My hunting buddy almost quit because of heavy gear
Back in September, me and my hunting partner Jim dragged our old metal ladder stand nearly a mile through thick brush. Sweat pouring down our faces, tripping over roots every five steps – I thought Jim was gonna have a heart attack right there. That clunky 70-pound beast almost ended our 20-year tradition. Next morning, I started searching for lightweight two man ladder stands that wouldn’t kill us.
First stop was the local sporting goods store. They had this aluminum model claiming to be “lightweight” at 50 pounds. Hah! Jim and I tried carrying it together in the parking lot – still felt like lugging a dead deer uphill. The salesguy kept saying “it’s lighter than steel” but my shoulders weren’t fooled. Didn’t even bother buying it.
Found a cheaper online option advertised as 45 pounds. Showed up in this giant box – took both of us just to get it off the porch. Opened it up and guess what? Missing half the bolts! Assembly instructions looked like they were translated through three languages. We spent two hours trying to fit Part A into Slot B before giving up. Return label got slapped on that disappointment real quick.
My breakthrough came at Buck’s Bait Shop coffee counter. Old timer heard me complaining and slid a newspaper ad across the counter. Two-man stand weighing 38 pounds? Sounded too good but we drove three hours anyway. Watched the store demo guy unpack it with one hand – jaw literally dropped. Jim and I took turns carrying it across the showroom like it was a grocery bag.
Bought it on the spot. Next weekend test:
- Walked 3/4 mile to our spot – no heavy breathing!
- Set up in 15 minutes flat (bolts actually fit!)
- Whole thing felt solid as a rock at 15 feet up
- Pack-down took less than 10 minutes – unheard of!
Final kicker? When a sudden storm rolled in, we actually beat the rain back to the truck instead of getting soaked during pack-up. Jim’s already planning extra hunting weekends – says his back feels twenty years younger. Moral? Don’t settle for “kinda light” – your hunt shouldn’t feel like CrossFit punishment.
