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Climbing methods....trying to cut down on weight

My sticks are so easy and quick to install and climb but I hate packing them. Would like to cut down on weight/bulk too. Thinking of going back to ameristeps platform instead of the XOP myself. Might try climbing with just an etrier. I don't like the swinging but I hope I can learn to be better at it. Would be nice to have just a rope ladder and ameristeps platform.
 
I'm still trying to work out what works best for me but if you want to be ultralight learn how to one aider or stirrups. One aider is faster but stirrups is easier and more comfortable. Either one on a tree with no branches is simple and efficient. It's going around limbs that REALLY slows me down. You have two tethers and a lineman to get around. A climbing harness with sit drag was a must for me, I didn't like the evo for this and I can't say for the kestrel but I don't think it'd be preferred for it either. It is very safe, I tie into my harness with both my main tether and foot tether. Proper safety makes it more time consuming but you could be reasonably safe and go a little faster than I do. Even if you struggle with aiders you can constantly be taking the slack out of the main tether and you can't fall. I use two stealth stripped wild edge stepps most of the time for a platform and they are plenty sufficient for several hours, I love those things. One of the reasons I started saddle hunting was to cut weight and I have by a ton but it's not without its struggles. Getting up in the tree well before light in mornings has been difficult for me. I'm also usually trying to get closer to 30' so that makes it a lot harder than 20. I still have some experimenting I want to try with the climber seat and might try some petzel quick steps for another method but haven't got there yet. I've gotten most of my info from the tactics of justsomedude and noxninja. So for what it's worth thats what I've come up with in the last month or two after hours and hours of experimenting and a small fortune later to feed the newest part of my favorite addiction.
 
BenG said:
I'm still trying to work out what works best for me but if you want to be ultralight learn how to one aider or stirrups. One aider is faster but stirrups is easier and more comfortable. Either one on a tree with no branches is simple and efficient. It's going around limbs that REALLY slows me down. You have two tethers and a lineman to get around. A climbing harness with sit drag was a must for me, I didn't like the evo for this and I can't say for the kestrel but I don't think it'd be preferred for it either. It is very safe, I tie into my harness with both my main tether and foot tether. Proper safety makes it more time consuming but you could be reasonably safe and go a little faster than I do. Even if you struggle with aiders you can constantly be taking the slack out of the main tether and you can't fall. I use two stealth stripped wild edge stepps most of the time for a platform and they are plenty sufficient for several hours, I love those things. One of the reasons I started saddle hunting was to cut weight and I have by a ton but it's not without its struggles. Getting up in the tree well before light in mornings has been difficult for me. I'm also usually trying to get closer to 30' so that makes it a lot harder than 20. I still have some experimenting I want to try with the climber seat and might try some petzel quick steps for another method but haven't got there yet. I've gotten most of my info from the tactics of justsomedude and noxninja. So for what it's worth thats what I've come up with in the last month or two after hours and hours of experimenting and a small fortune later to feed the newest part of my favorite addiction.
Click to expand...

I want one of those gadgets batman uses.
 
I wonder if you could have 2 anchor points for the aider. Like an ameristep or climb paw. Just enough to keep it off the tree and reduce the swinging.


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Tony said:
Dewey

I'm new to saddle hunting and having this same debate with myself. I don't want to add so much weight that I'm back at the weight of a hang on.

My thoughts are mornings-walking in in the dark and trying to be quiet-give me my hawk heliums-ya there heavy but I can have them up quickly and quietly with just a small headlamp-it took me about 10 times with the heliums to get fast and quiet-short learning curve. Setting up in the dark I'll trade weight for ease of use and quiet.

Afternoons-im still working this out. I have a metilous ladder and maybe I'll try runninng two and girth hitching one to the tree climbing 3-5 steps then moving to the next one removing #1, climbing then setting #1 back up, climb repeat. This would be about two pounds plus any platform weight. I thing a Yates big wall ladder would work better because it uses a spreader bar and I notice the steps getting a little tight when I get to the top of the metoilios ladder. I have access to a petzel grillon and ID so Im trying to make one of these work as a connection to my bridge and rappell down-(in the dark remember-the aiders and speed steps seem to be the most work going down)
Click to expand...
I have the metolius aiders. I have not used them for tree climbing yet, only rocks.I took a piece of pvc pipe... cut slit in it lengthwise & slid it over top step then duct tape/e-tape. I cleaned up the cut ends w sandpaper so they were not sharp. Works great to keep foot squeeze down.
 
I just weighed my entire setup.

- Sitdrag with 2 dump pouches, lineman belt, tether, bow hanger, etc. The complete kit.
- Pack with kill kit, grunt, can call flashlight, spare batteries, range finder, knee pads, etc.
- Spurs with rappelling rope, retrieval rope, carabiner, and descender.
- DIY LW seat platform with LW buckle.
- 4th arrow camera arm and all accessories, plus Canon main camera and GoPro setup.

This is everything I need. I can grab this setup and be 100% ready to hunt a mobile spot.

A very compact 28.5 lbs

Sent from my Galaxy S8.
 
g2,

Has anything changed in your pack or method since your last post on here?

Any more changes that made it more efficient or reduce weight?
 
Yes. I've reduced my pack size and what I carry. I'll post the numbers and list again.

Sent from my Galaxy S8.
 
Whispers Death said:
Harness, petzl rig, petzl ascension, foot loop, roll-n-clip carabiner, 35' of rope a woodpecker drill and 4 bolts, a throw line and bag.....and not a single stick ever again.
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Whisper- What do you do when the best tree doesn’t have a branch for your tie in point till too high? I assume you need a limb within 30-35 feet to tie your ascent line onto.
I would like SRT or RADs to be my only climbing method but I haven’t been able to get it to consistently work for me when hunting because tie in points are often too high.

I can’t imagine trying to get my throw ball over 35 foot branch in the dark Do you mainly hunt preset trees in the mornings?

I wish I could figure a way to advance a girth hitched tether 15-20 feet up the trunk, climb the tether, step off onto a cinched aider and repeat. I’ve tried doing this with a collapsible 15 foot pole that people retrieve golf balls with but the tether loop on the far side of the tree catches or the loop keeps falling down the tree.
 
On trees like that, I preset with a climber or a stick ladder or climb paws. Then I put a foot peg or a bolt in the tree at height for future cinching. Most of my trees are preset but not all. Just takes practice. You can also throw the line higher...then put a cinch strap around the tree at the height you want.
 
Whispers Death said:
On trees like that, I preset with a climber or a stick ladder or climb paws. Then I put a foot peg or a bolt in the tree at height for future cinching. Most of my trees are preset but not all. Just takes practice. You can also throw the line higher...then put a cinch strap around the tree at the height you want.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by a cinch strap? Have a picture or link?
 
I have neen using 4 lonewolf sticks but going to try 3 with aiders that should get me around 19 feet and I use 5 to 6 ameristep on a ratchet strap. I have 10 wild Edge steps that I will use with Reds aider and I am going to play with the steps as a platform. With Reds aider I should be able to climb about 20 feet with 5 steps . I am going to buy 4 Muddy pro sticks and try them with aiders. I will have to weigh my different setups but I would guess that are under 20 pounds.
 
Just a strap with a buckle on it or a sling or rope tied around the tree to hold the rope tight against the tree. It binds the rope to the tree at that point so it seems like that is where you are tied in.
 
Whispers Death said:
Just a strap with a buckle on it or a sling or rope tied around the tree to hold the rope tight against the tree. It binds the rope to the tree at that point so it seems like that is where you are tied in.
Click to expand...
Got it. Like you get with a hang on tree stand to secure your safety harness to the tree. Fasten the strap in place and leave a tag line through the strap D link to pull your rope up and around for the cinch point. I haven't done it that way before.

I'm working on a way to easily place a tether 15- 25 foot up a tree from the ground on trees that don't have a limb I can toss a line over. Then I could SRT or RADs up to the top of the tether and repeat if needed. Hoping to be able to walk in with just rope and ascent gear for climbing and Stepps for a platform.
 
Whispers Death said:
Harness, petzl rig, petzl ascension, foot loop, roll-n-clip carabiner, 35' of rope a woodpecker drill and 4 bolts, a throw line and bag.....and not a single stick ever again.
Click to expand...

Do you have a detailed explanation of your climbing setup anywhere?

I was determined to switch to the stepp ladder and space them 3.5 feet apart with no aider. I can’t remember who posted the video of their method. Anyhoo, I can’t get the stepps down to save my life, so I am having to look elsewhere for weight/bulk reduction.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
IkemanTX said:
Do you have a detailed explanation of your climbing setup anywhere?

I was determined to switch to the stepp ladder and space them 3.5 feet apart with no aider. I can’t remember who posted the video of their method. Anyhoo, I can’t get the stepps down to save my life, so I am having to look elsewhere for weight/bulk reduction.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
The stepps are finicky. There is a huge learning curve to getting them set up properly. I still don't get them on tight enough all the time. I'm always looking at better options so I'm not pushing them, just saying that if you have them, keep practicing and they will get better.
 
And they bend if you are 210 or more and side weight them. I did it to two of them. Did not know it until I tried to stack them. Bent them pretty good actually.
 
For the people that have used the LW hand climber top as their climbing method, if you use it as your stand once you reach height, how are you securing it to the tree? Meaning - it will be secure if you are standing straight, but any side pressure I would guess it would want to move. Is this true?
 
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