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Hawk Helium Changes

wilsontc81

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2021
Messages
5
I have the full size hawk heliums and am looking at options to change the straps and make them quieter/easy to install. What are your favorite changes you have made?
 
I bought the cam cleats and rope mod. Much easier to set-up and take down. Only down side is the cost of the cam cleats at $42 a piece.
 
i switched to using beast sticks! (well i did, but i'm kidding... here's the real answer:

amsteel daisy chains and stealth strips. daisys are my favorite attachment method, with the truckers hitch attachment method. quick, easy, quiet.

stealth strips are also great IMHO more so because they make the stick feel "warm" in the hand in late season, holding bare metal can be hard on exposed fingers when the temps drop. you can likely achieve the same results with hockey tape or something else, paint only adds camo, doesn't change the feel of the stick or make them quieter if you bounce something off of them.

lots of peopel will also cut them down or replace the stacking cups (newer ones have issues sticking/breaking), but i left mine full 30 inch length all last season.
 
i like the full length, so i will most likely leave them at that. wrapping them is a good idea. i will look into that.

I have rolled over the idea of cam cleats and rope mod. i would want to do all of them if i did, so cost is a factor there.
 
I like amsteel daisy chains. If you attach them correctly I don’t think they can be beat for weight and ease of use
 
Versa button and amsteel daisy chains or the new amsteel attachment from amsteel guy (I think its called the U.S.A.). Either work
 
I know you like the full length, but the best thing I did with my hawk. Cut it down to 15", installed a cam, a 2 step aider and started one sticking and rappelling down I walked out of the woods this weekend and talked to a guy for 15 minutes. He then asked if I was ground hunting. I turned around and showed him the mission and one stick on my back and that is when he saw the saddle. He was blown away by how compact everything was. I can climb any tree I want, as high as I want quieter than my old API climber.
 
I run a set of 3 full-size Heliums. I put stealth strips on them, and switched over to amsteel rope mods. I like the rope mods and coupled with the stealth strips it's a pretty quiet setup unless I do something really stupid. They're easy to tie and I haven't had any problems with them other than some gnarly bark likes to stick to the amsteel sometimes. I made the amsteel rope mods myself - they're pretty easy to do.
 
I run a set of 3 full-size Heliums. I put stealth strips on them, and switched over to amsteel rope mods. I like the rope mods and coupled with the stealth strips it's a pretty quiet setup unless I do something really stupid. They're easy to tie and I haven't had any problems with them other than some gnarly bark likes to stick to the amsteel sometimes. I made the amsteel rope mods myself - they're pretty easy to do.
got any pics of your setup?
 
got any pics of your setup?

Sure. Here's one of the sticks with the single step aider on a post in my driveway so it's easier to see.
I made the eye on the ropemod just big enough to fit over the shaft of the versa button - it won't fit over the large round outer part. This required taking the versa button off, putting the rope on, then putting the button back on. I had to do that for the stealth strips anyway :)
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Here it is on a tree.
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And here it is all packaged up for transport. Using this method, the aider pops over the button and the rope wraps around the tree standoffs. I have a piece of bungee tied to the end of the rope and that just wraps around one leg of the tree standoff to keep it from coming undone. I can also still use the suction cups this way and stack the 3 sticks together in a bundle and attach that to my backpack.
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I also use the bungee on the end to wrap up the excess rope I didn't need when attaching to the tree to keep it from swaying in the breeze.
I did also recently make a single 20" Hawk stick for single stick climbing (haven't done it yet) with stealth strips and the camcleat if you're interested in that one too. I'm just using a piece of 7mm accessory cord for the rope on that one.
 

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I know you like the full length, but the best thing I did with my hawk. Cut it down to 15", installed a cam, a 2 step aider and started one sticking and rappelling down I walked out of the woods this weekend and talked to a guy for 15 minutes. He then asked if I was ground hunting. I turned around and showed him the mission and one stick on my back and that is when he saw the saddle. He was blown away by how compact everything was. I can climb any tree I want, as high as I want quieter than my old API climber.
I did the same exact thing with ultimaider (2 steps) added and has been working great! Can strap to my pack and not catch on anything walking through thick stuff.
 
i have actually looked at this, going to give it a try and see how it works.

To diminish noise, I started with a neoprene sleeve on the buckle (cut in half kayak paddle sleeve). zero noise, sure, but still bulky and heavy.

This season I took the buckle off as suggested. It works great: Shed a bit of weight, its very compact, zero noise, zero extra cost and it takes a total of.. 20 seconds(?) to complete LOL


PS: I also tried a rope mod (7 mm accessory cord) and I get a better grip with the strap (plus as I said, zero extra cost).
 
 
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