• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Attaching ring of steps

D

DeerNuts

New Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2020
Messages
25
Just picked up a ring of steps and am looking for examples of how to attach steps at hunting height. Can you point me towards a video or share your process of attaching the steps?
 
I run the Silent Approach steps from Bullman outdoors and absolutely the OCB is the way to go. A ratchet strap will work but the OCB is so much less bulky and quieter.

with that said, the OCB is finicky to get tight enough. I’ve found that I have to attach the strap and snug it down by hand. Then holding the running end of the strap in my left hand I start to work the buckle while pulling on the running end. This helps me to get it incrementally tighter. The tricky part is figuring out just how tight to get before you close the buckle all the way. You can get it so snug before hand that it’s almost impossible to close the buckle. Now that I’ve got it figured out I can have the ROS steps attached and tightened within a minute or so. Doesn’t take that long.
 
Practice in the daylight from your steps.
Basically when the top of my stick is 1-2' below where I want the RoS (squirrel steps) I stand on the bottom step, unwind the strap (it's a sewn OCB), position it around the tree at the right height, pull out most of the slack, position the steps & tighten.
As others have said, tightening takes some practice. I don't mind some movement in my steps so I slightly relax the strap before tightening. Definitely more comfortable if there's no movement. To do that, I have to start tight & back off 1/8" at a time until I can get it to close. I've also heard retightening once on shaggy bark trees can help.

I wish I was a headlight on a north-bound train
 
CharlieTN said:
I run the Silent Approach steps from Bullman outdoors and absolutely the OCB is the way to go. A ratchet strap will work but the OCB is so much less bulky and quieter.

with that said, the OCB is finicky to get tight enough. I’ve found that I have to attach the strap and snug it down by hand. Then holding the running end of the strap in my left hand I start to work the buckle while pulling on the running end. This helps me to get it incrementally tighter. The tricky part is figuring out just how tight to get before you close the buckle all the way. You can get it so snug before hand that it’s almost impossible to close the buckle. Now that I’ve got it figured out I can have the ROS steps attached and tightened within a minute or so. Doesn’t take that long.
Click to expand...
Question about your silent approach steps. If you put any side pressure on them do they tend to side around the strap at all?

I was trying to use 1 of those on the side of my predator platform and every time I put any side pressure it just started sliding around the straps.
 
The platform may be allowing too much space between the tree and step for a good lock down of the strap. When just steps and a strap they are held pretty tight to the tree and don't move much.
 
Backstrap Assassin said:
Question about your silent approach steps. If you put any side pressure on them do they tend to side around the strap at all?

I was trying to use 1 of those on the side of my predator platform and every time I put any side pressure it just started sliding around the straps.
Click to expand...

If I get them good and tight then they hold real well. I do have to watch for flat spots, especially slight depressions in the tree. IF the step is in those, or right at the edge, it will rotate. I would imagine that the steps that sit below the strap, such as the Treehopper or the Squirrel Steps, would be less prone to rotate, or at a minimum if they did it wouldn’t be as big of a deal.

Using the Silent Approach steps on a platform, I would imagine you would have to get the strap very, very tight. Honestly, looking at the systems that are out there, I think I would only try them on the Out On A Limb, or the Tree Suit setups as their strap seems to get much tighter. I don’t have any direct experience with them and a platform though. It is something I hope to try next year, specifically the Solo Scout.
 
Joedirt199 said:
The platform may be allowing too much space between the tree and step for a good lock down of the strap. When just steps and a strap they are held pretty tight to the tree and don't move much.
Click to expand...

I was using the step on its original strap not my predator platform strap. I must not have gonna it tight enough. Where can I pick up one of those ocb straps?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top