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The red squirrel climbing aider

redsquirrel said:
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Red I must say .......awesome job !!!! I have tried building my own using a Blake’s hitch, I bought the wild edge aider thinking it would work better. Honestly for me I just couldn’t get any of them to work the way I would like them to and still feel safe. So when I seen your post thought I would give it a shot. Red your system works great for me !!!!! Thanks so much for posting!!!!!! Thanks to you I now carry ten stepps , your aider (which dbl as my teather), my saddle and of course my bow . No more climbing sticks. With that.... I can get my platform at 21-25 feet ( 3 stepps for my platform) with one above that for a hand hold and to hang my bow ...
 
Harleycharlie said:
Red I must say .......awesome job !!!! I have tried building my own using a Blake’s hitch, I bought the wild edge aider thinking it would work better. Honestly for me I just couldn’t get any of them to work the way I would like them to and still feel safe. So when I seen your post thought I would give it a shot. Red your system works great for me !!!!! Thanks so much for posting!!!!!! Thanks to you I now carry ten stepps , your aider (which dbl as my teather), my saddle and of course my bow . No more climbing sticks. With that.... I can get my platform at 21-25 feet ( 3 stepps for my platform) with one above that for a hand hold and to hang my bow ...
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That makes me so happy to hear! I'm glad it is working for you! :D
 
If im understanding this ... I can use my tether which has a ropeman 1 on it w biner. Attach my wildedge aider to the biner and use the aider for the adjustment w my foot in it. I can slide ropeman up or down as needed depending on tether height. But use wildedge aider as leg litter so to speak.


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Jefferson10940 said:
If im understanding this ... I can use my tether which has a ropeman 1 on it w biner. Attach my wildedge aider to the biner and use the aider for the adjustment w my foot in it. I can slide ropeman up or down as needed depending on tether height. But use wildedge aider as leg litter so to speak.


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You'd be way better off just creating a foot loop out of webbing. The ropeman does the adjusting.
 
I have read through this thread with great interest, like four times. I was originally leaning toward the heliums or muddy pros (really like the cam idea), but then saw that some of you are having good success with the Stepps. I was going to purchase a couple for a platform, but now I'm wondering if I should get eight with an aider and be done with it.

Most of you have a lot of experience with sticks and stepps. If you were only going to have one option, which one? Is the stepp that much slower to set up? It seems both systems are highly stable and safe. The ability to pack small with the stepps and have a simple way to take them up the tree with you is certainly appealing. Stepps seem to have a steep learning curve, but that is what the off season is for. Sticks on the other hand are quite straightforward.

Okay, going to read through this again :)

Thanks

Pete
 
The only reason my lone wolf climbing sticks aren’t for sale is hopefully my son will get some use out of them in the next few years. If you buy a set of 8 or 10 and practice with them a while and still don’t like them bring them to pigmageddon and I will trade you. If I did it over again I would get 10 instead of 8.
 
Peterk1234 said:
I have read through this thread with great interest, like four times. I was originally leaning toward the heliums or muddy pros (really like the cam idea), but then saw that some of you are having good success with the Stepps. I was going to purchase a couple for a platform, but now I'm wondering if I should get eight with an aider and be done with it.

Most of you have a lot of experience with sticks and stepps. If you were only going to have one option, which one? Is the stepp that much slower to set up? It seems both systems are highly stable and safe. The ability to pack small with the stepps and have a simple way to take them up the tree with you is certainly appealing. Stepps seem to have a steep learning curve, but that is what the off season is for. Sticks on the other hand are quite straightforward.

Okay, going to read through this again :)

Thanks

Pete
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I got steps and used them my last 2 times out. Learning was super simple. Practice putting one up a couple times at home and that was it.

The second time out with them I was loving them and was up and down the tree in no time. More efficient and quicker than my muddy pros for me. I walk to the tree and take out the back. Hook up linemans and up I go.

Really like the and super quite.

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Peterk1234 said:
I have read through this thread with great interest, like four times. I was originally leaning toward the heliums or muddy pros (really like the cam idea), but then saw that some of you are having good success with the Stepps. I was going to purchase a couple for a platform, but now I'm wondering if I should get eight with an aider and be done with it.

Most of you have a lot of experience with sticks and stepps. If you were only going to have one option, which one? Is the stepp that much slower to set up? It seems both systems are highly stable and safe. The ability to pack small with the stepps and have a simple way to take them up the tree with you is certainly appealing. Stepps seem to have a steep learning curve, but that is what the off season is for. Sticks on the other hand are quite straightforward.

Okay, going to read through this again :)

Thanks

Pete
Click to expand...

They are not as quick as sticks, but probably not far off with the aider. I was averaging 10-12 minutes to get to 25 foot in practice. The other night I took a long time to set up, but that was on me. I think it took me over an hour to sneak 1/4 mile and set up my stepps 50 yards from the island they were bedding on. I was bummed because if I was set up 5 minutes sooner I would have had a 15 yard shot at a shooter. But it also paid off because I had another shooter come out of the bedding area. He walked under my tree twice after dark!
 
redsquirrel said:
They are not as quick as sticks, but probably not far off with the aider. I was averaging 10-12 minutes to get to 25 foot in practice. The other night I took a long time to set up, but that was on me. I think it took me over an hour to sneak 1/4 mile and set up my stepps 50 yards from the island they were bedding on. I was bummed because if I was set up 5 minutes sooner I would have had a 15 yard shot at a shooter. But it also paid off because I had another shooter come out of the bedding area. He walked under my tree twice after dark!
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Have you used this set up in complete darkness yet? I am wondering what it is like using the aider in total darkness. Pete
 
Peterk1234 said:
Have you used this set up in complete darkness yet? I am wondering what it is like using the aider in total darkness. Pete
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I've gone down the tree in the dark with a flashlight. It wasn't bad.
 
Update: Friday night I was going to post that this was the best system in the world. I had a great climb, it went quick and I got up quietly into a great spot. Saturday I climbed a crappy leaning tree. It was tougher. Any aider is tougher on a leaning tree though. I have gotten really good at putting these stepps on and doing the knot. I got the stepps on tight as normal to the tree, stepped up onto a couple and they started to give out. I stepped down hard on them to tighten everything up but it happened on 2 stepps going up out of 6. They didn't come off or anything but I wasn't too excited to climb down on them (although everything was fine). What I determined happened was that it was a very soft tree. They bite into the tree so good that things are actually a little looser after they push so far into the soft tree and the stepp is able to give out a little. Curious to hear if anyone else has had this happen.
 
Red we need a video.... Looks like a winner. I wish they had a better rope,. More pliable... I may try amsteel spliced in them.... I use it for platforms with stepps
 
DaveT1963 said:
Red we need a video.... Looks like a winner. I wish they had a better rope,. More pliable... I may try amsteel spliced in them.... I use it for platforms with stepps
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I will put a video together at some point in the near future. I'm off for a week at the end of the rut so maybe I'll tag out and have some time.

I have been trying some other ropes and I haven't found anything better yet. Amsteel and the notch dryad that I really like both tighten up very well but that makes it hard to undo. The nice thing about the polyester hollow braid is that when you have to adjust the knot by just a smidge, it is firm and you can push it through very easy.
 
redsquirrel said:
I will put a video together at some point in the near future. I'm off for a week at the end of the rut so maybe I'll tag out and have some time.

I have been trying some other ropes and I haven't found anything better yet. Amsteel and the notch dryad that I really like both tighten up very well but that makes it hard to undo. The nice thing about the polyester hollow braid is that when you have to adjust the knot by just a smidge, it is firm and you can push it through very easy.
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Amsteel for me using ste4pps as a platform is very easy to work with - one you uncam the stepp adjustments were easy enough. I do think this ideas has potential.... and for those that want to add a little more complexity to this system adding a foot loop to each step would cut the number of steps needed down quit a bit more. Too late for this fat guy to tinker with this season.... but definitely something I am going to play with next spring. I wish someone would cast a seat platform with a bottom brace that would operate just like the jim stepp. Imagine how easy that platform would be to set and how sturdy. Oh if I only had the time and tools........
 
redsquirrel said:
I got the stepps on tight as normal to the tree, stepped up onto a couple and they started to give out. I stepped down hard on them to tighten everything up but it happened on 2 stepps going up out of 6. They didn't come off or anything but I wasn't too excited to climb down on them (although everything was fine). What I determined happened was that it was a very soft tree. They bite into the tree so good that things are actually a little looser after they push so far into the soft tree and the stepp is able to give out a little. Curious to hear if anyone else has had this happen.
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I had this happen to a step on Saturday. I was shocked at how loose it became after biting in to the bark. I was very impressed that on the way down the tree. Even as loose as the step became, it supported me. It was a little woobly, but was not going anywhere. It gave me even more confidence in these stepps.

DaveT1963 said:
I do think this ideas has potential.... and for those that want to add a little more complexity to this system adding a foot loop to each step would cut the number of steps needed down quit a bit more.
Click to expand...

I started with an fixed length aider that moved from stepp to stepp. Since switching to using a webbing foot loop and my teather, my climbing is faster and I'm getting higher per step. I like Reds method. I get faster every time out, and the only additional item I'm bringing with me to the woods is a webbing foot loop which weighs next to nothing.

Peterk1234 said:
Have you used this set up in complete darkness yet? I am wondering what it is like using the aider in total darkness. Pete
Click to expand...

I used this Saturday morning in pitch dark. Had no issues going up the tree. My foot loop is tubular webbing and I did add a 6 inch piece of 7/16" rope inside the webbing to hold the bottom of the loop open. Makes a HUGE difference. I definitely recommend doing this system the first few times in the light. At least if you are a novice to aiders as I was. A few practices and 4 hunts into this system and my comfort level is night and day from first time out.
 
redsquirrel said:
Update: Friday night I was going to post that this was the best system in the world. I had a great climb, it went quick and I got up quietly into a great spot. Saturday I climbed a crappy leaning tree. It was tougher. Any aider is tougher on a leaning tree though. I have gotten really good at putting these stepps on and doing the knot. I got the stepps on tight as normal to the tree, stepped up onto a couple and they started to give out. I stepped down hard on them to tighten everything up but it happened on 2 stepps going up out of 6. They didn't come off or anything but I wasn't too excited to climb down on them (although everything was fine). What I determined happened was that it was a very soft tree. They bite into the tree so good that things are actually a little looser after they push so far into the soft tree and the stepp is able to give out a little. Curious to hear if anyone else has had this happen.
Click to expand...

I have had the steps move on me both from soft trees and also from my own learning curve in getting them tight. For some reason it doesn't seem to bother me, I have enough confidence that the steps aren't going far that I don't really get that "panic' feeling when they slip a little bit.

DaveT1963 said:
and for those that want to add a little more complexity to this system adding a foot loop to each step would cut the number of steps needed down quit a bit more.
Click to expand...

I recently did this. I have one hunt with them so far and it has worked awesome. I have 6 steps with a foot loop and 2 without for my platform.

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