LWHC first sit impressions

[MaxJac]

I use paracord to connect the hand climber to my saddle or belt.

 

[muzzypower]

Ive found my foot strap to work best further from the tree

 

[Jay_Disarray]

I sold off the LWHC, it's just not for me.

I kept finding trees that weren't accessible easily with the lwhc or if they were, they were too far from where I wanted to be. I found climbing with it to be more difficult than i thought it would be.

Went back to 1sticking because of the ease of use and accessibility of just about any tree.

 

[pesqimon]

I sold off the LWHC, it's just not for me.

I kept finding trees that weren't accessible easily with the lwhc or if they were, they were too far from where I wanted to be. I found climbing with it to be more difficult than i thought it would be.

Went back to 1sticking because of the ease of use and accessibility of just about any tree.

I didn’t love 1sticking but I want to like any method that encourages me to rappel at the end.

With 1sticking i can see how you have access to more trees. How do you find the climb compares?

 

[Jay_Disarray]

i find 1sticking easier, i kept getting into the situation with the LWHC that i felt "stuck" and unable to progress further, constant tether adjustments, and difficulty in being able to angle my feet and lift my legs while simultaneously pushing against the tree to keep a distance to be able to lift my legs.

 

[muzzypower]

I find climbing with lwhc frustratingly slow. Inalwayscthink i can climb 2x fast if i add tge other half!

 

[Jay_Disarray]

I find climbing with lwhc frustratingly slow

yep, that was something i felt as well. I mean maybe I didn't give it enough time,I know there is a learning curve to just about everything.
I was constantly adjusting the tether, or my safeguard or something. By the time I was just tired of trying to climb, Id look down and only be like 10 ft up (which is fine on one spot that had a big mess of branches behind me at that 10ft mark). Often when 1 sticking i would dangle my rope down so i could tell when to stop, many times I would look down and go "oh i'm 3ft too high already".

The limbless trees i spotted before, when everything was green were now way to exposed to be of any use. I could have hid under the canopy when it was green and leafy still. The new trees i found had small limbs, like pencil sized ones, all over the place that just would have been annoying.

Not for me, maybe during the fall it would have been useful, but nothing i can climb with the LWHC i cant single stick up with the same amount of effort.

 

[splatek]

yep, that was something i felt as well. I mean maybe I didn't give it enough time,I know there is a learning curve to just about everything.
I was constantly adjusting the tether, or my safeguard or something. By the time I was just tired of trying to climb, Id look down and only be like 10 ft up (which is fine on one spot that had a big mess of branches behind me at that 10ft mark). Often when 1 sticking i would dangle my rope down so i could tell when to stop, many times I would look down and go "oh i'm 3ft too high already".

The limbless trees i spotted before, when everything was green were now way to exposed to be of any use. I could have hid under the canopy when it was green and leafy still. The new trees i found had small limbs, like pencil sized ones, all over the place that just would have been annoying.

Not for me, maybe during the fall it would have been useful, but nothing i can climb with the LWHC i cant single stick up with the same amount of effort.

I concur. I have been using the LWHC a bit and am growing increasingly annoyed with it. It's a pain to pack in sometimes and slower than i think. I like you have found myself thinking "I must be 20 feet up" only to find I am only 12 foot up. Also, attaching it to the tree in a way that it will not move and be able to be used like a real platform is either impossible or a real PITA. I have been messing with 1 sticking and I like it, but i need to get more efficient with it. This new place I am hunting barely has a straight tree for the lWhC that isn't completely out in the open.

 

[Adrena123]

I've tried a DIY platform, angled OOAL sticktop scout (its a great product!), stick step top, squirrel steps and treehopper steps, all of which are good products, but you have to find what works for you. Recently i traded a pretty slick little one stick setup for a LWHC seat from a member on here. The modified LWHC he sent me is in excellent condition.

first the good, the platform is good size, i can spin my size 12 mud boots completely around on the center of the LWHC with room to spare on the sides. It didn't feel squishy like i've heard some say, very solid. I didn't ratchet it down like some do, I wanted to wait to see what i thought. I was impressed with how far I could lean out from the platform, while keeping both feet on, before it would come loose. I think i could get almost a full rotation of the tree just by leaning out. Being able to stand and wrap the tether around my shoulder allows me to shoot weakside very easily.

The things i need to configure better to my needs are that i need to move the foot loops a little closer to the end, i think they are a bit too far forward for my liking. The tree I climbed was a bit too big for the climber, i think a smaller tree would have allowed me to move the strap up around the tree a bit better. I think the highest I can move my tether up the better, even if it takes me 2 moves per tether movement, i can slide my safeguard up to tighten the slack.

View attachment 37361

You are right about the foot loops. Watch my part 4 video, I show a close up of my strap and you should be able to see where I girth hitch it. Also I think an adjustable straight across strap works way better. Also the wider you move your feet under my strap, the tighter it becomes. If my strap placement Is still to close, move it back more. It's all what works for you.

 

[Jay_Disarray]

You are right about the foot loops. Watch my part 4 video, I show a close up of my strap and you should be able to see where I girth hitch it. Also I think an adjustable straight across strap works way better. Also the wider you move your feet under my strap, the tighter it becomes. If my strap placement Is still to close, move it back more. It's all what works for you.

Appreciate the feedback, I actually sold the lwhc and went back to a single stick method, I was just having too much trouble with climbing using the lwhc, and I'm personally much more comfortable 1sticking.

 

[ARERHODES]

I like to carry both options, 1 stick and the hand climber. If tree allows, I set stick in the base to get the hand climber high enough for little to no adjustments, if it's a tree that's a PITA for hand climber I'll sling the hand climber over my shoulder and climb with stick, set at my platform. It's the most comfortable option I have for my sz 15 hunting boots.

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[splatek]

I like to carry both options, 1 stick and the hand climber. If tree allows, I set stick in the base to get the hand climber high enough for little to no adjustments, if it's a tree that's a PITA for hand climber I'll sling the hand climber over my shoulder and climb with stick, set at my platform. It's the most comfortable option I have for my sz 15 hunting boots.

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I've actually been thinking about this option. I added some backpack straps to the LWHC because that thing over the shoulder for a mile or more is a pain in the shoulder...
What stick are you using. I could see how I might easily attach one stick to the LWHC and hike in a ways.

 

[muzzypower]

I just use flexible rubber coated wire to secure to my pack. Short distances sometimes i carry

 

[ARERHODES]

I've actually been thinking about this option. I added some backpack straps to the LWHC because that thing over the shoulder for a mile or more is a pain in the shoulder...
What stick are you using. I could see how I might easily attach one stick to the LWHC and hike in a ways.

A helium stick, I use a ball bungie to hold it onto the HC


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[rutjr]

I love my LWHC. I wish I could put into words so you can understand what I do but I'll try. When I find a favorite spot I set up my tree. I either us a branch or I will put a bolt in at the height I want. Around this I will put a double length of para chord where both ends are close to the ground and tie it off at the bottom of the tree. When I go back to hunt there I tie one end of my para chord to my Tether/climbing rope and put it up over the branch/bolt and back to me. I girth hitch and pull it back up. Then I install my ropeman and climb up with my LWHC. When I climb down I have to do just the opposite. Then when I get down I do just the opposite and pull the parra chord into place for the next time. I hope I made sense. I think this is awesome!

 

[raisins]

I keep waiting for them to release a climbing platform for saddle hunters.


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Hopefully with a strap that is easy to adjust. When I used a LWHC with the full climber, you always had to adjust the seat strap on the way up way more. You almost always shorten it though. So maybe that can be exploited where the climber's strap has a little "flap" (like a one way check valve) that allows you to do a hands free shortening (which is a lot safer than a hands free lengthening where you lose the thing!).

 

[mtsrunner]

I love my LWHC. I wish I could put into words so you can understand what I do but I'll try. When I find a favorite spot I set up my tree. I either us a branch or I will put a bolt in at the height I want. Around this I will put a double length of para chord where both ends are close to the ground and tie it off at the bottom of the tree. When I go back to hunt there I tie one end of my para chord to my Tether/climbing rope and put it up over the branch/bolt and back to me. I girth hitch and pull it back up. Then I install my ropeman and climb up with my LWHC. When I climb down I have to do just the opposite. Then when I get down I do just the opposite and pull the parra chord into place for the next time. I hope I made sense. I think this is awesome!

I would like to see a video or pics of this. I think it’s kind of how people preset trees for DRT or SRT, but maybe I’m not understanding. Are you using a long tether like for rapelling or just a regular 8’ish tether?

 

[rutjr]

I would like to see a video or pics of this. I think it’s kind of how people preset trees for DRT or SRT, but maybe I’m not understanding. Are you using a long tether like for rapelling or just a regular 8’ish tether?

Yes, I think it’s called SRT. My tether is 40’ long.


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[kenn1320]

Hopefully with a strap that is easy to adjust. When I used a LWHC with the full climber, you always had to adjust the seat strap on the way up way more. You almost always shorten it though. So maybe that can be exploited where the climber's strap has a little "flap" (like a one way check valve) that allows you to do a hands free shortening (which is a lot safer than a hands free lengthening where you lose the thing!).

Ive been sitting in my LW climber and reaching down to tighten the platform strap so its not pointing down by the time I get to height. Not fun when your 20ft in the air. Some trees are just fat at the bottom and cause issues as they taper quickly about 4ft up.

 

[Wirrex]

You guys are throwing me off of buying one. I’ve been platform climbing (basically one sticking) all season. I can’t see how the lwhc could be harder than that but I’ve never used one.