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The red squirrel climbing aider

sureshotscott said:
Wish I could find pics of this. Found this old thread

http://www.saddlehunter.com/communi...aded-rope-tether-works-great.1974/#post-24551

but all the pic links are broken.
Click to expand...

It's just a heavy duty rubberband and you put it over your loop on your tether and leave it there. Then when you run the tag end of your tether around the tree and through the loop you just slide the rubber band to the end of the loop to tighten the loop around the rope keeping the connection snug so your tether wrapped around the tree doesn't slide down.


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sureshotscott said:
Wish I could find pics of this. Found this old thread

http://www.saddlehunter.com/communi...aded-rope-tether-works-great.1974/#post-24551

but all the pic links are broken.
Click to expand...

89ad8f724c9405306ffd14b23a2a8928.jpg
 
When I first tried this method, I misunderstood what red was doing. I had thought that he was placing one step at chest level and the tether as high as he could reach, then stepping up onto that single step and repeating. Doing that method, you can indeed get a lot higher than the Wild edge aider method. Testing in my backyard, I was able to set a step at nose height (5'6"), lift my aider foot as high as it would stretch, and just be able to step into that step. Theoretically I could climb to 22' with four steps that way - just using the tether and webbing loop for the aider.

The issue is that it's not as stable because your handhold is primarily the tree, so it's a higher risk of kickout. So I re-read this thread and saw that indeed, guys were using this similar to the Wild edge system where two steps are placed on the tree before climbing up. It's just that the aider is on the tree vs the step. Makes sense. More stable. Easily adjustable. Top step gets placed at max height (8' for me). Bottom step at 4'. Same spacing as the Cain method too.

But I was thinking, when I climb with sticks, I don't usually hook my lineman's belt on until I'm standing on top of the first stick. For me personally, the fall risk is low and so is the hazard, relatively speaking, vs falling from higher up. With the redsquirrel aider method, you could really max it out on the first step, placing it at nose height or even higher, then switch to standard spacing. It would be an easy way to gain an extra 1.5-2 feet off the ground.

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bowhunter15 said:
When I first tried this method, I misunderstood what red was doing. I had thought that he was placing one step at chest level and the tether as high as he could reach, then stepping up onto that single step and repeating. Doing that method, you can indeed get a lot higher than the Wild edge aider method. Testing in my backyard, I was able to set a step at nose height (5'6"), lift my aider foot as high as it would stretch, and just be able to step into that step. Theoretically I could climb to 22' with four steps that way - just using the tether and webbing loop for the aider.
Click to expand...

That was exactly what I was doing! I had trouble putting a step on above my head, that is how I gravitated to just using the rope. I found that the higher I put the tether, the less likely it was to kick out on me. Also like other aiders I'd try to keep my toe on the tree for stability.

I have to say there have been a lot of great innovations to this since I started doing this. For me, regardless of what climbing system I'm using, having that ascender on there to adjust my step is huge. I can reach my leg so much higher by pulling it up.
 
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I need to play around with it some more. I love the speed of hooking into a step vs the girth hitch, and you don't need to worry about the aider overlapping with the lineman's belt.

I'm kind of liking the idea of options. Use a redsquirrel style aider with my tether and one extra carabiner. Red squirrel it off the ground, and then I have the option to clip that aider into a step where it makes sense, and run the foothold through the waist level step. And if I need to go around a branch with the lineman's loop, I can clip into the aider carabiner on the ascender as a temporary tether. Or clip right into the waist level step like Cain. I feel like there would be an optimal foothold length to allow for all of these options.

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g2outdoors said:
The aider/Stepp method is on my list of things to try this offseason. If I could get away with 6 steps to 20+ feet, that's a serious advantage.
Click to expand...
I'm confident I could get 22' on a straight tree with 4 steps. Would I feel super nervous doing it? Oh yea. But realistically, I think 6 steps should be able to reach 25' for a guy my height on a straight tree while being safe.

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What if you spliced continuous loops from 7/64th Amsteel for each Stepp. You could attach them like a prussik knot to the cross member/rung of each stepp? That way the Amsteel wouldn't slide and you could clip into the Amsteel loop as opposed to the metal rung. Would that work? 6-8 continuous loops of Amsteel wouldn't weigh but a few ounces.
 
I am using 1/8 inch amsteel whoopie sling, with a bit of webbing and duct tape (I strung the amsteel through it when making the whoopie). Then I am just using a carabiner to hook it to the step. It gives me the option of adjusting it, although I am pretty consistent with my step spacing. I do not bother to have it go through the rung of the step at waist level. Quite frankly, I think that would cause some issues for me because I need the mobility to get it on and off easy. I really need to make a vid to show you guys. I also like it to be able to move around easily in case I need to set my toe someplace off to the side of the tree when going up or down. Where I hook the carabiner on the rung of the steps makes no difference. The step is not going to move. The setup is small light and easy to hook and unhook. It is super table, especially now that I know to lean against the Lineman's belt. I found the tether/aider idea to be too slow and cumbersome.
20180308_162905.jpg
 
g2outdoors said:
What if you spliced continuous loops from 7/64th Amsteel for each Stepp. You could attach them like a prussik knot to the cross member/rung of each stepp? That way the Amsteel wouldn't slide and you could clip into the Amsteel loop as opposed to the metal rung. Would that work? 6-8 continuous loops of Amsteel wouldn't weigh but a few ounces.
Click to expand...
You could, though using the V at the bottom of the step works, eliminates the possibility of the aider sliding back and forth (though prussiking around the rung should be better than just clipping to the rung), and wouldn't alter packability in any way.

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g2outdoors said:
The aider/Stepp method is on my list of things to try this offseason. If I could get away with 6 steps to 20+ feet, that's a serious advantage.
Click to expand...
You would have no problem getting over 20 feet with 6 stepps and an aider. I’m over 20 with a set of 8 stepps. 6,7,and 8 are my platform. I can get 24 feet with 6 steps when I have to but 20-22 is no sweat. Of course Jess was over 12 feet with two stepps at saddlepalooza.
 
I ran out and made a quick vid. I am trying to show that the issue of the aider sliding to one side or the other is not a problem. I am trying to also show why I like not have it go through the rung. I move the aider around quite a bit. Once I lean back on the linemans and stick the toe into the tree, it ain't moving.

I really like this system. You have to be comfortable setting a step above your head though. RS's aider does not require the upper step.

 
Yea if the aider gives you no trouble with sliding or kickout, that's definitely the way to do it. It's fast and easy.

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