Summit TreestandsMini Viper SD Climbing Treestand, Mossy Oak

Awesome climber! Very comfortable. Not the lightest out there but not nearly as heavy as the steel ones.

I just used this treestand in November of 2019, bowhunting in Oklahoma. I'm 5'6" and 178 pounds, so there is the context. And, I like it so much that I would purchase it again. Very sturdy overall. Platform is sturdy making bow draw easier. USE the umbilical cord. Once while climbing I forgot to attach it. These new stands CAN slide down the tree. COMFORT: Awesome comfort in the stand. As you know if you bowhunt, being comfortable is key. Comfort reduces your movement. SQUEAKING: Yes, sometimes (RARELY) there was squeaking when standing up. I resolved this by slightly moving either the platform or the seat, left or right or up or down. Thankfully however, the squeaking sounded similar to creaking oaks in the wind. Another way I resolved the squeaking was to do nothing. It seemed the stand would "settle" after sitting a while. Another way I resolved the intermittent squeaking was to push my arms against the armrests of the upper portion of the treestand. I did this when attempting to stand and there was no squeaking. Mind you, the stand did NOT always squeak. I added the Third Hand Bow Holder to the left armrest on the upper portion of the stand. Now grabbing your bow is akin to adjusting your rear view mirror (before there were electric rear view mirror adjusters). The Bow Holder does get in the way when packing the bottom into the top of the stand. But, there is no way around that inconvenience. I like the straps for backpacking the stand. They are stretchy which makes them easy to adjust. The instructions could use MORE PICTURES!! And the instructions could be more clear that the same instructions apply to the Summit MINI Viper as they do for the Summit VIPER SD. This was not clear from the outset. 18 pounds is not super light. But you need the weight to make it comfortable. I'd rather be uncomfortable for the walk in to the woods, but be comfortable in the stand. Five stars for the design of the product and its successful use in the field.

Being a small statue at only 5‘1“ is is the perfect stand for me. Lightweight and comfortable. Very user-friendly.

Excellence in every area. Compact. Quiet. Ease of use. Tree bands simple to adapt to varying trunk diameter. Does seem to hold better on more abrasive oak and pine surfaces than slicker tree bark, especially if wet. Has everything needed, to include hunter safety harness and extra strap for securing top to tree to prevent sideways slip of upper section if standing and turning. The 3 padded 'zip on' covers help reduce noise and are warm to avoid cold aluminum. Had to remove the zipper 'handle tabs' because rattled against aluminum stand when walking. Be sure to use the stretch band that connects top to bottom when climbing, as way to secure the two parts tight when stacked before walking. Otherwise rattles sometimes. Expensive, but quality product. Am 6'2" and 190 lb, and fit well in it. Maybe if heavier person, you may consider larger wider model made by same company. Just not this Mini version. But for me, perfect size fit both when climbing g up and down, plus sit or standing. Buy one and you will enjoy it immensely.

I used an Amacker for years and it is a great stand but the 27 lbs of steel became a bit to much for me to pack into the woods, so I bought the Summit SD Viper mini (18 lbs) and glad I did. I packed it about 3/4 mile for my first hunt in it, was definitely quieter to carry and set up than my old Amacker. It is an easy climber and I felt secure standing or sitting once in place. I am 5'8, 195 lb and I sat comfortably for 5 hours. I did add the footrest kit which I definitely recommend for comfort. The stand went together easily enough came with safety harness, carry straps and good instruction. It fits together well for carry and straps are decent. All the welds look good and the finish is solid but the cables did start losing there coating after only a couple of uses and its made in china which is the reason for 4/5 stars.

My wife uses this thing to ascend our palm trees in Miami and cut down the coconuts. Coconuts can do a lot of damage to a skull, especially that of a little one! She is a seasoned climber so was right at home on this thing. Still, ropes in redundantly and studied the safety precautions thoroughly. I recommend you do the same. It's too late to take precautions when you're plummeting toward the ground!

Climbing trees

I have 2 summit steel climbing stands. I wanted something lighter but still easy to set up with well thought out features. This stand is exactly that. Its comfortable to carry and much lighter. I know the dimensions are smaller but its very hard to notice. I certainly don't feel I gave up anything by going with the smaller stand. Love the noise dampening system and the improved shoulder straps.I would highly recommend this stand to anyone.