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

Hey Y’all. Been a while. I’m loving my Climb Rights. Not too heavy. Easy to use with practice. Down side can’t use on public land.


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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.


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Click to expand...
I just got my Wild Edge steps last week and I feel like I have got it down pretty good. Definitely watch Andrew's youtube videos and Jim Step's original youtube video. The key is getting all of the slack out of the line. Go around the tree, make your loop. Grab rope to right side of step to take up slack , lift up so points are above rope , cam down with both hands. Once you get the feel for how munch tension should be on rope and how to take up slack, it becomes easy.
 
Dragsmack said:
I just got my Wild Edge steps last week and I feel like I have got it down pretty good. Definitely watch Andrew's youtube videos and Jim Step's original youtube video. The key is getting all of the slack out of the line. Go around the tree, make your loop. Grab rope to right side of step to take up slack , lift up so points are above rope , cam down with both hands. Once you get the feel for how munch tension should be on rope and how to take up slack, it becomes easy.
Click to expand...

I did all that over and over and over. When it was too tight to cam, I would loosen it the most minuscule amount to get the Cam over. After standing on it like that, it would loosen quite a bit within 30-40 seconds of standing on it. These are the original stepps from Jim, before wild edge existed, so I doubt the rope hasn’t been stretched. The sweet spot between enough slack to get the posts above the rope, and enough tension to cam tight is insanely small. I also have found small trees (similar diameter as the widest portion of the stepp) don’t work well with the stepp ladder in general.I can get them attached, it just takes longer than I would like.

My biggest problem is I was going to try to use them like @Cain does in his video.


That would have let me drop 1/2 the stepps I needed to carry for the same height. But, I can’t get the stepp attached high enough over my head that the one below it ends up above my belt line. With the stepp just below my belt line.... I can’t use a carabiner on a riggers belt to hook to that stepp, because I would be applying upward force on. Upward force releases the Cam tension which is NO BUENO.

Instead of paying for the stepps, I bought 50 more bolts for my EZ Kut bolt system, will put more offseason practice on my spurs to get more comfortable in them, and will shorten my knock off hawk helium sticks to 20” steps with a single aider.
Those systems are already either at, or very near, proficiency for me.


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IkemanTX said:
I did all that over and over and over. When it was too tight to cam, I would loosen it the most minuscule amount to get the Cam over. After standing on it like that, it would loosen quite a bit within 30-40 seconds of standing on it. These are the original stepps from Jim, before wild edge existed, so I doubt the rope hasn’t been stretched. The sweet spot between enough slack to get the posts above the rope, and enough tension to cam tight is insanely small. I also have found small trees (similar diameter as the widest portion of the stepp) don’t work well with the stepp ladder in general.I can get them attached, it just takes longer than I would like.

My biggest problem is I was going to try to use them like @Cain does in his video.


That would have let me drop 1/2 the stepps I needed to carry for the same height. But, I can’t get the stepp attached high enough over my head that the one below it ends up above my belt line. With the stepp just below my belt line.... I can’t use a carabiner on a riggers belt to hook to that stepp, because I would be applying upward force on. Upward force releases the Cam tension which is NO BUENO.

Instead of paying for the stepps, I bought 50 more bolts for my EZ Kut bolt system, will put more offseason practice on my spurs to get more comfortable in them, and will shorten my knock off hawk helium sticks to 20” steps with a single aider.
Those systems are already either at, or very near, proficiency for me.


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Click to expand...

It's hearing from guys like you and DaveT that have me looking away from the stepps as a climbing method. I'm still interested in the platform they're working on, but it's out as a climbing method. You've really got me thinking about presetting trees with bolts. I can buy 200 bolts for $175 CAD. I could preset ~ 25 trees every season for less than a set of stepps and still be mobile with the hand drill. Figuring out a platform another issue!

Cheers,

Cheers,
 
Babshaft said:
It's hearing from guys like you and DaveT that have me looking away from the stepps as a climbing method. I'm still interested in the platform they're working on, but it's out as a climbing method. You've really got me thinking about presetting trees with bolts. I can buy 200 bolts for $175 CAD. I could preset ~ 25 trees every season for less than a set of stepps and still be mobile with the hand drill. Figuring out a platform another issue!

Cheers,

Cheers,
Click to expand...

If you have decent hard sole shoes, the bolts will work just fine as your platform. I am getting to where I use them, and the top of my helium’s, more and more.

I have done a 7 hour sit on the tops of my sticks, and I’ve routinely done 5 hours on my bolts.


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IkemanTX said:
If you have decent hard sole shoes, the bolts will work just fine as your platform. I am getting to where I use them, and the top of my helium’s, more and more.

I have done a 7 hour sit on the tops of my sticks, and I’ve routinely done 5 hours on my bolts.


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Click to expand...

I hunted this whole season (my first in a saddle) using the top of my helium and two screw in ameristeps. I had a 6hr sit as my longest. I'll definitely try the bolts. I've been thinking of the bike pedal option with them as well.
 
IkemanTX said:
I did all that over and over and over. When it was too tight to cam, I would loosen it the most minuscule amount to get the Cam over. After standing on it like that, it would loosen quite a bit within 30-40 seconds of standing on it. These are the original stepps from Jim, before wild edge existed, so I doubt the rope hasn’t been stretched. The sweet spot between enough slack to get the posts above the rope, and enough tension to cam tight is insanely small. I also have found small trees (similar diameter as the widest portion of the stepp) don’t work well with the stepp ladder in general.I can get them attached, it just takes longer than I would like.

My biggest problem is I was going to try to use them like @Cain does in his video.


That would have let me drop 1/2 the stepps I needed to carry for the same height. But, I can’t get the stepp attached high enough over my head that the one below it ends up above my belt line. With the stepp just below my belt line.... I can’t use a carabiner on a riggers belt to hook to that stepp, because I would be applying upward force on. Upward force releases the Cam tension which is NO BUENO.

Instead of paying for the stepps, I bought 50 more bolts for my EZ Kut bolt system, will put more offseason practice on my spurs to get more comfortable in them, and will shorten my knock off hawk helium sticks to 20” steps with a single aider.
Those systems are already either at, or very near, proficiency for me.


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Click to expand...
I wonder if the difference in our experiences is different ropes? I think Andrew switched ropes. Honestly, it took me only 30 minutes to get it down to where it is easy to me. I have only used them on hickory trees so far, so maybe i will have a different experience with other trees. I hope not!
 
Dragsmack said:
I wonder if the difference in our experiences is different ropes? I think Andrew switched ropes. Honestly, it took me only 30 minutes to get it down to where it is easy to me. I have only used them on hickory trees so far, so maybe i will have a different experience with other trees. I hope not!
Click to expand...

The rope may make a huge difference. I may play with using amsteel and see how that goes. But, it will be a few months before I get around to it.


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IkmanTX, I have had the same issue. You just have to play with the spacing to get it right. Another option that I have played with that works well for me is , I take two caribiners that are the same length and put them on each side of my linemans loops on my rock climbing harness. After I step up I clip each carabiner onto the ropes on the outside of the step. This makes it harder for the step to uncam. This way is not as fast as using me duty belt , but is as effective and it gets me a little closer to the tree, which allows you to set your next step a little higher.
 
IkemanTX said:
The rope may make a huge difference. I may play with using amsteel and see how that goes. But, it will be a few months before I get around to it.


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Click to expand...
I think I read somewhere that Amsteel was hard to undo the loop when using it on wild edge steps
 
Cain said:
IkmanTX, I have had the same issue. You just have to play with the spacing to get it right. Another option that I have played with that works well for me is , I take two caribiners that are the same length and put them on each side of my linemans loops on my rock climbing harness. After I step up I clip each carabiner onto the ropes on the outside of the step. This makes it harder for the step to uncam. This way is not as fast as using me duty belt , but is as effective and it gets me a little closer to the tree, which allows you to set your next step a little higher.
Click to expand...
Cain,
Thanks for your take on climbing and spawning new ideas on this site and thanks for your service.
Bill, Fire Capt. (Retired)
 
Didn't see a response but whispers death is hardcore srt. it's a great method. I've been presetting trees with paracord

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BassBoysLLP said:
Didn't see a response but whispers death is hardcore srt. it's a great method. I've been presetting trees with paracord

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Click to expand...

I’ve been think about trying SRT, but it’s tough to find a good video of the best method for hunters. I’ve seen the tree cinch video, but he never explains the actual process of climbing and how to keep it quiet.

Any advice on good videos?

I found this searching around:

http://saddlehunter.com/community/index.php?threads/srt-resources.1708/
 
Babshaft said:
I’ve been think about trying SRT, but it’s tough to find a good video of the best method for hunters. I’ve seen the tree cinch video, but he never explains the actual process of climbing and how to keep it quiet.

Any advice on good videos?
Click to expand...
whispers death has posted a few videos. I'll try to dig them up later tonight

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IkemanTX said:
I did all that over and over and over. When it was too tight to cam, I would loosen it the most minuscule amount to get the Cam over. After standing on it like that, it would loosen quite a bit within 30-40 seconds of standing on it. These are the original stepps from Jim, before wild edge existed, so I doubt the rope hasn’t been stretched. The sweet spot between enough slack to get the posts above the rope, and enough tension to cam tight is insanely small. I also have found small trees (similar diameter as the widest portion of the stepp) don’t work well with the stepp ladder in general.I can get them attached, it just takes longer than I would like.

My biggest problem is I was going to try to use them like @Cain does in his video.


That would have let me drop 1/2 the stepps I needed to carry for the same height. But, I can’t get the stepp attached high enough over my head that the one below it ends up above my belt line. With the stepp just below my belt line.... I can’t use a carabiner on a riggers belt to hook to that stepp, because I would be applying upward force on. Upward force releases the Cam tension which is NO BUENO.

Instead of paying for the stepps, I bought 50 more bolts for my EZ Kut bolt system, will put more offseason practice on my spurs to get more comfortable in them, and will shorten my knock off hawk helium sticks to 20” steps with a single aider.
Those systems are already either at, or very near, proficiency for me.


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Click to expand...

Wow climbing like this carrying just one or two steps or brackets would be a killer way to put posters on drives in rifle season. Posters could set up in a minute or so with hardly any gear to weigh you down. I dont really want to be doing gymnastics at 20 feet, but to get to 8 or 10 sure.
 
Babshaft said:
It's hearing from guys like you and DaveT that have me looking away from the stepps as a climbing method. I'm still interested in the platform they're working on, but it's out as a climbing method. You've really got me thinking about presetting trees with bolts. I can buy 200 bolts for $175 CAD. I could preset ~ 25 trees every season for less than a set of stepps and still be mobile with the hand drill. Figuring out a platform another issue!

Cheers,

Cheers,
Click to expand...

Where can a guy get 200 bolts for $175 CAD. Do you have a link??????
 
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