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1 stick climbing method

The nice thing about the set up with the climbing rope as your main support line is that it easily moves up the tree with you. You stay connected 100% of the time. Keep the line mans belt handy for crossing limbs. Otherwise you don't need it.


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I'm using a TL saddle. Removed the elastic straps and replaces with tool belt suspenders. (Not my idea. Found it on YouTube) this makes it much more user friendly walking around plus a couple of handy little pockets. the climbing rope idea also came from YouTube


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fawnzy said:
I'm using a TL saddle. Removed the elastic straps and replaces with tool belt suspenders. (Not my idea. Found it on YouTube) this makes it much more user friendly walking around plus a couple of handy little pockets. the climbing rope idea also came from YouTube
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Cool. I've also seen the videos for both ideas :cool:
 
Hi guys, new to this forum. I actually picked up this method from the same video. It's really easier than it looks, just takes some practice. I don't find it any harder than a climbing stand, maybe actually a little easier. It's just like anything else, with a little practice you can be quiet and quick with it. I do it a little different and use two sticks with rock climbing etriers on them. Those get me to 15' and then I use the top stick to go the rest of the way using the "one stick" method. Here are two videos I made using my Guidos Web
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7uiPorhIDM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxv2EAnohn0
 
John Eberhart said:
Hell with the noise, you'd be a sweat bag by the time you were high enough off the ground to hunt, and anybody out of shape would have a heart attack before they reached the top. I have had several companies (Ameristep, Gorilla, Eastman Outdoors) send me climbing sticks and while they are very convenient and much simpler to use than the youtube system, they are cumbersome to carry through the woods. I guess if a hunter were walking down a nice clean 2 track like they do on TV and in videos, those systems would be convenient, unfortunately most of us don't have or want that luxury and prefer to earn our animals.

Obviously the best method is to pre-set your locations so they are ready when you get there. In heavily pressured areas however your taking the chance of everything being stolen when you arrive. I had 20 steps stolen twice in one season at different locations.

My preference for coming in and setting up is still Cranford screw in tree steps for private ground and Cranford strap-ons for public. I couldn't screw in the steps faster than using the sticks I was sent, but do think I could keep up with the youtube guy with his stick system. Cranford steps screw in effortlessly due to their design and clean metal, whereas Ameristep and Gorilla screw in steps are extremely difficult to start and more difficult to screw in because they are painted.
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Totally agree. I love this site!!! There are so many like minded people. I can only imagine start we'll create by this time next year.
 
My 3 modified sticks weigh about 4 pounds - I carry them in my left handed like you guys sporting those heavy wheelie bows :D Perhaps that is why I shoot a longbow - those fully loaded compounds wear me out carrying them. My sticks are 24 inches long and I have no problem sneaking through the woods with them, wading rivers, hiking 3 miles, etc... Heck I even scout with them attached to my pack after a mornigns hunt :)
 
Man that one stick guy gets around!!!

To answer a few questions about this method - most have been answered on the beast but for guys that aren't members over there.

The old dropped stick. In 5 years of climbing one stick I've dropped the stick one time. It was actually in my backyard while practicing one night. I was in a hurry coming down & left my strap way lose it fell about 6' down the tree. I went to number one backup plan. Pulled off my linemen's belt rope girth hitched the tree & used the prussic loop as my foot hold. That easily allowed me to climb down to the stick.

The number 2 backup covers a fallin stick if dropped when unstrapped (maybe passing a limb). It's my pull rope with a S hook on the end. I always have it to pull up my bow anyway.

Number 3 backup doesn't apply here, but I can always hang my hang-on to use as a foothold.

Number 4 is highly unlike, but is possible get knife cut & hung.

The second question difficult/physical exertion. It's no more difficult than a climbing stand, really close to hanging multi sticks, & way easier than screwing in steps. Do you sweat, if you do with any other climbing method than you will with this one too & if you don't you probably won't. I live in SE LA temps range from 50-100 during early season & 30-80 late season. Sweating isn't optional here it's required. If you live in a colder climate I'm almost certain if you took your time you could climb 40' without breaking a sweat.

Third - noise. Like any method noise is directly related to speed & carefulness. You can climb quiet with just about anything if your careful & move slow enough.

Four - movement. The one stick method falls short here it does require significant movement & all movement can not be masked by the tree. So on bed sets where it's calm & visual from the buck is possible take multi sticks.

By the way great forum. I don't hunt with a saddle, but I'm currently modding a rock harness to use on 2-3 hr sits that may come up from scouting.
 
Cbigbear said:
Man that one stick guy gets around!!!

To answer a few questions about this method - most have been answered on the beast but for guys that aren't members over there.

The old dropped stick. In 5 years of climbing one stick I've dropped the stick one time. It was actually in my backyard while practicing one night. I was in a hurry coming down & left my strap way lose it fell about 6' down the tree. I went to number one backup plan. Pulled off my linemen's belt rope girth hitched the tree & used the prussic loop as my foot hold. That easily allowed me to climb down to the stick.

The number 2 backup covers a fallin stick if dropped when unstrapped (maybe passing a limb). It's my pull rope with a S hook on the end. I always have it to pull up my bow anyway.

Number 3 backup doesn't apply here, but I can always hang my hang-on to use as a foothold.

Number 4 is highly unlike, but is possible get knife cut & hung.

The second question difficult/physical exertion. It's no more difficult than a climbing stand, really close to hanging multi sticks, & way easier than screwing in steps. Do you sweat, if you do with any other climbing method than you will with this one too & if you don't you probably won't. I live in SE LA temps range from 50-100 during early season & 30-80 late season. Sweating isn't optional here it's required. If you live in a colder climate I'm almost certain if you took your time you could climb 40' without breaking a sweat.

Third - noise. Like any method noise is directly related to speed & carefulness. You can climb quiet with just about anything if your careful & move slow enough.

Four - movement. The one stick method falls short here it does require significant movement & all movement can not be masked by the tree. So on bed sets where it's calm & visual from the buck is possible take multi sticks.

By the way great forum. I don't hunt with a saddle, but I'm currently modding a rock harness to use on 2-3 hr sits that may come up from scouting.
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Welcome to the site Cbigbear! I love some of the stuff that you have come up with and your videos! Keep up the good work! You'll find a lot of the guys on here are like minded! Hopefully your rock climbing harness works out for you and then we can get you in a saddle too :D
 
I watched DIY's video on the 1 stick method and decided to give it a shot this weekend. First off i modded my helium stick very similar to DaveT's mod(Thank you for the tips and vid Dave!). And like DIY i added a home made 2 step aider to get that much higher.

Cbigbear, great review of the the one stick method!

I wanted to put out a newbie's perspective for you all. All in all it took me 10 mins to get up to about 20 ft, that is from finding a tree, unpacking my saddle and stick and headed up the tree.

In that time frame i was no louder then if someone was in a climbing stand and honestly it was quieter then me setting my 3 sticks up the night before(mind you i am new climbing sticks in general. An the stick is tied to me as i climb so i dont worry about dropping it.

I didnt sweat at all, like Cbigbear mentioned you just need to take your time and plan your climb out.

My biggest struggle was being at the right height when stepping off of the stick. This takes some getting used to because if your stick is to high it can be a big struggle when trying to get your foot on your stick. Also i struggled on getting my foot into the aiders, this i am chalking up to me being new at using them and my home made set up may need to be altered. Do you guys have any tips as to how to make a more user friendly aider or how to use them better???

Coming down wasnt to bad that took be about 15 mins, i found that you can get as much distance per movement ...if that makes any sense.

All in all i am sold this style works great for how i hunt. There are times i go from elevations of 1200 to 2400 ft just to hunt so weight is a HUGE factor for me.
 
I am using the one stick method. It is much faster quieter and easier than using the 4 sticks I was using before. U can get to 25 ft in about 6 minutes. Plus I am only carrying one stick now. I keep my left knee under while moving it. This helps in keeping it quite and from dropping it. And so far I haven't had to remove the strap completely yet. I just loosen it.
 
Thought I'd give a little update since I have used this method for two seasons now ;) I prefer this method over pretty much everything else still and it's pretty much second nature at this point. Some trees are a pain and the ones I have problems with are mainly bigger trees or ones with rough bark that catch on the attachment ropes while going up. I tend to look for smaller trees (slightly smaller than a telephone pole) and smoother bark is obviously better. I like climbing maple trees a lot since they normally have some limbs for cover but they are also very slick when wet! The main thing is less weight to carry and I can do it quietly while staying attached all the way up.
 
For those of you worried about dropping your stick while using the one stick - quick solution. Take a treble hook (large one used for catfish) cut off one prong. Bend the two remaining prongs to where they are flat and the tips slightly bent out (each tip going in opposite direction) keep this in your saddle pouch. If you drop the stick (highly unlikely) just put it on your pull rope and snag it. Simple insurance.
 
DaveT1963 said:
For those of you worried about dropping your stick while using the one stick - quick solution. Take a treble hook (large one used for catfish) cut off one prong. Bend the two remaining prongs to where they are flat and the tips slightly bent out (each tip going in opposite direction) keep this in your saddle pouch. If you drop the stick (highly unlikely) just put it on your pull rope and snag it. Simple insurance.
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Very good idea and could be used to retrieve other stuff as well! I've actually tried dropping the stick while practicing this and it's not easy to do. With my Muddy stick with the rope and cam I never take the rope completely loose while moving the stick. I loosen it and put the rope back in the cam. If I drop it, it only goes a few feet before the rope grabs the tree and it stops. Never out of reach.
 
I use 2 sticks now with aides. The first I scramble up and it gives a good head start. The second becomes my one stick method. I find it launches me up the tree much faster. I guess we're only talking minutes.


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What if i drop my climber platform and yes I have done that. Oh wait its connected to the upper via 2 straps. Same with the one stick method, could have a piece of 550 cord from you to the stick.
 
I took all 3 of my sticks out this weekend for a hunt and honestly the 1 stick method is far easier and can be done in the same amount of time and the sky is the limit. I think I will be sticking to 1 stick with a 2 set aider. My next step will be coverting the strap to a rope with a LW versa button. I look foward to honing my methods over the next few years if its this easy now i can only imagine what 2 yrs of expierence will do.
 
I am in ohio today using 1 stick and guidos web. Today is first day in guidos web and I think I like it better than my evo. Only time will tell.
 
ADKMtnTrapper said:
I took all 3 of my sticks out this weekend for a hunt and honestly the 1 stick method is far easier and can be done in the same amount of time and the sky is the limit. I think I will be sticking to 1 stick with a 2 set aider. My next step will be coverting the strap to a rope with a LW versa button. I look foward to honing my methods over the next few years if its this easy now i can only imagine what 2 yrs of expierence will do.
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I have gotten so used to doing it I actually carry the one stick with me when trimming lanes. I will climb a tree and cut limbs that are in my way. It's a pretty handy trick lol. I also used it to climb a tree to set an antenna for one of our Covert cellular trail cams for better service :lol:
 
Here I am wishing I had a 4th stick and you guys are convincing me I already have 2 too many. :lol:
 
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