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Wild Edge, Silent Approach, or Muddy Steps

Wlog said:
To be 100 percent tied off to the tree at all times you need to have two ropes. Unless you are only going to climb limbless trees. It can be either a combo of one tether and one lineman, two linemans or two tethers but when you encounter a tree limb with just one or the other you have no choice but to remove the rope from the tree and relocate it above the next limb.
If you are fine with that and you don't consider it that big of a risk than you could go with just the tether. The linemans belt/rope is better as fall prevention rather than fall protection. It's fast and if your sticks or steps fail it will keep you from plummeting all the way to the ground. Doesn't mean you won't come away with possible scrapes, bruises, cuts or even a puncture wound but I'll take all those over a broken back or busted skull.
As you go up or down the tree the advantage of the linemans is that both hands can be free when you lean back. Obviously attaching your steps is much easier with two hands. With just a tree tether there is going to be more of a frustration factor ascending and descending IMO as you encounter tree limbs.
The advantage to a saddle over a climber is it opens up a lot more options with tree selection. There is a learning curve going from a climber to a saddle or even a climber to a hang on stand but it will get easier with practice. Hope this helps.
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Thanks for the info! I will be climbing mostly pines with no limbs to deal with so I was wondering if climbing with linesman belt and tree tether would be overkill and inconvenient or being safe?
 
Dragsmack said:
Thanks for the info! I will be climbing mostly pines with no limbs to deal with so I was wondering if climbing with linesman belt and tree tether would be overkill and inconvenient or being safe?
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Both of my linesman belts double as tethers. They are completely interchangeable. That way, I can switch linesman belts when I cross limbs, and whichever is not in use at the top turns into my tether.


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yes, the tether girth hitched around the tree when climbing on steps is definitely not ideal. linemans belt is way more convenient and someone said above, give both hands free, and you can lean away from the tree to tie on steps, platform, set tether, etc. whole different ballgame from standing on a climber and moving a tether up the tree ahead of you.

x3 on linemans and tether being interchangable.

as far as steps. I use full length leverage steps (3 steps), 3 sticks plus aiders strap them to my pack with either bungee or nite ize gear ties. no issues with movement when travelling etc. my only complaint is the weight and the occasional clang against the tree when climbing. I just picked up a set of 8 stepp ladder steps and bag from a friend and I'm going to give those a go tomorrow for the first time.
 
My pack is at the base of the tree with the three leverage sticks lashed to the molle loops.
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Dragsmack said:
Hi guys! I am getting close to pulling the trigger on Kestral and am trying to decide on a climbing system for public land. I want it to be quiet, light, comfortable, and fast. I think I have narrowed down to these 3.

The Muddy steps look the fastest and steps on both sides seem nice, but it seems like they may be bulky to carry.

The Wild Edge steps seems sturdy and compact to carry, but possibly slow to set up.

The silent approach steps seem great as far as weight but look like they slide a bit on the tree, and may be harder to climb.

I think i will use Wild Edge or silent approach steps as my platform.

What do you guys think of the pros and cons? Am I on the right track?
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Last season I chose the Wild Edge steps. After this season I will be going to sticks for speed and weight. The Wild Edge steps only excelled when the trees had a lot of branches to navigate around. The main draw back was the time it takes to get up the tree (and they are 16 lbs). I do how ever like them for platform use. They are rock solid for that , I mean really nice for that!!
 
I am using the muddy steps. They are easy to use, but i feel limited on height. Im going to get a set of the wild edge steps over the summer. In comparison the weight of 4 muddy steps is more than 8 of the wild edge. I use an aider with my muddy steps and still dont get anywhere near the acclaimed 30ft of the wild edge. I also like the organization of the wild edge. Im looking forward to trying them.
 
Dragsmack said:
Hi guys! I am getting close to pulling the trigger on Kestral and am trying to decide on a climbing system for public land. I want it to be quiet, light, comfortable, and fast. I think I have narrowed down to these 3.

The Muddy steps look the fastest and steps on both sides seem nice, but it seems like they may be bulky to carry.

The Wild Edge steps seems sturdy and compact to carry, but possibly slow to set up.

The silent approach steps seem great as far as weight but look like they slide a bit on the tree, and may be harder to climb.

I think i will use Wild Edge or silent approach steps as my platform.

What do you guys think of the pros and cons? Am I on the right track?
Click to expand...
Find out what works for you. I do like my lonewolf sticks just wish they had double steps like Muddy pro has. Wild Edge steps are great but a little slower. I am going to buy a set of Muddy pro sticks and give them a try. You can try different ones and what you don't like you can sell.
 
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