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The red squirrel climbing aider

Adamcincy said:
The Stepps come with one end of the rope spliced onto it by the company. You pass the rope around the tree and use the Stepp knot to tie the other end of the rope to the Stepp to secure it to the tree.
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It does look like you have 2 stepp knots, the spliced side is usually on the cross bar so it can slide to either side depending on preference. And also I know this is just a demo pic but you need to keep the rope inside the standoffs, the left side goes around the outside, this is not safe. I am sure you know this but someone looking at the pic may get confused.

So onto your method, after you climb the aider, stand on step, then you reach down to your feet to grab the aider? I am not sure I am flexible enough for that, lmao. Welcome to the site and a fantastic first post!
 
IkemanTX said:
160 posts and still no video..... man. I gotta see this in action before considering buying more stepps


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BassBoysLLP said:
Red's To Do List

1.) Go Hunting
2.) Make DIY videos

Step 1 is getting in the way.

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Sorry guys. I promise I'll get it up in the late season or offseason. We have been going through a huge project all fall at work and I''ve put in well over 120 hours since last monday. Right now I'm just hoping to get in a tree at some point this weekend. But @BassBoysLLP is spot on with my priorities :D
 
I just read through all 9 pages of this thread. I believe this is the only climbing method I haven't tried. I've tried the Stepp Ladder system, but sold them because setting up 12 or 13 of them took too long and was too cumbersome. Cutting it down to 6 would be a viable option.

Now I only have 2 stepps left. I guess I need to source 4 more.
 
Im waiting on a video as i still don’t fully grasp the technique which is standard for me. Lol seeing is believing i guess or easier for me to replicate. Im patient and don’t have the time to try something new. My three year battle with a bruiser is coming to a peak and hopefully and end in my favor. Have 60 hrs in the tree in the last week and a half and am slowly closing in. Patience and persistence is what i keep telling myself
 
redsquirrel said:
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Red how long is the rope and the strap ? Thanks
 
Apex7 said:
Red how long is the rope and the strap ? Thanks
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I'll have to measure. I just experimented until I had a length that worked. Will be in tree all day tomorrow so bump this later in the weekend and I'll measure.
 
Apex7 said:
Red how long is the rope and the strap ? Thanks
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I'm no red...but I had mine handy.

My foot loop is tubular webbing with a 5 inch piece of 7/16" rope in it to keep it open. Loop relaxed/open is around 36"...about 38" if i pull the center down tight.

I've been using my tether. It is a little under 9 ft. Could easily be shorter. Currently using a prusik...but will be swapping for a ropeman soon.
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skell said:
I'm no red...but I had mine handy.

My foot loop is tubular webbing with a 5 inch piece of 7/16" rope in it to keep it open. Loop relaxed/open is around 36"...about 38" if i pull the center down tight.

I've been using my tether. It is a little under 9 ft. Could easily be shorter. Currently using a prusik...but will be swapping for a ropeman soon.
6a1a1d46ff3c044a53c9c47f98fbec03.jpg
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Thanks
 
Jefferson10940 said:
It does look like you have 2 stepp knots, the spliced side is usually on the cross bar so it can slide to either side depending on preference. And also I know this is just a demo pic but you need to keep the rope inside the standoffs, the left side goes around the outside, this is not safe. I am sure you know this but someone looking at the pic may get confused.

So onto your method, after you climb the aider, stand on step, then you reach down to your feet to grab the aider? I am not sure I am flexible enough for that, lmao. Welcome to the site and a fantastic first post!
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I see what you mean. I will see if I can pull that picture and post one that is tied correctly. I had only had the Stepps a couple days when I did that post and I wasn’t sure how the spliced end was supposed to go. Thanks for the safety tip. When you start something new you don’t know what you don’t know...LOL

I’ve tried using the Stepps with the Yates Aider a couple times now. You get about 7 feet per Stepp. Yes, you reach down and disconnect the aider from below while you are standing on the Stepp and then connect it to the Stepp you installed over your head. Climb up the aider and on top of the Stepp that was over your head. It’s a little awkward but quiet and pretty quick. Stay tied in and don’t drop the aider. I carry a Yella Grapnel www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=1849 with me. It’s a handy piece of kit if you drop something and want to get it without climbing down.
 
Thill said:
I tried redsquirrel's aider this weekend and I'm sold on it! Great idea and thanks for sharing! Saturday morning I was able to get 30 ft up using 9 steps with Red's aider. That's just over 9 lbs for 30 ft. I was getting 19 ft up with my lone wolf sticks, even with a 2-step aider on the bottom stick at just over 13 lbs. Last night I used Red's aider with my lone wolf sticks and I was able to get 25 ft up. I'm using my tether and ropeman1 along with a 1 step aider from some tubular webbing I had lying around. I just clip the webbing onto the ropeman1 and I'm good to go. I love it that I'm not bringing any additional gear with me, just a few ft of webbing.

I will say that both trees I hunted did not have limbs. If I were hunting trees with many limbs I might want the ability to clip onto a wild edge stepp, like the wild edge aider, I'm not sure on that yet.

Thanks Red!
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have a video or pics of exactly what you're doing?
 
Used this one again tonight. Love the profile of the system. It packs down so small compared to sticks and fits in my pack. Only thing that is comparable is spurs or SRT as far as size.

My last few hunts have dealt me difficult access and hunting. I have to go through 300 yards of low brush for a clean access. Having my climbing method in my pack makes this a lot easier. On the backside, I'm 28-35 feet up. The variable ropeman aider is money with bulky cold weather gear. Wind chills were below zero tonight, 25 mph winds, and ambient temps were in the teens. I was dressed for it and this method makes it easy.

Pro tip: If you were a little too ambitious setting the stepp with bulky clothing, grab the stepp while pulling the rope to inch yourself up the extra you need. Once you have it, advance the linemans belt and move on.

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BassBoysLLP said:
Pro tip: If you were a little too ambitious setting the stepp with bulky clothing, grab the stepp while pulling the rope to inch yourself up the extra you need. Once you have it, advance the linemans belt and move on.

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I have also put my knee on the step and stepped fully onto the step with my aider foot when I was a little too ambitious.
 
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