X-Stand X-Pedition Hang On Stand |
Today I am reviewing the X-Pedition hang on tree stand from X-Stand Treestands.
MSRP $202.00
Features of this stand:
- Pro-Lite 60/61 Aircraft Aluminum
- Weight Capacity is 300 pounds
- Platform is 21″ wide and 31″ deep
- Seat is 19″ wide and 10″ deep with a 3″ thick cushion
- Seat height is 19″
- Stand weighs 10 Pounds
The 2017 season was my introduction to using the X-Stand line of products. While looking for the perfect hang and hunt setup, I came across the X-Pedition stand and it definitely caught my eye with a good mix of value and features.
The X-Pedition is a lightweight hang-on stand that is perfect for remote setups where packing in a stand is your best or only option. I took my first deer of 2017 hunting from this stand in a tree that I would not have been able to access with my climbing system or a ladder stand. The flexibility of this stand system made concealment and stealth easy and led to a mature doe harvest.
I paired this stand with a set of Venom climbing sticks by X-Stand. I will review these sticks at another time. The X-Pedition packs tightly with the sticks and has bungee cord attachments on the bottom of the stand to allow you to secure four climbing sticks to the stand for easy entry and exit. The bungee cords are very tight, but this is necessary to ensure that your stand is silent when slipping in under the cover of darkness.
The X-Pedition uses two points of attachment at the tree providing rock-solid stability and peace of mind while hunting. First, the top of the stand attaches via the Quick Hitch Receiver to the tree with a ratchet strap and locking pin. The bottom is secured with straps and buckles integrated into the backpack straps. It is simply a matter of unbuckling the backpack straps and wrapping each around the tree, re-buckling and pulling tight to secure the bottom of the stand.
I like the Quick Hitch Receiver concept that this stand uses. It creates a safer situation when hanging your treestand. Instead of having to hold, position, and hang the entire stand you simply hang the Quick Hitch Receiver to the tree with the ratchet strap. You then pull up the stand and slide it over the receiver, attaching it with a locking pin. The Quick Hitch Receiver has multiple holes in it allowing you to adjust the stand to be level so crooked trees are safe to hunt. The ability to purchase multiple Quick Hitch Receivers allows a hunter to pre-set multiple stand sites before the season and use one stand at all those locations, reducing both cost and theft.
QUICK TIPS:
- While this stand is easy to use, I recommend practicing hanging prior to the season to ensure a flawless setup. The locking pin can be a bit tricky to set the first time and you do not want the first use to be in early November.
- Speaking of the locking pin, I recommend purchasing an additional pin ($4.99) to keep in your pack. I have not done this but fully intend to. I can see myself dropping the pin during my rut vacation trying to hang in the dark. Murphy’s Law…
- Consider multiple Quick Hitch Receivers. The receivers MSRP is $29.99. I find this to be a great value when you consider the flexibility of multiple prepared setups. There’s nothing worse than not having a limb cut and that buck of a lifetime is standing behind it.
- The stand is quiet, but consider adding some sound dampening material to the stand and sticks to avoid the clink of metal on metal contact during hang and hunts during the season. This is true of almost all stands on the market today and well worth the offseason time to prepare.