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Rope Mod, not sold

Kuenro02

Kuenro02

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2017
Messages
62
Location
Northfield, MN
I recently purchased a set of hawk helium sticks, lone wolf buttons and 8mm accessory cord. I've been playing with them in my backyard and I'm not a huge fan of the rope mod. I feel like it's slow and the amount of drop from starting position makes it difficult to space accurately. Sure they may save a few ounces I'm going back to the buckles.
 
I don’t think you’re crazy to use the buckles. Bowhunter15 said in a recent podcast that he’s gone back to the buckles as well. If he’s using his climbing sticks he wants a speedier setup. The Beast climbing sticks are coming with buckles as well.

My personal preference has been the cam cleat. I put a ronstan carbon fiber on my hawk and really liked it. I may put them on Dan’s sticks when they come. Looks like I’m going to make the most expensive climbing stick in history lol.
 
Even with all the drilling out I did in my modded sticks to save weight I’m still running the cam buckle, I’ve tried to rope mod and I with you on it to me cam buckle is just way more user friendly and I will give up the weight for that, plus throw an inner tube on the buckle and it won’t make any noise.


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All preference I guess. I have Muddy Lifeline ropes on my heliums and absolutely love them. I have little stretch issues and find them easy to throw high and reduce stretch
 
JakeB said:
Im a strap guy aswell. I couldn't justify the weight savings over the ease of use of the buckles. Rubber inner tube over the buckle and no noise.
Click to expand...

I'm talking about the lonewolf strap and cam buckle, I'm not sure how the hawk strap works.
 
Kuenro02 said:
I'm putting my brackets and straps back on my sticks, is the side away from the clip just girth hitched to the bracket? I can't remember
Click to expand...
Yes I believe it was. I guess I should add that I did swamp the brackets out and put versa buttons on my heliums.
 
Kuenro02 said:
I'm putting my brackets and straps back on my sticks, is the side away from the clip just girth hitched to the bracket? I can't remember
Click to expand...

I would ditch those hawk straps and keep the versa button but use a lone wolf strap rather than rope. Far superior to the hawk brackets and straps
 
I have done the rope mod and struggled some originally with rope stretch which translate into the stick sliding down the tree when weight is applied. I swapped ropes to amsteel and it improved that aspect. But I still feel you can get a cam buckle tighter. Personally I still use the rope as it is one less possibility to make noise compared to swinging a metal buckle around the tree but that can be done quietly as well it just takes a bit more concentration.
The inner tube around the buckle suggestion was a good one.

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It's kinda 50/50 for me. I actually went back and forth last season, and then went back to the ropes. Mostly in my view the sticks pack up better with the ropes, and that is worth the tradeoff of the buckles being a little quicker. For what it's worth the ropes are definitely a practice thing getting them solid against the tree, not something you get down pat in one session.
 
I have couple sets of LW sticks with straps and buckles and some with rope mods. My go to is always the strap and buckle; however, if I carry a fourth stick (for what ever reason), it will be with the rope mod and the bottom stick. The slide on the tree can be unexpected and always unwanted...
 
I am planning to cut down my helium’s but I think for this year at least I’ll stick with the buckles. They have never seemed to cause many problems with packability.


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