Aiders in the dark

[donnieballgame]

Seems like you only get one step when you cinch it around your foot. I was thinking about making a 2 step aider. Is once step enough? I'm planning on using this with 4 muddy pros.

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[DaveT1963]

Seems like you only get one step when you cinch it around your foot. I was thinking about making a 2 step aider. Is once step enough? I'm planning on using this with 4 muddy pros.

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With one foot loop and my modified heliums I can get 6-6.5 foot any higher and you will have trouble tying on properly (especially in the dark). I have never understood needing multiple steps on a climbing stick outside the one stick method. You can only reach so high..

 

[BassBoysLLP]

With one foot loop and my modified heliums I can get 6-6.5 foot any higher and you will have trouble tying on properly (especially in the dark). I have never understood needing multiple steps on a climbing stick outside the one stick method. You can only reach so high..

It's not that hard Dave. Especially with a cam buckle. When I used sticks and aiders the top step was usually some where between 7.5 to 7.75 feet off the ground. So 4 sticks to 30 feet. I could never ascend without at least a couple steps.

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[BassBoysLLP]

It's not that hard Dave. Especially with a cam buckle. When I used sticks and aiders the top step was usually some where between 7.5 to 7.75 feet off the ground. So 4 sticks to 30 feet. I could never ascend without at least a couple steps.

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Check out this video at the 4 minute mark.

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[swampsnyper]

Seems like you only get one step when you cinch it around your foot. I was thinking about making a 2 step aider. Is once step enough? I'm planning on using this with 4 muddy pros.

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What’s enough? I rarely hunt over 20ft so its enough for me. I just like that it’s one step. Pull up and get on a solid step quick. I don’t like hanging in an aider. So the least aider steps the better. Plus I’m short so as high as I can tie my stick, all I need is one aider step to get me to the 1st stick step.

 

[DaveT1963]

Thanks Bass - I guess I am just too cautious with excessive movement. 6 foot per stick meets my personal needs so a single aider works.... if I ever get back east where some of you have those nice telephone trees I may reconsider

 

[Adamcincy]

Seems like you only get one step when you cinch it around your foot. I was thinking about making a 2 step aider. Is once step enough? I'm planning on using this with 4 muddy pros.

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I'm waiting on my Muddy Pros to arrive (they shipped yesterday) and then I will post a video of how I use them with a long aider that travels up the tree with me. It is very easy, quiet, fast, and simple. 7-8 feet per stick. The aider I use goes from the top of the stick (which is as high as I can reach up the tree), and I'm about 6 feet tall and is long enough that I can just step in it from the ground. The stick holds the aider pretty far out from the tree and you have plenty of toe room. It is like walking up a ladder and three sticks are all I will need.

When you get to the bottom step of the two-step stick with the aider on it, you stand on the bottom step and take the aider off the top step of the stick and clip it onto your belt so you don't drop it, set the next stick as high as I can reach, put the aider on, and walk up the ladder. The folding step on the stick secures the aider so it can't slip off. Reversing the process going down was easy in lightweight clothes and daylight but I have a long tether and rappel down so the big spacing won't be an issue for me.

I think it would be easy to use two sticks and just alternate them going up the tree since you 'walk up the ladder' to the next step. You would need to set the aider and stick above you then dangle and take the bottom stick off, then walk up the aider/ladder and repeat. But maybe the hassle to gain ratio gets out of whack at that point. I will try it and see. Maybe you using two sticks would work for the platform too and then the climbing and platform would be about 6 lbs and the rappel/tether setup another couple lbs.

 

[BassBoysLLP]

Thanks Bass - I guess I am just too cautious with excessive movement. 6 foot per stick meets my personal needs so a single aider works.... if I ever get back east where some of you have those nice telephone trees I may reconsider

I hear ya. I rarely use sticks anymore. There are better ways to get higher with less weight and bulk than using multistep aiders on individual sticks (IMHO)

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[Ontariofarmer]

A cam cleat lets you place a stick a bit higher than a versa button


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[Ontariofarmer]

I hear ya. I rarely use sticks anymore. There are better ways to get higher with less weight and bulk than using multistep aiders on individual sticks (IMHO)

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I guess that is why I am experimenting with short sticks with cam cleats Less bulk.
And multi step aiders.
9 feet plus 7 feet plus 7 feet.

Easier and faster to attach than WE steps. I guess we are all different. But I doubt many people have tried more methods than Dave T or Bassboys and they do things differently. One uses sticks and one does not.



Saddlehunters personalize everything


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[donnieballgame]

I'm waiting on my Muddy Pros to arrive (they shipped yesterday) and then I will post a video of how I use them with a long aider that travels up the tree with me. It is very easy, quiet, fast, and simple. 7-8 feet per stick. The aider I use goes from the top of the stick (which is as high as I can reach up the tree), and I'm about 6 feet tall and is long enough that I can just step in it from the ground. The stick holds the aider pretty far out from the tree and you have plenty of toe room. It is like walking up a ladder and three sticks are all I will need.

When you get to the bottom step of the two-step stick with the aider on it, you stand on the bottom step and take the aider off the top step of the stick and clip it onto your belt so you don't drop it, set the next stick as high as I can reach, put the aider on, and walk up the ladder. The folding step on the stick secures the aider so it can't slip off. Reversing the process going down was easy in lightweight clothes and daylight but I have a long tether and rappel down so the big spacing won't be an issue for me.

I think it would be easy to use two sticks and just alternate them going up the tree since you 'walk up the ladder' to the next step. You would need to set the aider and stick above you then dangle and take the bottom stick off, then walk up the aider/ladder and repeat. But maybe the hassle to gain ratio gets out of whack at that point. I will try it and see. Maybe you using two sticks would work for the platform too and then the climbing and platform would be about 6 lbs and the rappel/tether setup another couple lbs.

So what kind of aider are you using? DIY webbing? I think I'm clear on how to do it, I just need to make an aider and I have no idea what folks use, lol.

 

[donnieballgame]

I hear ya. I rarely use sticks anymore. There are better ways to get higher with less weight and bulk than using multistep aiders on individual sticks (IMHO)

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I'm all over the WE Stepps, already built my swaider/kaider, but I still don't know what aider folks use with climbing sticks. I like the one that was a continuous loop with an extra step in the middle, as opposed to the normal climbing webbing aider.

So....I guess what would you use if you were using sticks and an aider?

 

[BassBoysLLP]

I'm all over the WE Stepps, already built my swaider/kaider, but I still don't know what aider folks use with climbing sticks. I like the one that was a continuous loop with an extra step in the middle, as opposed to the normal climbing webbing aider.

So....I guess what would you use if you were using sticks and an aider?

Either a simple loop like Dave or a 3 step aider used in a similar manner. No aiders permanently attached

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[BassBoysLLP]

True. In the end, WE stepps are still third behind spurs and bolts. lol

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[Adamcincy]

A

I guess that is why I am experimenting with short sticks with cam cleats Less bulk.
And multi step aiders.
9 feet plus 7 feet plus 7 feet.

Easier and faster to attach than WE steps.


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@Ontariofarmer Are you building the short sticks? How long and what do they weigh? What parts are you using?

I used wild edge Stepps exclusively last year. I love how they pack and what they weigh. The problem I was having with them is that a lot of the trees here have thick soft bark like walnuts or locust. The Stepps dig in the bark when weighted then are loose and either wobble some or need retied. That wasn’t terrible but it didn’t like untying and retrying them. Slow.

I’m doing short sticks (muddy pros unless I make something) and long aider this year. I try about everything and see what works for me. This is a great forum.

 

[donnieballgame]

A

@Ontariofarmer Are you building the short sticks? How long and what do they weigh? What parts are you using?

I used wild edge Stepps exclusively last year. I love how they pack and what they weigh. The problem I was having with them is that a lot of the trees here have thick soft bark like walnuts or locust. The Stepps dig in the bark when weighted then are loose and either wobble some or need retied. That wasn’t terrible but it didn’t like untying and retrying them. Slow.

I’m doing short sticks (muddy pros unless I make something) and long aider this year. I try about everything and see what works for me. This is a great forum.

Hmmmm, I wonder if there is a way to weigh them after camming them over to get them into that soft bark. Could you do a quick pull up on the step? This makes me glad I got some sticks, so I have options. What kind of trees were you having trouble with?

 

[donnieballgame]

True. In the end, WE stepps are still third behind spurs and bolts. lol

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Unless you only hunt public land and they don't allow spikes or bolts, then it's WE stepps all the way!

 

[BassBoysLLP]

Unless you only hunt public land and they don't allow spikes or bolts, then it's WE stepps all the way!

Yep. No public I hunt allows bolts (or screw in tree steps). Spurs, yes on some lands (can I get a hell yeah?!!). The stepps are my favorite for everything else mobile. I still use sticks for presets.

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[Ontariofarmer]

A

@Ontariofarmer Are you building the short sticks? How long and what do they weigh? What parts are you using?

I used wild edge Stepps exclusively last year. I love how they pack and what they weigh. The problem I was having with them is that a lot of the trees here have thick soft bark like walnuts or locust. The Stepps dig in the bark when weighted then are loose and either wobble some or need retied. That wasn’t terrible but it didn’t like untying and retrying them. Slow.

I’m doing short sticks (muddy pros unless I make something) and long aider this year. I try about everything and see what works for me. This is a great forum.

I am trying different lengths of sticks... 12 to 24 inches.... modified or home made. And different variations of aiders.

Last year I used a 6 step black diamond aider with modified helium sticks.
The year before I used 2 step aiders with muddy sticks.
This year... I still have not decided .
I have tried an amsteel aider... I may use it, I have tried an easy aider.
I find the Amsteel aider is harder to put my foot into compared to the black diamond. But you can customize the distance between steps with the Amsteel.

I will likely go with a 12 to 16 inch stick and a long aider.
I am not sure if I will use the Amsteel aider or the black diamond

With a multi step aider I definitely do not need a long stick.
To get a stick high on a tree cam cleats are a plus.

I consistently got 25 feet to my platform with 3 sticks and a movable 6 step aider last year

 

[griff]

I tried the single step aider Saturday hanging cameras and I was able to achieve my estimated 7ft to the top of my first stick without issue. I am using muddy aerolites as I am not bothered by a few extra pounds.