Has anyone used a GKD portable high seat?!

[chrishorner]

As per title guys and girls, noticed these on eBay the other day look really good. I have three areas on my stalking ground that would benefit from a high seat but cannot be left unattended for too long and some places I would like to spend a bit of time keeping an eye out for deer. If you have used this seat and recommend it let me know, or if you have experience of them been as much use as a chocolate tea pot then you know what to do! Thanks again in advance for all your brilliant help and advice

http://www.gdktrading.co.uk/other-shooting-accessories/Telescopic-high-tree-ladder-seat-high-seat

 

[mchughcb]

As per title guys and girls, noticed these on eBay the other day look really good. I have three areas on my stalking ground that would benefit from a high seat but cannot be left unattended for too long and some places I would like to spend a bit of time keeping an eye out for deer. If you have used this seat and recommend it let me know, or if you have experience of them been as much use as a chocolate tea pot then you know what to do! Thanks again in advance for all your brilliant help and advice

http://www.gdktrading.co.uk/other-shooting-accessories/Telescopic-high-tree-ladder-seat-high-seat

I have one and here is a video of me putting it up.


My experience with them is I'd rather carrying in my own climbing sticks and millennium M100U.

Pros - semi portable tree stand, gets you up to the seat 2.4m. Has a shooting rail. Telescoping ladder allows height adjustment. Folds flat so good for car boots.

Cons - Heavy, carrying straps awkward and uncomfortable. Feet on rung uncomfortable. Ladder flexes. Support bar hangs loose and has to be carried. The rachet strap is poor quality and you should replace it. Can be dangerous climbing on unstable ground before you secure the ratchet strap. Doesn't pack very well nor sit on your back.

I recently put a mate in one. He didn't mind it but I was able to drive right to the tree. If I had to carry it in for a mile with my rifle and gear forget it. For certain applications it will be fine. For me, for other applications I have much better options. I bought this stand before I knew much about tree stand hunting. I really only bring it out for visitors.

 

[chrishorner]

Brilliant review, I am 15 stone so with the weight of a rifle and stalking clothes it may be a bit much for it to cope with? I have one walk of 400 yards behind our farm on edge of a wood where there is a lot of Roe traffic so will set it up and sit out until last light then come back at first light next day. Then take it home in the car so no worries there unless im too heavy? Other spot is a short walk too but on uneven ground. Thank you Mchughcb

 

[mchughcb]

If I was going to modify it, and maybe I will some day the things that need fixing are.

1. Seat support bar, must somehow be easily attached to chair during transport and not make any noise (steel on steel clanging)
2. Carry straps replaced somehow with a better units, preferably with ones that have a little clip to hold them together across your chest because the ladder is quite wide.
3. Change the cinch strap out for the chair back for a set of lone wolf cinch straps and install two versa buttons on either side.
4. Look at a high quality ratchet strap for the seat and one which has less hook play on the right side. The reason is on small trees the ratchet is almost behind the tree when attached making almost impossible to get undone easily as you can't see what you are doing and I don't like siting on my kneed on the seat trying to reach around.
5. Some type of small spikes at the bottom of the ladder would stop it potentially kicking out when on rough ground. Currently it just has some hard plastic, designed for putting on hard surface such as concrete but not that grippy on mud/soil/grass etc.

 

[rogue trader]

I agree with mchughcb. I wouldn't want to carry it a great distance with a rifle and the rest of my gear as it is heavy. When folded and been carried I found the different sections banged together particularly the shooting rail so if you were wanting to stalk into a location with it then you've got your work cut out if you want to avoid been detected. I have no problems with heights but as mchughcb mentioned, can be dangerous when climbing up when unsecured to the tree when you are trying to get the rackets tightened. I wouldn't like to try and put one up in half light.

That said, if you have a trail that roe are moving along and you don't want a permanent highseat put up then these will give you that freedom.

 

[chrishorner]

Thanks for the advice, these things go for £80 or so on eBay plus postage so even if I have to buy a new ratchet strap its not a massive cost. I will get bidding

 

[mchughcb]

The one other dangerous thing I don't like about this stand I'd when you have secured it to the tree you must turn around on the rung to sit down. As the shooting rail is not designed to be load bearing you don't have a lot of choice to hold on to when trying to turn your feet 180 degrees on a small ladder rung.

I'm not sure why USA platforms aren't more popular. One climbing stick, and a millennium hang on stand is half the weight, same height, faster setup, quieter and a large platform for your feet even if you want to stand. They come with a accessory shooting rail if you want it.

Will cost more but its worth it.

 

[chrishorner]

Hmmm may put it on the back burner now, don't want to drop my new Sako 85 and Meopta Scope on the deck followed by me if I have to do a 180 to sit down!

 

[jb7x57]

got 3 of them now in our syndicate had no problems at all with using them for what we wanted them for, that is carrying a short distance to use on a problem area and then move to another, easy enough to set up and use, we have had a problem with a broken rung on one of the ladders phoned gkd and a new ladder was with us 2 days later, we have all used them for 2 years now so cant really complain about them at all

 

[chrishorner]

nice and positive feedback, and sound's like great service from GKD which is a plus. Have you modified the seat in any way JB7X57? Is your terrain farm land or woodland?

 

[mchughcb]

Hmmm may put it on the back burner now, don't want to drop my new Sako 85 and Meopta Scope on the deck followed by me if I have to do a 180 to sit down!

Here is a comparison of the two I setup for some mates last week. The Millennium was lighter and more comfortable. Plus you can stand up to shoot any deer coming from behind. I wouldn't worry about a safety harness if you are only going 1 stick = 1.6m and stand = 7.8kg. If you want more height, a strap at the bottom will give you 2.4m to the base and 2.8m to the seat. Considerably higher than the ladder stand.

 

[chrishorner]

Tree stand may be an option or I might save up for a panther from bushwear

 

[jb7x57]

No mods at all used on field edges, clear fell and woodland

 

[mchughcb]

Tree stand may be an option or I might save up for a panther from bushwear

only seen the panther but I like the design better. Silly question but have you thought about a few wooden ones ? Then you wont stress if the get stolen and the can be quite heavy to move?

 

[Mr. Gain]

It depends on where you are, but in much of the UK "self-climbing" treestands are no use at all as the trees are the wrong shape!

When putting up a ladderstand I extend the ladder first, the open up the chair section, and prop the stand up against the tree.

When I'm happy that it's properly positioned, I put a second ratchet trap around the tree as high up as I can reach and take the slack out of it, tightening it just enough to hold the stand against the tree so that it won't move or fall as I climb it.

If the shape of the tree allows it, the primary strap also goes around the tree at this point. Once at the level of the seat, and facing the tree, I secure and cinch up the primary strap.

Turning around on the top step takes a bit of getting used to, but practice without a rifle at first, use a sling like the Z-Aim Pro Stalker or 3HGR, and it is soon mastered. Alternatively, you can attach a length of paracord to the seat and the rifle slip, and use it to pull the rifle up after you once you are seated. The paracord can also be used to help secure the seat components in transit.

All treestands properly require the use of a fall arrest system, but this is particularly true of "self-climbing" stands where there is no ladder to grab in the event of a fall.

 

[mchughcb]

Nobody mentioned climbers. I've only been talking about a high quality hangon which can go on almost any tree that fits within the design spec of 6-22 inches diameter and not more than 15 degrees slope.

 

[chrishorner]

JB7x57 thanks for that similar use to my needs for a seat then.

 

[chrishorner]

MR Gain, thanks for the tips on using one. mchugcb don't think the wooden ones are a goer as I only would use very occasionally.

 

[mchughcb]

I took my lone wolf assault out today for a driven fox hunt. It sits very nicely on a fence straining post. Gets you up another 0.6cm which is great height to see the foxes pushing through the thick grass, whilst also making a relatively comfortable seat.

 

[Mr. Gain]

Nobody mentioned climbers. I've only been talking about a high quality hangon which can go on almost any tree that fits within the design spec of 6-22 inches diameter and not more than 15 degrees slope.

Thanks for the clarification. We don't really see hang-ons here, and even in Europe they're mostly modest, ground-level seats.

The point about trees still applies though. I think I've only once found a tree less than 22" in diameter to attach a ladder-stand to on my ground as it's all mature oaks and beech, or thick hedgerow. There aren't even a lot of telephone poles.

BTW, do you use a shooting rest when on your hang-on, or shoot offhand?