Stands: Homemade (w/plans) and Store Bought for about $100.00

[Land_Owner]

I spend a lot of time "treed".  I have three tree stand types to mention; one cheap, one wooden, and one steel.

Chap Gleason's "Y-Board" is about as cheap and functional a semi-permanent tree stand as you can make http://www.the-gleasons.com/low_cost_tree_stands_for_hunting.htm.  Wear a harness and always heed Chap's advise regarding safety.  I have not tried these but they have merit and I thank Chap for the time spent documenting them.

My sons and I have spent many happy hours together warming the seats on wooden two-person tilt-up tree stands.  Here are plans for making your own: http://www.angelfire.com/on2/LandOwner/Treestand/Hell4Stout.html.  Eat your Wheaties and pack a lunch when building and setting this sturdy beast in the woods.  Here is an erection tip: from an extension ladder tie off a block and tackle above the height of the finished tree stand.  Hoist the stand up with the tackle.  Take my word for it, this is better than busting your hump to "fireman" tilt this beast into place.  Works for ALL tilt-up ladder stands.

In steel, the Ameristep "12' Buddy Stand" is periodically found in Sportsman's Guide and lists for $89.00 plus shipping.  I have four.  They are Chinese made I found out (how else could they sell them so cheaply and every middle man still make a profit?), sturdy, slip-fit tubular and bolted construction, expanded metal seat and foot rest, delivered to your front door, simple to construct, simple to erect, simple for a thief to steal so chaining and locking all of its parts in place may be (is for me) mandatory, quiet, comfortable, affordable and backed by sincere Customer Service should that need arise (I received one without hardware). 

I outfit all of my stands with shooting rails (if not already equipped) and drapes (canvas) to cover some of my on-stand movements.  It is nice to be able to shift weight from one "cheek" to the other periodically without "giving away" that movement.

What tilt-up stand brands and/or home builts do you have/use?

[kyelkhunter3006]

I've used several different stands ranging from the good ole' pallet nailed to a tree to a couple of Strongbuilt ladder stands.  They've all served well enough for me to spend all day in the woods.

If I can get a few buddies together, I like the permanent stands built into the tree itself, 15' to 20' is high enough for me.  Usually use 2x4's for the whole thing, for me, plywood floors just didn't last long enough.  4' x 4' is nice, lots of room for me and my stuff.  Usually used a boat seat pedestal and a swivel seat, with scent free gun oil to make it swivel quietly.  I don't bow hunt, so all of my stands have shooting rails on all sides.

Lately, I've moved to the commercial ladder stands for permanent stands.  The convenience of pre-assembling is the biggest benefit.  I've got a Strongbuilt basic 15' with a rail, it's pretty portable as it only weighs 50 lbs, so if the need to move it arises, myself and a friend can move it easily.  Got to have a cushion though, as the seat is steel mesh.  It was easy to "fireman" this one.  My other one is a 20' Strongbuilt Bruin.  It is really sweet, thick seat, thick back rest, swiveling rail, and built like a tank.  You don't move this one unless you have to.  It was a "bear" to put up, there were only two of us, and I didn't know if we were going to make it.  Got both of them at the pre-season sale at Bass Pro, $50 for the 15' and $130 for the 20'.  I couldn't decide which one to get, then my lovely wife chimes in with "Well, if you buy both of them, it's still cheaper than the regular price on the 20'.  She's a pretty smart cookie!     I just bought a 17' Hunter Extreme (I think that's the name) on clearance at a local store for $50, it looks nice too, same features as the Strongbuilt Bruin, just a little shorter.  Got to figure out where to put this one.

I've got one climber, called the Condor Lite, can't remember who made it.  Bought it at Wal-mart a couple of years ago.  It's lite enough at 21lbs, pretty comfortable too.  Biggest problem is that the forks are pretty narrow, so it can be hard to find the right tree.  It's got a shooting rail too.  I'm looking for a different one, just to be able to have a better selection of trees to use.  Probably something made by Summit, most of their stands seem perfect for me.