Ol'Man TREESTANDS Alumalite CTS Climbing Stand, Aluminum Construction with 21" Wide Net Seat

I have two of the original steel Olman climbers that I've used for many years. And let me say, I've been very satisfied with them, hence my decision to buy another one --- only in aluminum (Alumalite CTS). I haven't had time to really test all aspects of this new stand, but I have used it enough to give an initial review. First off, it's aluminum and therefore lighter (19lbs). That's a very good thing. The steel version is not that heavy (22 lbs) in the first place, but my 52-yr old back tells me every pound I can shed makes a difference. The standing platform is different from the original. It is slightly longer with crossbars instead of mesh, and I believe it feels a bit sturdier as a result. I like the new padded 3-way rail system. I will probably only use the straight rail for bow hunting, but I can see where the curved shooting rail would be a great asset for gun hunting. The curved rail can also be turned upside-down and used as a foot rest. Whatever floats your boat! It's very easy to change. The straps that lock the stand to the tree are similar to the original and work well. Just snap the buckles together and pull the cinch strap tight --- simple enough. The mesh seat is the same and is outstanding for comfort and easily slides out of the way if one wants to stand and take a shot. Now there are a few things that really are different from the original I have. First is the curved tubular support bars on the sitting portion of the stand. This allows a few extra inches on either side of my butt when seated. As advertised, it's especially noticeable and useful on trees that are smaller in diameter. Also different is the climbing foot straps. The old ones were just a cloth strap that I slid my boot in and then used a stretchy strap to hold my foot in place. Now I will admit, it's kind of a pain-in-the-ass to reach down and around to hook this strap in place every time - especially with big snow boots on and layers of clothes under heavy coveralls. Well, the new design has the same type of cloth strap, but it is encased in a round rubber type sleeve that is supposed to `grip' your boot better. They say this makes it easier to slide a boot in (it is!) and now there is no longer a need for the stretchy strap any more ..... uhhhh, I don't know about that. I can climb without the strap now, but it feels "loose" on my boot, so I think I will continue to use the strap off my old one for the time being. Maybe I just need more practice with it. The really intriguing change with the Alumalite is the redesign of the cable that wraps around the tree. The original has a simple 1/4 inch round steel cable encased in a rubber sleeve - with a simple loop on the end to slide the pin through. It is sometimes necessary to twist the loop around to get the holes lined up before sliding the locking pin in. Again, I will admit, this is sometimes another pain-in-the-ass when attempting to line up the holes in the morning darkness with gloves and/or mittens involved. The "new design" of the cable on the Alumalite plays to the new tubular design of the support arms. The end of the cable has a bright orange tubular shaped "loop" that the locking pin slides into. It's great in that it can no longer rotate in the support arm --- it's always aligned properly. I just need to slide the cable to the appropriate adjustment hole in the arm and slide the pin in! No more twisting and turning --- says Olman. In reality, that IS mostly true, but I find that I still have to jiggle it just a little to get the pin to drop smoothly ---- and quietly!!!! Overall, it's a great improvement though. I'm not sure why they changed the cable to make it adjustable on both sides of the stand. The original climber has just one end to mess with, and it works well. To me, the new design just adds an extra locking pin, clip and locking nut to one side of the stand without any appreciable benefit. I don't know, maybe I'm just missing something here, but I don't see much use in having ability to adjust both sides. Now as much as I like this stand out of the box..... come on, Olman, what is with the new pins, locking clips, locking retaining bolts and all the little wire straps that lock everything together????? I'm sure it is to cover your behinds in cases of liability, but jeeeeeez! Really? The old pins worked just fine. I am sure Olman would not approve, but the first thing I did was to grab a wire-cutter and `modify' all those noisy, dangling, sliding little nuisances that get in the way - if you know what I mean. Did I say the old pins work just fine? Yeah, they do. As for the climbing part, I have to wonder who Olman consulted for this task.....vertically challenged people? The straps that hold the seat and foot climber together while climbing only allow about a 6-8 inch step up before the straps are at their maximum reach. Are you kidding me? I normally take a 12-16-inch `bite' when I climb a tree. I don't want to spend all morning inching up a tree. So again, I improvise and sometimes just `forget' to buckle the safety straps in place and end up climbing with two separate pieces. I can zoom-zoom right up any tree. But then I always remember to snap the strap back in place when I reach my hunting elevation... and all is well.... if you know what I mean. I will probably just find a way to add a little length to the existing straps in the future. And yes, a full safety body harness is included with this stand if that makes you feel better. Because of the curved tubular frame, the Alumalite doesn't fold up quite as flat as the original Olman I have, but it's still more compact than many stands....i.e. Summit Viper. It really only takes a few minutes for set-up and take-down --- no complaints there! Overall, considering the improvements made to this stand, I fully expect that I am going to like it even more than the originals I've used for many years. I would certainly recommend it to anyone considering a climber.

I've seen some negative reviews on this stand. I think some of them may be talking about the steel version of this stand which I also have. The steel version is quite heavy and does not bite a tree as well as I would like. This stand bites into the tree securely and feels very sure footed all the way up and down and while sitting. The Alumalite is very light. I walk sometimes over a mile in and back and am very comfortable with it on m back. After a few times setting up and taking down it is very easy to do and quiet. I suggest you practice doing so at home so it is easier to do in the dark woods. This is the most comfortable stand that I have ever used. I have been know to fall asleep in it at times! LOL.( Yes, I wear a harness). The only thing that I have noticed is that one of the bales does not seem to have the end crimped on quite in the right position so it is a little awkward to insert into the frame. I am contacting the company to see about getting that replaced. It is not enough to change my review on this really awesome stand. I would certainly recommend this stand to anybody.

I have been deer hunting since 1973 and using climbing stands since 1981. In all that time I have never used a climbing stand as bad as this stand. the standing platform simply refuses to come into contact with a tree trunk on the level. One side or the other will almost always drop down when the other side comes into contact with the trunk. I have stopped using after nearly falling 2x because one side simply did not contact the tree trunk. Very danerous stand that should not be on the market. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY on this dangerous piece of junk!! Nathan Chance

After using a 2013 OL' Man Alumalite stand for 6 seasons, I decided to pass on my "Still good" stand to another hunter and get a new one. I received my new Alumalite climber and after opening the box, noticed a few changes and they are good changes. After using it a few times, it was like being with an old friend again. Quiet, comfortable and light. Millennium has taken a good product and made it better in my opinion. I have seen reviews stating the stand cam-buckles were cheap or the teeth that grip tree were dull and I can tell you this stand has sound cam-buckles and straps and the gripping teeth are top notch. Even my Summit viper fanboy friend said he was going to sell his stand and get this one. Thanks Millennium for taking a good stand and making it great!

Bought this to upgrade over my old mediocre steel climber. What a huge difference! So easy to carry and climb. I should have upgraded last year. Very happy with the construction, and even the comfort. It's a tree stand, not a recliner. I really like that the cable ends are shaped like the oval tubes, so the pins are setup for easy lock in. One of my cable ends is a little bit twisted, so the locking pin is hard to get in. This is super-frustrating during setup, so I'm going to have to fall back to four stars. Bottom line, I like it and would buy it again. Good stand.

So far so good, used twice, easy to use, light weight if you do need to walk a bit, very comfortable, easy to set up.