• 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

Back to sticks

Just went to saddle last season. Started with steps and ring of steps. Went to Hawk Heliums and predator platform.Harder to carry in woods but I feel much safer with sticks and platform,and for me it's easier to get up tree with double steps available.With strap ons I felt like I was always doing a balancing act!
 
I started with sticks, tried steps and stopped, tried SRT and found the best method for me and will continue with SRT / RADS.
 
I started with steps. Loved the idea and really wanted to love them but had so many issues with them loosening up. So I bought sticks mid season
 
I assume you mean WE steps. I started with sticks, tried WE steps and went to one sticking and will likely do more SRT next. I use bolts at home.
I have tried spurs but I cannot legally use them most places. I am fooling around with squirrel steps to climb. I like them better than WE steps but I am not sold yet. Climbing SRT is great. Putting the line up ... not so much. Apparently paracord will last several years in the bush if squirrels don't eat it. So I will leave paracord behind where I one stick.
 
I used stepps as my sole climbing method for a year. Sold them and used cut off helium's for most of this past year. I plan on buying stepps again and going back to them. I quickly got tired of packing my sticks this year.
 
I have been packing sticks for 12 years or more, I just recently started using WEI steps, I love the pack ability and ability to deploy them easily while climbing. Im going to try to hunt all off season for pigs with them to see how well they work out for me. I just hunted the perch for the first time last weekend and loved it!
 
I've owned WEI steps for 25 years. Never got the feel.
LW sticks with Dani mods
 
Used steps all season but got myself 4 beast sticks to use use next season. Steps were great for packability and most of the time went on the tree easily but there were always those times i would just dig holes in the tree trying to get the step to cam over correctly and would cuss them. Sticks are much more efficient for me.
 
This guy.

I really wanted to love them but after dealing with them for half a season I gave up on them for a custom climbing stick for a few reasons:

*Climbing height. In order to climb higher with stepps one would need to add additional steps (weight) were as with single stick climbing, can go as high as one wants without having to add additional weight.

*Fiddle factor. Tryin to set the tension of each step when placing them was a PITA. Felt I was getting more sweaty and tired from setting steps than I was from actually climbing.

*Weight. Single stick is much lighter than 5+ steps

*Feeling safe. Using a knaider with the stepps never felt 100% safe and secure to me. It always felt like a stepp might kick out in me at any given time. Have yet to have that feeling with my stick.

*Time spent climbing. I felt way faster climbing with a single stick than I was at placing multiple stepps. I’m sure this varies depending on the user but I feel like it takes me way less time to get up to climbing height with a stick vs stepps.
 
I go back to sticks a lot and each time I’m reminded how I hate packing and dragging them through the woods.

Unfortunately today I laid my hands on a set of beast sticks and LWCG minis. Beast sticks were solid in the tree like nothing I’ve seen before, but packability I’m not sure of.

LWCG had both going on.

Point is they are now on my radar 2 days after receiving my second set of 5 WE Stepps (sold a set last summer). Been running squirrel steps mostly this past season.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the replies so far guys. I am in the testing phase of climbing. Last year I started with 3 sticks and sewn on aiders. From there I went to 3 Cranford rope steps and 3 sticks (removed the aiders), or combos of them depending on the tree, but disliked the rope steps. Then I went to 4 sticks and cut out the aiders and rope steps.

Wild edge steps have caught my eye for size. Weight isn't going to change much, and I'm OK with that. I do have 2 steps I've been fiddling wit, but I'm not sold on the stock rope. Time will tell.
 
Pooh said:
Thanks for the replies so far guys. I am in the testing phase of climbing. Last year I started with 3 sticks and sewn on aiders. From there I went to 3 Cranford rope steps and 3 sticks (removed the aiders), or combos of them depending on the tree, but disliked the rope steps. Then I went to 4 sticks and cut out the aiders and rope steps.

Wild edge steps have caught my eye for size. Weight isn't going to change much, and I'm OK with that. I do have 2 steps I've been fiddling wit, but I'm not sold on the stock rope. Time will tell.
Click to expand...

A lot of guys find shortened sticks with a carry as you go, single step aider to be a sweet spot. (taking into account trade offs regarding simplicity, safety, time, and weight)

I can get over 20' with 4 chopped helium sticks and have never felt unsafe doing so.
 
I have both for the flexibility both offer. There are some really funky trees I like to hunt out of and sticks don't work in those situations.
 
I hate sticks and steps both. I hate lugging around sticks and I hate steps because they require more work. Of the 2 I hate stick way more. I have bought and sold I don’t know how many sets of Muddy and Lone Wolf sticks over the years. I have a set that’s been hanging in the garage that will probably never be used. Last year I tried DRT and liked it except it’s kind of hard for an ol guy to climb. It wore me out. Going to give SRT a shot this year. I just acquired a set of WE steps for just in case.

The easiest way to get up a tree is on a Summit Viper. Not Saddle friendly tho
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top