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Cons to the "one-stick" method?

weekender21

weekender21

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2018
Messages
1,555
Location
Hawaii and North Carolina
I've been trying to decide my primary method for climbing once my saddle arrives. I've used Lone Wolf sticks and/or screw in steps with my hang on stands for years but want something ultra light to take advantage of the saddle system. After digging through the forum and watching every YouTube video I can find, I'm really leaning towards the one stick method. Chris Cain has an excellent video explaining the one stick method and I've found a few others as well.

What I want to know are the cons. I haven't been able to come up with any so far. lightweight, safe, simple...am I missing something?

Thanks!
 
Jgetch said:
I climbed exclusively last year with the one stick method because I wanted light and I wanted cheap. It worked and worked well but the effort to get up to height wasn’t worth it for me. I’m using crane strap on steps this year.
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Was it a matter of time getting up the tree or was the method exhausting?
 
weekender21 said:
Was it a matter of time getting up the tree or was the method exhausting?
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The time wasn’t to bad. Takes me about the same now but I haven’t practiced much with the new set up. It was a heck of a learning curve last year with the one stick though. After a couple times out I thought there had to be a better way. Tried a few things but they all were pretty exhausting. It is a good method and very light and compact but I was a sweaty mess once to the top and often I’d stop short of where I was planning to get because I was beat. I’m an average build and a good athlete. After last season I was determined to find an easier way up without carrying in 3-4 sticks. When I got the rope steps the first time up I never broke a sweat and it was in the 80’s. I went with the cranes instead of the WE stepps just because I thought they looked more packable and I do some long hikes in. Whatever you decide to go with practice as much as possible before hitting the woods. I ruined a hunt last year thinking something would work and hunting before trying it out first. Not fun having hike in on a perfect day only to find your not making it into a tree.
 
The weight savings vs effort really isn’t there. It’s one of those tools I’ll use a few times a year, but it’s not something I’d want to do every hunt. To me 2 extra sticks with aiders are worth their weight in ease of climbing. Ymmv
 
Where LEGAL the drilling the tree using grade 8 bolts is the easiest by far. Preseason you can prepare as many trees as you like. Then you only have to carry one pack of bolts and a hand drill to clean out frozen holes. Spurs might be easier, however I have never tried them so I cannot comment on them. One other thing. Everyone here seems to want to be stealthy and absolutely quiet in the woods. I cant tell you how many times ive been cordless drilling a new tree in season and have had deer come in to check out the sound of the drill. Its amazing. They are such curious animals. Did I just come up with a new deer call?
 
Wish I had seen the naider swaider system before I got the cranford steps. Wasn’t sold on the WE stepps because of the bulk. 10-12 stepps for height and platform just seemed like to much considering mobility is the most important aspect for me and long hikes are the norm. However with the naider swaider possibly only having 5 steps and accomplishing both is very appealing. Won’t be able to justify this year but unless someone thinks of another innovation that will probably be my system after this season.
 
Great feedback.

I’ll try to master the one stick method, I’ll at least have it in my back pocket if needed. I can get to 20’ with three LW sticks and an aider, not really all that heavy if it’s not horrible terrain.

For those drilling trees, what’s the long term tree damage like? I can obviously legally drill all the trees I want on my property but don’t want to kill trees that are valuable for future timber harvests.
 
Con - if you have to poop, you're executing a slower, more involved climbing process while clenching butt cheeks...

Can be overcome by rappelling, but then you make up the weight of the extra two sticks with the rope and hardware.

I can execute one stick climbing now in the same time as I can climb with stepps, and not break a sweat if it's under 80 degrees. it's just like everything else - practice.

Another con is a cold wet tree you have a fair amount more contact with with this method.
 
kyler1945 said:
Con - if you have to poop, you're executing a slower, more involved climbing process while clenching butt cheeks...

Can be overcome by rappelling, but then you make up the weight of the extra two sticks with the rope and hardware.

I can execute one stick climbing now in the same time as I can climb with stepps, and not break a sweat if it's under 80 degrees. it's just like everything else - practice.

Another con is a cold wet tree you have a fair amount more contact with with this method.
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I bring rap line & atc regardless of climbing method.Drop a piece of gear, Emergency descent ,etc . Also , if I want to set up tree for SRT, rap line makes a great way to set up for that.
 
Ctclimberguy42 said:
I bring rap line & atc regardless of climbing method.Drop a piece of gear, Emergency descent ,etc . Also , if I want to set up tree for SRT, rap line makes a great way to set up for that.
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Having invested in SRT setup, I have considered this. I rarely hunt the same tree twice though. May look to do it this year some...
 
Weekender21 the trees I drilled would be completely healed over the following year. I only drilled hardwood trees though, mostly oak. If you look close and could find where you drilled the previous yr those holes redrill out much easier. Never saw a tree killed by my drilling it.
 
with the right setup you can climb a tree one-sticking just as fast as you can with a set of sticks and without any extra effort.

The con as redsquirrel said is the descent. The only timely way to descend is to rappel imo, so you gain a little weight and bulk back by having to carry rappel rope...but its not so bad if you can get smaller diameter canyon rope. Still its something I wish I didn't have to pack
 
Nutterbuster said:
I've always scratched my head over one sticking. I can see using it to get a bit higher with a regular stick setup, but it looks like a royal PITA.

But some folks find the EZ Kut tedious, so I guess it's all about what you put effort into learning.
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True. I am starting to get used to we steps. But I still like light sticks. 3 sticks 5 pounds



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