Posted by If You are a big guy like myself, here’s good news !
I feel that I’m as qualified as they come to give an honest review on the best climbing tree stands. Especially when it comes to the subject of big guys ! I have always been a big guy.
I’ve lost weight and put it back on all my life and that doesn’t work well when you love deer hunting and being Mobil! At any given time I can make a scale scream between 260-340 pounds!
That’s why I now have a Summit Goliath SD Climbing tree stand! Here’s the rest of the story!
- Owned by: Summit
- Model :Goliath SD Climbing Tree Stand
- Price -$317.89 FREE SHIPPING
This post may contain Affiliate links
Not only is mobility and being able to easily change stand locations depending on wind direction and deer movement throughout the season, it’s also difficult for a big guy to get comfortable in a smaller stand that has weight limit 250 pounds stamped on it and barely enough room for blood to circulate through your legs!
And sitting in one of those little stands for 4-6 hours takes a lot of endurance if you can pull it off at all!
If you can’t wait for it to get dark so you can get out of your stand because your in pain, that isn’t a very pleasant and enjoyable hunting experience at all! I KNOW!
The safety factor of hunting in a stand that you exceed the weight limit of is kind of nerve wrecking too ! When you aren’t exactly scared of heights, hunting in a stand that you constantly worry about sending you to the ground will quickly make you scared of heights !
So I went in search of a big man stand
Several years ago I purchased a “Big Man stand” and thought I may be well ahead of the curve and finally be able to hunt in comfort and without the fear that the stand I’m hunting in will put me in the hospital!
Before I even bought the stand I was a little concerned that it wouldn’t work out for me because it was a fixed position stand that only faced towards the tree!
Well that wasn’t the only issue I was to find ! After an early season muzzle-loader hunt complete with a flock of mosquitoes (Yes I said flock not swarm, here in the south them skeeters are way too big to call a swarm!)
I made my mind up that the new stand I had bought to help my hunts be more enjoyable was going to be sold ! That thing was the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever tried to sit for a long period on ! Well except for my mother-in-law’s good side. I have never sat very comfortably there either! But that’s another story !
So I spent most of last season hunting out of a ladder stand and a blind when I bow hunted. There were several times I just sat on the ground because the wind was wrong for the two stands I had been hunting.
I considered hunting out of my old lightweight stand a few times and even gave it a ride in the truck to my hunting spot, but chickened out .
Last summer My buddy wanted a stand, so I worked a trade with him and was rid of both stands which was great! But now I was back to square one and looking again!
The Summit Goliath SD Climbing Stand to the rescue!
I decided that the next stand I was going to buy would have to be a face away from the tree model with a sling seat because I wanted to bowhunt some as well. But facing away from the tree meant that the stand had to be rated above my weight and had to actually be comfortable ! (What a novel thought)
I’ve never truly been comfortable in a climbing tree stand. Either my 6’4″ body exceeded the leg room or the arm rests squeezed the daylights out of me or a bunch of other reasons that only us gravitationally challegned folks can relate to if you know what I mean !
Then one day while buying some new fishing line and a some other stuff , I saw it ! It was on a carpeted pole in the store and hanging in complete splendor ! Yes I’m referring to the sticker that said “350 POUND WEIGHT LIMIT”!
It was a really good- looking stand, with a sling seat and just a little larger than the others. I thought to myself and figured that it would probably weigh as much as I do and be a chore to pack in and out of the woods. Just then the salesman asked if he could help. I asked him if it would be possible to sit in the stand. He said absolutely ! Let’s just lower it down to floor level so you can get in.
When I grabbed it to help lower it, IT WAS LIGHTER THAN THE LIGHT WEIGHT STAND I HAD SOLD ! After getting it down I sat in it and it was awesome ! It didn’t even pinch my sides or anything ! I bought it there on the spot and used it last season.
I love the Summit Goliath SD Climbing stand ! I used it all but a couple of times when it was raining. I sat in my blind then. But I plan on having that stand for a long time ! It makes my hunts more enjoyable and far more comfortable ! If all works out well I plan on trying some dark to dark hunts this season .
I’ll share some of the specs with you :
Review of the Summit Goliath SD Climber (Specs)
Some of my favorite aspects !
- Closed-front aluminum climbing stand with Mossy Oak® Break-Up Infinity camo finish
- Suspended foam-padded seat with backrest
- Weighs 25 lbs. and holds up to 350 lbs.
- 18” W x 12” D seat size, 21”W x 30.75” D platform size
- Tree diameter =8-20 “
- Platform size -20 x 36
- Seat frame size – 21.75 x 26.5
- Includes Full Body Fall Arrest Harness System and all necessary hardware
Lowest Price I found = $317.89 & FREE SHIPPING
Conclusion
To be honest there is no other way to say it! If you’re a big man that loves to hunt and not worry about getting hurt in a fall. Get a stand with the comfort and weight limit of the Summit Goliath SD Climber
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Thanks For reading my review on the Summit Goliath SD Climber!
If you would leave a comment, question, or suggestion I would greatly appreciate it!
Your feedback helps me create content that my audience wants to see.
Have a great day !
Mike
I enjoyed your post very much and I am able to relate to tree stands, I used to be a archery hunter myself and used portable tree stands regularly. I can imagine how it could be for a larger person using a portable tree stand, I am not medium built and some of the portable tree stands I have used were not easy to maneuver on even at my size. I am sure many hunters will appreciate this post and your recommendations, I know many of the hunters as they age are gaining weight and some portable tree stands are really not safe for them to be using.
I’ve always wondered what would be the best stand for the bigger people that still what to go on a stand but are questioning the limits of the standard stand. For that reason I made my tree stand out of 1 1/2” low carbon steel and after building this I can very much trust it at any weight on almost any tree however this thing weighs a lot so It’s good to see a stand that is rated to 350lbs and the weight is moderately light.
Thanks for the read
Thanks for your comment,
If you have more questions or anything I can help with just let me know in the comments below and I’ll get back ASAP
Mike
I’ve always wondered what would be the best stand for the bigger people that still what to go on a stand but are questioning the limits of the standard stand. For that reason I made my tree stand out of 1 1/2” low carbon steel and after building this I can very much trust it at any weight on almost any tree however this thing weighs a lot so It’s good to see a stand that is rated to 350lbs and the weight is moderately light.
Thanks for the read
Wow, I must say I got a good insight to this subject. Didn’t know such things exist. I love the outdoors and never knew I could get a tree climbing stand. I stumble upon this site and it opened my eyes. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for your comment !
If there is anything else I can help with or you have questions feel free to let me know in the comments !
Have a great day!
Mike
When you are spending a lot of time in a hunkered down in a tree stand, you want it to be as comfy as possible. My older brother is a big dude, and he has such a hard time with tree stands. We make our annual deer hunting trip every fall, and this year, I am going to make sure he reads this post and is prepared. It sounds like this stand will support him well. You want to know you are not going to find yourself face down in a pile of dirt when you climb a tree. Thanks for sharing this article, I really mean that!
Thanks Steve ! I hope your brother gets a comfy stand, because comfort and security are the most important things in having a great day afield and not getting injured or worse in the process !
If I can help, or you have questions, please leave them in the comments !
Have a great day !
Mike
Hey Mike. Thanks so much for the article. It was awesome.
My brother is a big man. He did fall from his stand last year and broke most of his ribs. He is still recovering. We are just so thankful that he didn’t break his back or neck. I’m not sure if it was a deer stand malfunction or a man made malfunction. He also didn’t have on a harness. I’m going to point all of my brothers, my husband, and my 3 sons to your site. Thanks again.
Hunting and fishing has always been a long time enjoyment for me. I’m originally from Arkansas and the big buck game is very popular there. I started out hunting with my dad when I was about 14 years old, to me that’s kinda a late start being that I had friends my age who started much earlier and we’re well trained but nowhere near as sharp of a shooter as I was. As far back as I can remember all we had to use was deer stands. I never leaned towards the purchase of a climbing tree stand, always fearing they weren’t very dependable or safe. Then one day my buddy took me to his deer camp and the land there was very flat with lots of trees which made for low visibility. I tried the climbing tree stand for the first time and I was amazed at how comfortable an sturdy it was. I now carry my tree climber faithfully with me every trip I take to the woods and retired even sold both of my deer stands.
I’ve been bow hunting elk along the Oregon coast for many years now. We recently purchased some property near some timber land. Lots of trails and elk running around.
I’ve never used a tree stand, but figured this might be the year thanks to access from my property.
I’m not a big guy at 190lb, but I would like to have a stand this is over build. I want to be safe up there. And since I will be sharing it with some family members, it seems prudent to err on the side of caution and get the stand for the big guys.
Thanks for the great review. Helped be a lot.