• 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

Cam Cleats/One Sticking - Heavy Person

mt_fisherman said:
I really like your use of the cam cleat as it puts the pull "in line". Everyone talks about the "ratings" of the cleats but they are designed essentially to hold sailing lines "in line" and I doubt they have been tested for shear strength, which is how we use them. Are you still doing it this way?
Click to expand...
I do still have this stick configured this way and still use it occasionally but I have built another stick that is becoming my go to. I built the new stick custom to be lighter and have more stand off from the tree for foot space with a small platform on top. On the new stick, since it was pre drilled for the larger cleat, I used the larger Schaffer cleat. Love it and it works great.
Like I said I still have the modified hawk stick with the small cam cleat and I wouldn’t change it. I have multiple climbs on it at 245lbs and see no evidence of distortion, stress, etc. Not saying it can’t break, but it’s been great so far. With the tree and the button, much of the load is distributed to reduce the load on the actual cam. I prefer this over drilling additional holes in the hawk stick. Additional or larger holes could be compromising the stick.
As with all this stuff, we each need to do our best to modify things safely and to our individual level of risk tolerance.
 
I will have to confirm. I believe they are #8 or #10, and like 1 1/2”. These bolts fit through the factory milled slot in the stick, so no holes were drilled. Notice I put a small nylon spacer in between the step slot on the stick that the bolt goes through to prevent bending the metal when the bolt is tightened. These are not Grade 8, but that’s what I would prefer. I couldn’t find any at the time, but I’m sure you may be able to find some online. However, these have held up fine. The premise is that since the rope is passed over and/or around the versa button before it goes into the cam cleat, the load is substantially reduced on the cam cleat. Most of the load is carried by the versa button. Although I don’t use this stick much anymore, I wouldn’t hesitate to use this configuration. I do still use the stick with the set, just not as a one stick as I have since upgraded.

Whatever you do, you do at your own risk. Make sure you are confident in what you do and take necessary safety precautions if something were to fail.
 
All geared up, I'm closer to 3 bills than I care to admit in writing. Climbing on a Rebel Fab 1-stick with a cam cleat from EWO, UltimAider, and 7mm Sterling hitch cord.

I climb on my rappel rope and tend the slack out after every step. I use friction hitches instead of mechanical devices. Once I pull all the slack out - about when I'm on the top rung of my aider - I put my tether on the tree at about chest height, snug up my friction hitch, and re-set my rappel rope as high as I can put it. Sometimes I'll use my linesman's belt for stability while doing so. I take my time climbing the tree and try to stay quiet. I usually get 2-3 moves before I'm where I want to be, sometimes closer to 1-1/2 moves. At height I hang from my tether, tend some slack into my rappel rope, and install my figure-8 above my friction hitch, so my friction hitch becomes the 'third hand' for my descender. Figure-8 and tether are on the same 2' sling - climbing in an RCH and hunting from a Drey; when I do this in my Recon I use a short bridge and a long bridge to accomplish the same thing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top