Ladder Stand Challenges (final pics included!)

Okay Jim :

Starting to work on / test this afternoon!

I have some ideas on enhancement and need a little fab work completed.

Gotta wash and clean pickup first.

Beautiful spring like day!!!!

Man oh man.... it works and it is easy.

It took me 23 minutes to set the device up, lay out ladder stand, raise 21’ double rail ladder stand (fairly heavy) and pull it up against the tree.... and also lower the stand back back down to the ground.

The VERY hardest part was laying the stand out and getting the ladder sections pushed together.

The effort needed to erect the stand? A ten year old can do it. Really.

Problems of the ladder legs trying to slide toward the tree? Defeated with geometry.

Problems with the stand swaying as it went up? Zero. Admittedly, the ground was fairly level and there was little wind. I estimate that this system will take at least 75% (likey more) of any potential sway, left to right, as the stand is lifted.

System weight? About 25-30 pounds. Most ladder stands weigh 75 pounds or more. The device is easily transported by hand, cart, ATV, etc.

Next step? I will choose a more challenging location in the woods behind the house and set the stand up again.

After that?

I am not sure. I am afraid to show the device to anyone for fear of someone taking the idea and doing something with it before I can.

So.... I am going tread carefully and try to determine my best scenario.

Many thanks for following along!!!

Great news !!!!

I hope you have already consulted someone about a patent.

I have not Milkman, my wife is a paralegal and says the process is tenuous and expensive.

I think maybe I will demo the unit for a few friends or GON members and get some second opinions.

If worst comes to worst, I purchased 5 Millennium L110 double rail ladder stands for my Illinois farms and these will go up in September - this would be an awesome, real world set of tests for the device... plus I have several SC stands I need to move and / or erect.

More details to come.

Again, thanks for reading!

I’m interested in having one of these miracle devices. Maybe do a crowd funding site to pay for patent and manufacturing?

SGaither -

It is far from a miracle device - in fact, it is very simple.

I am stunned this device is not already marketed.

I will tip my hand as soon as I am able.

Many thanks - Jim

biggdogg said:

I don't recall the name offhand, but a friend of mine bought a hoist kit from Cabelas made for hanging ladder stands. It has a hoist winch that is strapped to the tree as high as you can reach and a set of spikes that attach to the feet of the ladder to keep it from sliding to the tree. By cranking the winch, the ladder pivots over the spikes. The winch cable secures the stand so that you can attach the supports and straps. I helped him put up a few stands with one last summer.

Click to expand...

X-2...Academy has the Ladder stand winch for $50.00...

OR
If u have 2 guys you can lay the stand (assembled) at
the base of the tree, facing the way u want to hunt and
attach 2 ropes, one on each side of the tree and stretch
the ropes behind the tree....Push the bottom of the ladder
against the base of the tree, and one guy picks up the
platform of the stand and another guy behind the tree
walking the ropes backward....The guy in front of the
stand simply walks the ladder stand up as the guy behind
continues walking/pulling the ropes backward....
You will need to reset the bottom of the stand the correct
distance from the base of the tree....
Once u get the stand in the position just hold tension on
the ropes until u attach chain/load binders to hold stand
firm to the tree...Attach center support of the ladder and
you are good to go....

7 Mag -

Yessir, I hear you and we have all developed processes for putting up ladder stands. I have put up hundreds of them over the last 4 decades.

I own and have used the winch system you refer to and while (in some casss) it is better than nothing, the system does not work great on any stand and is particularly ineffectual on taller stands, particularly if they are not double rung. As I noted before, I already folded one stand in half using this system on a taller stand.

Many processes (such as yours) require two people. I often do not have that luxury – and many other folks here on GON have noted the same challenge. Even if you did have someone else on hand – if you had a process that allowed one person to easily erect a stand, you could direct the other person to other club chores and become more efficient at getting work done.

Many people have been injured putting up ladder stands, either from exerting too much effort while lifting the stand up - or from falls / collapsed stands while attempting to secure the upper section to the tree.

Many processes require extra people, an ATV, a climbing stand or some sort of ladder.

Many hunters are more senior (read that old) and not as agile and strong as they once were. I am in that group.

At the risk of being repetitive – all of these challenges are exactly what I am trying to avoid.

I want a device that is easily transportable, that I can manage by myself, I want the physical strain taken out of the process and I want it to be safer.

The stand I put up yesterday – which is tall AND heavy – went up in mere moments and literally required the strength of a child. Like I noted – the hardest part was laying out the stand and getting the double rung rails slid together.

Are there many ways to put up stands? Yes, and we have heard of many in this thread.

What I have not heard of yet is a simple, one person process that removes effort and increases safety.


Creating that is my goal.


Thanks for reading!

Jim
a patent is very expensive and time consuming...cover yourself by drawing your designs on graph paper, take pics, etc. and take it to the post office and have it certified mailed back to yourself

Milkman said:

Great news !!!!

I hope you have already consulted someone about a patent.

Click to expand...

Jim Boyd said:

I have not Milkman, my wife is a paralegal and says the process is tenuous and expensive.

I think maybe I will demo the unit for a few friends or GON members and get some second opinions.

If worst comes to worst, I purchased 5 Millennium L110 double rail ladder stands for my Illinois farms and these will go up in September - this would be an awesome, real world set of tests for the device... plus I have several SC stands I need to move and / or erect.

More details to come.

Again, thanks for reading!

Click to expand...

jaydawg said:

Jim
a patent is very expensive and time consuming...cover yourself by drawing your designs on graph paper, take pics, etc. and take it to the post office and have it certified mailed back to yourself

Click to expand...

What is the “provisional patent “ that you can do online for $200 ?

JayDawg and Milkman,

Thanks for the support and excellent ideas.

I will follow JD’s advice and will also look into your idea MM.

I am dying to demo and think I am on to something, just trying to be careful.


Appreciate you guys!

Jim

Milkman - PM sent....

Also along with mailing it back to yourself, print some confidentiality statements and have them signed by anyone you may demonstrate to.

Jim Boyd said:

I will tip my hand as soon as I am able.

Many thanks - Jim

Click to expand...

I can't wait!

Nerf - the only one who has seen it is my wife.

I will be looking for someone to demo it, so not only can I get their opinion, I could potentially have them share it here on GON.

Rarely is a product perfect and I would welcome a review of the pro's and con's from someone else's viewpoint.

I want to put up and take down the stand a few more times to help identify any flaws that may exist - and I would love it if I could have a child, woman or old man do it just to get an idea of how easy it really is.



Elfii - I really AM trying to figure my way through this!


thanks all - Jim

Jim - Your ladder raising frustrations are the same as mine; needing a second person, ladder leaning left or right, and climbing that unsecured ladder to the top in order to get it secured to tree. Hopefully you can make your solution available to the rest of us, and pocket some coin for yourself,

Jim Boyd said:

Man oh man.... it works and it is easy.

It took me 23 minutes to set the device up, lay out ladder stand, raise 21’ double rail ladder stand (fairly heavy) and pull it up against the tree.... and also lower the stand back back down to the ground.

The VERY hardest part was laying the stand out and getting the ladder sections pushed together.

The effort needed to erect the stand? A ten year old can do it. Really.

Problems of the ladder legs trying to slide toward the tree? Defeated with geometry.

Problems with the stand swaying as it went up? Zero. Admittedly, the ground was fairly level and there was little wind. I estimate that this system will take at least 75% (likey more) of any potential sway, left to right, as the stand is lifted.

System weight? About 25-30 pounds. Most ladder stands weigh 75 pounds or more. The device is easily transported by hand, cart, ATV, etc.

Next step? I will choose a more challenging location in the woods behind the house and set the stand up again.

After that?

I am not sure. I am afraid to show the device to anyone for fear of someone taking the idea and doing something with it before I can.

So.... I am going tread carefully and try to determine my best scenario.

Many thanks for following along!!!

Click to expand...

Good luck with it Jim. Look forward to using it one day in near future...with your name stamped on the side.

I can tell you're really excited about this Jim, so I'm excited for you and anxious to see it.

I might be able to make test # 2 on Sunday.

Heading to farm this morning with tractor.

Cutting in new food plots and the rain makes the ground easier to work.

Details to follow as they emerge!!!



Thanks for following along!