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Baker Tree Stands...

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,078
118
Who remembers Baker Tree Stands??? I'm going to say 80% of the guys on here never seen one.. Many moons ago they were the goto tree stand. Back then I thought they were the cats meow. Heard many horror stories about them. And to think back then I never wore any kind of safety belt. How times have changed..
 

reo

Junior Member
484
68
N.E. Ohio
Don't stand on the back too close to the tree! Lol. Still have one but never would consider using one nowadays.


 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
That's probably because most did not live to tell about it! :smiley_coolpeace:

I remember them well (I'm old ya know). I went up the tree about three "Reps".... Came back down and said "Ain't No Way!"
I bought a Loggy Bayou a couple years later and they were scantless as well. It let loose about 10' up and dropped 7 foot RIGHT NOW! Then grabbed the tree, sudden stop drilled my knees into the tree. Thought I was Paralyzed from shoulders down..... Used the damn thing for a chair the rest of the night. Don't do climbers anymore....rotflmao
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Had the TSS, probably same setup.... Definitely don't step back towards the tree lol

Worst part, we never had safety harnesses back then.... I made a makeshift one that'd of snapped my spine if I ever fell....


 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
The only safe Baker I ever saw was secured to a tree via 2x4s. Loud, heavy and likely to kill you.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
IMG_8431.JPG
Baker


IMG_8432.JPG
TSS


 

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,078
118
Had the TSS, probably same setup.... Definitely don't step back towards the tree lol

Worst part, we never had safety harnesses back then.... I made a makeshift one that'd of snapped my spine if I ever fell....

"j" TSS that was my next stand... In fact I used it one day this year out in Illinois... Did it the old fashioned way TOO... I hugged the tree when climbing... Gotta go back in time sometimes....
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
"j" TSS that was my next stand... In fact I used it one day this year out in Illinois... Did it the old fashioned way TOO... I hugged the tree when climbing... Gotta go back in time sometimes....

I still have two in my garage.... I got really good hugging them trees and climbing them lol....
Old school climbing!!!!
The youngins won't know the pain, or burn of sliding half way down a tree when it's wet lmao....


 

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,078
118
I still have two in my garage.... I got really good hugging them trees and climbing them lol....
Old school climbing!!!!
The youngins won't know the pain, or burn of sliding half way down a tree when it's wet lmao....[/QUOT

Or when your 20ft up hugging the tree and the stand slips off your feet and you are left hugging saying "OH SHIT" LMAO
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
I still have two in my garage.... I got really good hugging them trees and climbing them lol....
Old school climbing!!!!
The youngins won't know the pain, or burn of sliding half way down a tree when it's wet lmao....[/QUOT

Or when your 20ft up hugging the tree and the stand slips off your feet and you are left hugging saying "OH SHIT" LMAO

The strap that goes over top of the toes there's a center screw that pins it down in the middle.... 15-18' up in a tree coming down, it breaks and stand comes separated from me and slides 5-7' below me and locks back down.... Oh what a picker factor moment lol.... Slide down ok controlled fall and luckily it still stayed locked in....
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
I got one. Never used it and never will. It was my great uncles, he passed it down to me. I just thought it was too cool not to keep.
 

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,078
118
I still have Bakers and TSS' in fact I have a TSS kit still in the unopened box.. Just got to get a piece of plywood... I liked the TSS cause it never left marks on the tree.. Heck years ago you knew you found a good spot when you came across a tree that was all chewed up... Someone keeps going up that tree must be a reason... Plus TSS was legal to use on state land in Pa. as it didn't hurt the tree. Game Warden walked up to my brother one time and looked up at him to see what kind of climber he was using..
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
My brother bought the first, I bought one after trying his... Numerous times lol...
He had his kick out once and dropped all the way down too the ground....
Once you start sliding it's no stopping until gravity is done with you... he had road rash where his shirt lifted up to his chin... Belt line to his neck... wasn't pretty but he lived to tell about it....


 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
My first climber was an MKM, much like the TSS with a plywood platform, spring steel band. I killed my first deer out of that stand. I did have the displeasure of using a borrowed Baker a couple of times. I went from the MKM to a Loc-On climber, which was a little better, but not much. I hugged the tree, too, all those years until I bought a Lone Wolf climbing stand. hand climber and a seat, genius. Bakers were the cats ass back in the day, though, despite being a deathtrap. I gave away my old climbers because I hated them so much. :smile:
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Ha sure do remember them.
My buddy Kevin use to have one we used back in the 80s.
Do remember slipping and bear hugging the tree all the way down one evening.lol
And we didn't use safety belts back then.
Last time i used it,I believe it eventually was stolen.
The young guys sure dont know how well they have it today with all the comfotable stand choices out there.
Fuggin death traps by todays standards.lol
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
hugging the tree to climb was not so bad from age 15 to 35. :smile: no shit, Boarhead. they don't have a clue how much it has all changed in the last three decades
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Ha Jamie hugging the tree was when that fugger kicked out and i took the fast way down.lol
Fastest i ever went down a tree.
Be fun to have a couple of the young guys use one for a season and report back to us on how fun and uncomfortable of a season they had.
Lmao.