How come none of you ROS guys have told me just how incredibly amazing, stable and comfortable a ROS is for saddle hunting? I’m just kidding, but I seriously never gave the concept a try until now. I thought it would just have more problems than solutions. Now I only have like 6 hours on a ROS...
saddlehunter.com
First posts have pictures. Nothing to them, super easy to make, have a wide foot space and don't flip up or over. It'll give you a great feel for whether or not a ROS is right for you.
***** FOR GROUND USE ONLY*** anytime you DIY something and take it 20' up you're responsible for the risks
I used treated 2x6 board for mine. I measured 6" down the board and marked and then drew a line from the corner to corner of the line. Since the actual dimensions of a 2x6 is 5 1/2 this will give you one side that is 1/2" longer. I oriented all my steps the same way with the slightly longer side down. I continued this down the board for however many steps I needed. I then went to the right angle corner of every step with a spade bit 1" or 11/4" and came off each edge an equal distance, marked and made my hole. I believe I came off the edge 2" to center hole. I chose a hole for my strap versus drilling multiple holes in a straight line because I felt like it would help with splitting with the grain of the wood. Take a heavy grit sandpaper and radius the inside diameter edge.
If I did it again I would probably use the western red cedar or untreated lumber then epoxy it for a lighter option. The treated wood steps are a little bit heavier, but insignificant to me if you're only carry 4-6.
I would also apply grip tape to the tree side as well as the top side for superior grip.
Have fun and be safe!
*****for ground use only of course*****