Lone Wolf Assault Climber - Gone are the days of dragging a giant 30lb steel climber through the woods. The Hand Climber "Combo" by Lone Wolf stands only 14.7 pounds and folds flat like a book for easy transport. I bought this treestand a year ago and used it for an entire hunting season. I hunt a lot of public land and often find myself going through swamps to get back to where the hunting pressure is less. Slipping through bushes requires a light, graceful setup, reducing the chances of my stand getting caught in the brush. If you want to buy a climbing tree stand, this might be the only one. Here are the facts you need to know before you make your decision.
The stand costs $379.99 and is one of many options Lone Wolf has in the climbing stand category. These sites are very popular with public land hunters and private land hunters who want to use a mobile hunting strategy. While the price tag may seem steep, the old adage of "you get what you pay for" couldn't be more true in this case. If I'm going to invest extra money in any equipment, I'd rather have a platform that keeps me safely 30 feet up a tree!
Lone Wolf Assault Climber
I have used this stand in swamps in the mountains of Mississippi and North Carolina, but my favorite memory with this stand is sitting on a 6” persimmon tree on a Mississippi ditch in October and harvesting my first public land deer from it! I backed it up 3 miles to get to an unstressed deer and hunted it over 30 times this season. My stand has climbed all different types of trees from small hard barked oaks to big shaggy barked pines, I have put this thing through the wringer and still love it!
Lone Wolf 3 Pc Climbing Sticks
The Lone Wolf Hand Climber Combo features a cast aluminum leg and seat platform that is very sturdy without packing too much weight. They feel very durable and have a light gray matte finish that is non-reflective to eliminate potential glare warning play. The framework that holds the upper and lower boom straps are both aluminum. A flat dark brown color also adds to the skin value of this stand. I installed camouflage stealth strips from Stealth Outdoors on the aluminum frame. Now there is no sound when the two pieces make contact with each other.
The seat platform has a rotating sleeve on each side that holds the boom belt. These sleeves rotate back about 100 degrees and fold the stand easily. While climbing, be careful that the seat platform stays in place between these sleeves so that turning the platform does not compromise the bite angle against the tree.
The foot platform consists of a collapsible frame with sliding hand tension nuts on each side. These tension nuts must be loosened to extend the frame and tightened before mounting. I ran into a problem with these tension nuts when I didn't tighten them enough. My foot bumping against them while climbing a tree caused them to come loose and threaten to break the foot platform. There is an easy solution to this problem. Take these nuts off and hold them as tight as you can with your hands before climbing and they will hold just enough to climb.
The "V" shaped bite area of both platforms is sharp enough to secure stands in the bark on most tree species. The tree straps on Lone Wolf Climbers do not use pins or holes to set the length of the cable and there is no exposed metal. This polymer tire consists of an inner steel core, a flat outer side and an inner side covered with "U" shaped grooves in which the lugs lock. Considering the overall width of the stand and the length of the cable, the Lone Wolf Hand Climber is ideal for smaller trees. Lone Wolf recommends trees 6-19” in diameter. Personally, I have found that trees in the 8-12” range seem ideal for this climbing stance.
Lone Wolf Treestand: Tips & Tricks
When you reach your desired height, simply tighten the straps that connect each side of the seat platform to the lower platform. It distributes the weight from your feet to the seat and keeps it securely against the tree, no matter how hard you bump into it. It's a fool-proof design that I love. This should be integrated into all climbers as it eliminates unwanted noise by preventing your seat platform from falling onto the foot platform.
This stand will not prevent you from sleeping comfortably, but it can be for the better. The design is optimized to pack deep where most don't have access and wastes no weight or space for convenience. The seat platform is 12” X 16” and the cushion is only 1” thick, although it is not the most comfortable seat on the market, it is adequate for this application and you will probably need to stand occasionally to exercise your seat muscles. rest The foot platform is relatively small at 19.5” X 26”. There is little room to move around after dropping the bow in the integrated bow holder between your legs. However, there is still plenty of room to move around behind you and make shots. I wear size 11 shoes and when I stand up against the seat platform my toes are next to the end of the stand.
Backpacking this stand is a joy due to its lightweight and flat pack profile (only 4 inches thick). I suggest upgrading the stock backpack strap included with this stand as it is just basic webbing that is uncomfortable to wear. I replaced mine with a set of military surplus mole backpack straps and a waist belt from eBay, now I can forget I'm even wearing this stand after a mile or two!
I would recommend this climbing treestand to anyone who values mobility in their hunting arsenal. It is a lightweight, compact and quality built product that should last for years. Keep in mind that this stand is not designed to be a lazy boy in the air, but an effective tool for getting high while being miles off the beaten track!
Ultra Series Edge Saddle Stand
Ready to buy? The Lone Wolf Hand Climber has been discontinued and is no longer available. Your best bet is to find a used one on eBay or wait until someone makes a decent replacement.
Thanks to Moria for writing this unpaid gear review. Hunting gear deals are funded by affiliate commissions. We may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from our partners through the links provided. There is no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting us by using our links when you make your purchase.
Moriah Boggess is the co-founder of the Hunt the Land podcast and blog. He is a graduate of the NC State University Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program and a published author in Quality Whitetails, Purdue University Extension and QDMA.com. He is currently a graduate student at the Mississippi State University Deer Lab where he studies interactions between deer, oaks and other hardwood trees. Instagram- @huntingtheland
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Lone Wolf 16' Treestand Climbing Stick
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