Silencing a climber as much as possible??

[Blakebry123]

Working on trying to silence my new climber a little bit. It is a summit viper, and I know, my next stand will be a lone wolf. Gonna use this one for this season, see how it performs. If I like it I'll keep it, if not I'll sell it and try lone wolf next year. Thinking about getting spray foam for the inside, and some of the camo horse wrap that clings to itself and wrap the out of the bare spots. Is there anything else y'all would recommend?

[tgreeno]

Try to eliminate any metal to metal contact. The points that the 2 pieces nest together. Make sure you get some type of barrier between those contact points to quiet things down. And remember practice with it before season! Smooth and slow is quiet! It's not a race!

[bigwoodshuntn]

Order some stealth strips. Stealthoutdoors is the website. I believe he even has a video on YouTube how to silence a summit climber.

[Blakebry123]

Awesome thanks guys!! Loving this website and how fast I get a response!!

[justin84]

I used some black hockey tape on my Summit climber where it makes contact. I've never found a way to totally eliminate noise from the little cable lock mechanism.

[elk yinzer]

The biggest mistake I see people make is "dragging" the platform up the tree. Learn to hand climb. I've never seen someone use a sit and climb quietly. My buddy has a viper and insists on sitting. I can hear him from 300 yards away dragging that platform up the bark of the tree.

If you have the stirrups, the first thing I would do is replace them with the old straps and shock cord. Those stirrups are junk in my opinion. They don't allow you sufficient precise control of the platform, they get all loosey goosey. Can't get them tight enough. You really cinch down those old straps and that platform becomes an extension of your lower body. Precise control is essential.

Technique - this is essential - As you get ready to raise the platform, you have to point your toes down, clearing the stand from all contact with the tree. Then you carefully lift the platform up and carefully set it in position. Practice, practice, practice. I don't make a peep on hard barked trees. Shagbark cherry and hickory is tough period but I can do it quietly enough to hunt them if it's the best tree.

As for modification type things, I just use hockey tape to eliminate most metal to metal contact. Stealth strips are on my radar, they sound great. On a summit a big thing to watch for is when the shrink tube starts wearing off the band leaving metal exposed. That can make some noise and you want to tape that up ASAP.

As with a hangon the most important is taking your time. Don't clang stuff around while unpacking the stand. Slow is quiet and eventually. Get a system down and you get faster with practice.

[<DK>]

Working on trying to silence my new climber a little bit. It is a summit viper, and I know, my next stand will be a lone wolf. Gonna use this one for this season, see how it performs. If I like it I'll keep it, if not I'll sell it and try lone wolf next year. Thinking about getting spray foam for the inside, and some of the camo horse wrap that clings to itself and wrap the out of the bare spots. Is there anything else y'all would recommend?

You can be successful w any stand you want, just know your equipment and silence the heck out of everything! Practice in the dark, practice when its hot. Have a friend stand 75-100 yards away while you climb one night, see what you can get away with. When it comes to a HO, if you hunt a lot of transitions/edges then they are important. Many places youll find that are THE SPOT require a hang on. You'll see guys say many great spots in the woods dont have any trees to hunt from, this is true but once a tree is found most likely will need a hang on.

I will say though, my new LW is so sweet! I purchased the LW climber and XOP hang on, could not be happier. Such good stands that I will eventually buy one of everything.

As stated already, stealth strips are the best and an excellent price!! However, if youre short on cash/time... soft side velcro works great! Every spot that is metal on metal needs it, if you have to wrap it then use zipties to keep it there more securely. I agree, do the spray foam on the bottom just for a little extra. I was very surprised by Summits stands and being quieter than my old original one. I put hours into silencing a 2005 API, only to have my buddy bring his new summit by and surprise me. Although, now hes impressed by the LW

[<DK>]

The biggest mistake I see people make is "dragging" the platform up the tree. Learn to hand climb. I've never seen someone use a sit and climb quietly. My buddy has a viper and insists on sitting. I can hear him from 300 yards away dragging that platform up the bark of the tree.

If you have the stirrups, the first thing I would do is replace them with the old straps and shock cord. Those stirrups are junk in my opinion. They don't allow you sufficient precise control of the platform, they get all loosey goosey. Can't get them tight enough. You really cinch down those old straps and that platform becomes an extension of your lower body. Precise control is essential.

Technique - this is essential - As you get ready to raise the platform, you have to point your toes down, clearing the stand from all contact with the tree. Then you carefully lift the platform up and carefully set it in position. Practice, practice, practice. I don't make a peep on hard barked trees. Shagbark cherry and hickory is tough period but I can do it quietly enough to hunt them if it's the best tree.

As for modification type things, I just use hockey tape to eliminate most metal to metal contact. Stealth strips are on my radar, they sound great. On a summit a big thing to watch for is when the shrink tube starts wearing off the band leaving metal exposed. That can make some noise and you want to tape that up ASAP.

As with a hangon the most important is taking your time. Don't clang stuff around while unpacking the stand. Slow is quiet and eventually. Get a system down and you get faster with practice.

Great tips ElkYinzer

[Blakebry123]

Great tips guys I apprecite it!! I'll get on that this afternoon!!

[Jonny]

Where the stirrups attach to the stand and it's plastic on metal, wrap the metal with electrical tape. And a good amount of it. Once I did that I never needed to tighten the wingnuts again.

Other than that, go slow. I had zero tubing on my cables and never made noise. Small pieces of stealth strips where the cables go into the stand are much cheaper and last a lot longer than constantly wrapping the cables

If you go slow you can use it as a sit and climb with no noise. Slow and really tilt the stand forward when you are lifting up or going down. As quiet as any climber out there if you do it right

[bowfreak8]

I love my Summit Climber but my buddy has one with stealth strips and it really makes that thing quiet.

[PK_]

Mine is deadly silent... as it hangs in my shed...

Kidding. I use my summit from time to time.

Stealth strips all over it and paracord for the platform.

Besides some noisy bark trees you can climb darn near silent if you are patient.

Pick up the third hand archery foot rest.

[Jackson Marsh]

Stealth strips are like beer.....they make everything better.

[Horizontal Hunter]

I love my Summit Climber but my buddy has one with stealth strips and it really makes that thing quiet.

I stealth stripped mine and it was a big help with the noise. Lots of good tips above for climbing more quietly.

I removed the stirrups and just tuck my feet under the arms. I am naturally duck footed anyway so that works really well for me.

Bob

[Josh_S]

I have a summit viper, one thing I am annoyed by is the noise it makes when carrying it on my back. The tighter the clench strap around both platforms when carrying the less clanging you get. I even bought an extra strap and it helped. As other said, I would wrap paracord or something around the top rail to avoid clanging your bow or release on the metal.

**Be sure to use a short rope attaching your top and bottom platforms*** In my opinion, climbers should be manufactured this way. I had a very close call a few years ago when my bottom platform slid part way down the tree when I was about 25 ft up. Not sure what would have happened if I wasn't wearing a harness.