While ladder stands are certainly comfortable, you can’t hike deep into the forest with one of them on your back. When you want to bowhunt from the clouds, and traveling light is required, you can’t beat a portable hang-on treestand. Here are three top choices to help ambush whitetails from above.
Family Tradition Treestands HD/HO Lock-On
The HD/HO Lock-On ($215) from Family Tradition Treestands is built with galvanized tubular steel that’s powder coated for added strength and rust resistance. The nylon-webbed flip-up seat measures 20 inches wide by 13.25 inches deep, while a large footrest is welded to the 25x31-inch platform for extra comfort on long sits. The HD/HO Lock-On Stand features two 1,900-pound working load rubber sleeved chains that support the standing platform and comes with a T-handle screw to hold the stand in place with a notch on the brace while attaching the 3,300-pound breaking strength camo ratchet straps. The HD/HO Lock-On Stand weighs 19 pounds and can accommodate hunters up to 300 pounds.
Hawk Helium Pro
The Helium Pro Hang-On ($160) from Hawk is built from lightweight aluminum and weighs only 12 pounds. The Helium Pro features a 3-inch-thick, 10x16-inch pressure-relieving Hawk memory foam seat. The Helium Pro platform measures 24X30 inches and is welded at all contact points and features an adjustable footrest and self-lubricating Teflon washers between metal-to-metal contact points to help reduce noise.
Stability comes standard with the included Tree-Digger Teeth to bite and grip bark, and the Helium Pro is compatible with the Hawk Cruzr Bracket to make hanging the stand quick, safe and easy. With a weight rating of 300 pounds, the Helium Pro includes a 1-inch cinch strap with silent overmolding and backpack straps, as well as a full-body harness.
Summit Featherweight Switch
The aluminum Summit Featherweight Switch Hang-On ($250) weighs only 17 pounds but holds up to 300 pounds. It comes equipped with a comfortable and quiet 2.75-inch thick padded seat and features a large, adjustable platform that measures 23X28 inches. The included Switch Receiver allows the Featherweight Switch to easily be moved from tree to tree. Simply attach the Switch Receiver at the desired height to a tree measuring between 8 and 20 inches in diameter and insert the metal tongue on the Featherweight Switch into the receiver.
You can buy multiple Switch Receivers to have pre-installed on trees in different locations or use them as an anti-theft measure by taking the stand with you and leaving the Switch Receiver in the tree for the next hunt.
