guide if you're cheap, at least you'll be safer, even if your feet fall asleep.

If.............IF...........I was going to go the multiple lock-on route, it'd be that lock-on where you can buy multiple climbing sticks and "receivers" that stay on the tree, and then move the stand from tree to tree by just clipping it into the receiver. Problem is, I doubt that would be cost efficient. Granted, I can't tell you what they cost, but I doubt you'd get out much less than $100/tree. Once you buy a stand and 3 receivers/sticks, you might as well have just bought a good climber and have endless options for locations.

I'd rather buy multiple quality lock ons ( I only use Millennium) and slip quietly in and out each time. I usually pick up one or two each year on sale and take them down after the season is over. I'm too old and fat to hang and take down a stand with each hunt. I'd make too much noise and be sweating like a pig.

For bow season and early gun season, I use Millennium lock ons with sticks. I like how I can ease in and out without making too much noise or getting too sweaty. Late season when it has cooled off, I use a climber.

I'd rather have one good comfortable stand than a dozen itty bitty ones that suck to sit in.

I have a climber, but would rather not carry it up the mountain every hunt. Also, don't have a lot of strainght limbless trees

Multiple loc-on’s and don’t buy cheap crappy ones.

I have hunted out of lock-ons since I was 10 years old. I love them. You can expect to pay $100 for a decent one, and $200+ for a really nice one. I’ve been known to put up several stick ladders and take a lightweight (6-8 lb lock-on) in and out when I hunt each location. Use a strap, not a chain. You won’t make any noise hanging it. If I had money to spend I’d buy one really nice lightweight stand and as many sticks as I could afford. This has worked really well for me. I’m not buying 15 lock-ons for two reasons. First, it’s too freaking expensive. Second, I might not hunt a stand but 1 or 2 times a year or even not at all. I found one I hung two years ago that I’ve yet to sit in. I forgot it was there. So now I gotta make my way up and take it down, inspect, and reinstall. It was one of the $100 variety. I wouldn’t want to risk leaving an expensive stand all summer. For those of you thinking how the heck did you forget you hung a stand, well, you ain’t hung enough of them if you’ve not forgotten a few.

I think that summit only weighs in at about 20lbs......put some decent straps on it and shouldn't be too bad. Doesn't help with the crooked, limbed tree problem though

A melinnium m-25 is 80$ with a safety line. Add in 40$ sticks and you have a fine setup for 120$. This is what I have gone to with most of my stands and I use 2 vipers for mobility and move lock one accordingly

I went with a hang on this year. I only hunt pubic land and I don't hunt the same place more than once or twice a year. I like the hang on because I don't have to find a neat perfect tree as I did with my climber, and my lone wolf is about half the weight as my old summit. I can take 3-4 sticks and go up almost any tree I want to. However, IF... I was going to go back to a climber I'd definitely look at a tree walker, I was very impressed with them at the NC deer expo last year.

Here’s what I like, comfortable, cheap and sturdy. $74 I think and they are like sitting in a recliner.They are a little heavy but if you pull it up with a rope it makes it easier

Eskimo270, I've got two of those lock on.
They are very comfortable. Better than the millennium in my opinion.

Not a lock on fan but if I was I wold have several of those type Eskimo is showing and have them on several trees. In fact a few years ago when I was still climbing I had three climbers I kept on trees for bow hunting and then one, my quietest, that I kept with me in case I decided to go to somewhere other than my three favorite spots. Of corse, as the season progressed I would move the three to the hot spots based on conditions.

I agree with a lot here that has been said. I have about 15 lock ons. I started with the cheap $50 ones years ago. It’s much better on my butt and back to buy quality. I have replaced the majority of them with quality stands. It is WORK putting 15 up and taking them down, plus the storage room they take up. I bought the small lightweight Millennium last year (M7 microlite). I’m debating just putting up sticks and receivers and down sizing my stand inventory. If you’re a serious bow hunter, slipping in and out and not breaking a sweat should be high on your list, as well as concealment. You can’t do that with a climber, I don’t care what they say. So to answer your question, multiple hang on stands or stand sites.

I dont like lock ons, that much myself. I have 5 summit viper
Climbers. 3 oleman climbers. and numerous ladder stands.
I normally put my climbers on trees and leave them all season ,
But I hunt mostley on private property. All that being said I would
rather hunt out of the pop up ground blinds. IF. you take time and brush
them in they can be deadly on deer and turkey.

If im on private land im gonna be runnin cameras hard and scouting and gps'ing points of intrest and hang stands where i see fit in as many vantage points per wind direction possible with the leas amount of disturbance from my chosen acess point and i may still carry my limit and sticks and find me another good spot to gig one. On public land....well..all that stuff...just more emphasis on foot scouting and gps applied to my single loc on in and out method. If i got private land..im liable to get a little silly with it...you can never have to many spots to go and i usually only hang a stand tho in what i consider to be a high sucess rate area...if i feel its not ill just hunt it occasionally with my limit.

Thanks for the opinions guys. I am liking the idea to use sticks or screw in steps, life line, and receiver at each set up. Then pack in and out a lightweight high quality lockon. That way I have less weight to carry. And with multiple receivers I can move the same stand pretty easy. I have a summit stand which I have carried a long ways. But would really like to have some places set up already. And use the climber for public land.

Comfort and quality. Of course these don't always go together but I would rather be comfortable in on place, than uncomfortable in many places.

This all day long. I buy them at the end of the season or after when the sales get good. Only difference is I buy lock ons and sticks. I don't even know how many I have. I've got several that I've never sat but they are in good spots for certain winds only. I try to remember where they all are and replace the straps before bow season or pull them during Turkey seazon but I never get them all.

I was walking down by the creek at our hunting club one time and I saw a climber on a tree and I thought to myself “that’s a cool climber, I used to have one just like it, I wonder what happened to it.” Then I got over there to it and realized it was my climber and I had hung it there 2 seasons ago. Lmao

This^^^ Buy one or two every year and in a few years you will be set ! I probably have around 30 now.

THIRTY?!? GOOD NIGHT! 30 x $100 each. $3,000. Wish I could, but that's a lot of coin. Plus safelines, steps on each. I agree this would be better to have quality stands on all sets. But I gotta feed my kids.

They were accumulated over a 30 year period so 100 to 200 dollars per year. Second I don't need nearly that many, rarely have more than 15 out at any one time.(some of these stands were given to me by older members that no longer feel comfortable in them). I have an extreme belief in keeping pressure low so once I hang one for the season I don't like messing with it till after season. But if I find a hot spot I always have one ready to hang. In the famous words of Whild Bill, I just know what works for me !

Multiple sticks already set up with millennium chain brackets. Carry the millennium m100u in and out. Also put molle enhanced shoulder straps on the stand.

Bought that same one about a month ago. Haven't put it on a tree yet, but after putting it together, I sat in it in my living room. About the most comfortable stand I've ever sat in. Looking forward to sitting in it this season.

I'd rather have stands in place or carry a climber.