carry as you go aiders that attach to the top of your sticks are dangerous

[raisins]

Hi,

I am using Tethrd One sticks this year. I made my own carry as you go aider that attaches to the top of the stick. It works just like the ones for that stick you order except my attachment method is slightly different. It still has extra material compared to aiders that attach to the bottom of a stick.

The fact that carry as you go aiders are more pendulous represents a safety concern.

Last week, I was using my lineman's and tether to come down, and when I put my weight on my right foot (that was in the aider) in order to step off the bottom step with my left foot.....my right boot toe slipped off the wet tree and went to the right of it.

It happened very fast. My ropes caught me, but my inner left thigh hit the step my left foot was just on HARD.

Like I thought maybe I tore my femoral artery and might bleed out. It was the most painful thing I've experienced since sinus surgery almost 30 years ago.

The aiders that attach to the bottom don't have as much length and so if you slip you can't move as fast and far. My aider is long enough that I basically did a split where my right foot kicked out as far as it could and my left thigh took a hard impact.

Stay safe. Just a PSA.

I'll never use this type of aider again.

 

[BowhunterXC]

Wow! I hope you recover and can keep on hunting.

I've tried a production 2-step aider, but didn't care for it. The closest thing I'll use is a single loop of climbing rope that's tied to the bottom step of my Muddy Pro climbing stick. It's a short 16" loop and has been very stable for me.

 

[raisins]

Wow! I hope you recover and can keep on hunting.

I've tried a production 2-step aider, but didn't care for it. The closest thing I'll use is a single loop of climbing rope that's tied to the bottom step of my Muddy Pro climbing stick. It's a short 16" loop and has been very stable for me.
View attachment 94365

Your setup looks nice and stable. Once some lighter platforms are on the market, I might just carry 5 sticks without aiders.

I'm fine....I dragged a Pope and Young buck out of the woods right after and hunted the next 2 days.

I was actually climbing down after shooting that buck. I told myself "this is when you might rush or be distracted and have an accident. so don't do that." I was being really careful when this occurred.

It's just sore and reallllllllyyyyyyy ugly of a bruise. I hit so hard that it tore my skin through bibs and a base layer. I was still 15 feet up and couldn't check myself out very well. I should have checked myself out right then and called for help if needed right then. Instead, I chilled for a second, scared, and thought "I hope I don't die....if it tore my femoral I should be feeling funny any moment now...".

PS....if instead of hitting my leg it would've been "throat to top step" impact...given how hard I hit....it could've been really, really, really bad.

 

[GeoFish]

Your setup looks nice and stable. Once some lighter platforms are on the market, I might just carry 5 sticks without aiders.

I'm fine....I dragged a Pope and Young buck out of the woods right after and hunted the next 2 days.

I was actually climbing down after shooting that buck. I told myself "this is when you might rush or be distracted and have an accident. so don't do that." I was being really careful when this occurred.

It's just sore and reallllllllyyyyyyy ugly of a bruise. I hit so hard that it tore my skin through bibs and a base layer. I was still 15 feet up and couldn't check myself out very well. I should have checked myself out right then and called for help if needed right then. Instead, I chilled for a second, scared, and thought "I hope I don't die....if it tore my femoral I should be feeling funny any moment now...".

PS....if instead of hitting my leg it would've been "throat to top step" impact...given how hard I hit....it could've been really, really, really bad.

Glad you are OK. I have found the same thing with aiders. A swaider attached to the top step of a stick can kick out. I am going to run 1 to 3 steps at the base of the tree and then go to sticks.

 

[rhagenw]

Glad you are okay. The only aider I found that's worth using is cable aiders for number of reasons. Even then the risk of your foot slipping off the tree is still there.

 

[Jay_Disarray]

Glad to hear you're okay. I never liked the aiders that go on top, too much room for the pendulum effect.

 

[TommyDee]

I started with a black diamond etrier that I’d hang on bottom 2 helium hawks. 3rd stick had an amsteel aider built in. (Bought them used that way). Had a close call like you, but somehow muscled out of it, made a ton of noise with the other sticks clanging, definitely ruined the morning hunt. Reminds me i should probably sell that thing.

 

[raisins]

Glad to hear you're okay. I never liked the aiders that go on top, too much room for the pendulum effect.

yeah....it's usually easy and I have zero issues, and I was on an easy tree (straight, no limbs, but kinda skinny).....when my boot slipped, there was no catching it.....i was hurt before I even knew what happened

i climbed with hawk sticks and a 1 step CAYG aider (webbing loop) for 2 years and had zero issues

 

[MattMan81]

Glade your okay. That's crazy.
Can you elaborate on some of the other details? You said you had your tether and lineman's belt. Did the tether catch you? Did the lineman's belt do anything? How far would you say you fell? And to note this was in day light after you killed him? Or at night?

 

[Micneador]

I'm getting to the point where I want to change back to a two step aider for my one stick. This is one of the reasons why. I haven't kicked out yet but I've come close.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

Yep, I've never been comfortable with the aider attached over the top standoff. The aider is pulling above the stick attachment point so if your foot slips it will try to invert the stick. Aiders attached on the bottom standoff/step are pulling straight down on the attachment point so there's less chance of a stick inversion. Also, the lower attached aider is shorter so you can't get quite as far sideways when your foot slips. I've said it before and I'll say again. I hate long aiders. Glad you're okay!

 

[Pavehawk01]

Same experience with the top step mounted aiders for the tethrd one-stick. Love the stick, HATE the aider. To each their own… but I ended up buying an extra stick to mitigate the aider acrobatics.

 

[raisins]

Yep, I've never been comfortable with the aider attached over the top standoff. The aider is pulling above the stick attachment point so if your foot slips it will try to invert the stick. Aiders attached on the bottom standoff/step are pulling straight down on the attachment point so there's less chance of a stick inversion. Also, the lower attached aider is shorter so you can't get quite as far sideways when your foot slips. I've said it before and I'll say again. I hate long aiders. Glad you're okay!

Thank!

I wrote here before in other threads about how I don't feel comfortable with aiders that choke your foot.

My aider is a loop held open with fuel line. I can't imagine falling and being even more inverted AND your foot is trapped to your stick.

I was able to get right out of the aider once this happened. And I'm glad.

 

[raisins]

Glade your okay. That's crazy.
Can you elaborate on some of the other details? You said you had your tether and lineman's belt. Did the tether catch you? Did the lineman's belt do anything? How far would you say you fell? And to note this was in day light after you killed him? Or at night?

This was during the day. When I fell, I instinctively grabbed the tree because it was maybe 10 inch diameter. My lineman's lanyard (which I need to check carefully for cuts now that I think about it) hit the top step, my left arm hit the top step also, and I was about at the end of my tether. So, if anything, I was too safe like being buried in spaghetti or something. And I maybe went down a total of 1 foot. My self-rescue was to reach down really far and get my left toe on the stick below me. It was more of a slide and the free fall wasn't very far. I felt no shocks or anything like impact. That short fall was enough to jack my leg up though.

 

[neonomad]

My #1 concern in all of hunting is slamming the stick, especially with the inside of the leg. I haven’t heard many stories of it actually happening, but glad you walked away from this one just bruised up. Thanks for sharing.

 

[huntin_addict]

I went away from CAYG aiders a few years ago, this is one of a couple reasons why. Glad you're ok.

I know it's a little extra gear, but rapelling down, IMO, is about the safest method down, especially if you use any kind of aider to get up the tree.

 

[lungpuncher1]

Are cable aiders that attach to the bottom step a better alternative?


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[Weldabeast]

Imo it's the total opposite. Granted the equipment I used was all diy and I haven't used the same stuff u got but .....my aiders were just a large loop at the top that I would place over the step and it would go behind the post and above the stand off. When I weighted the aider it would be like if I was standing up there already and it would "set" the stick with very minimal, if any, movement of the stick on the trunk when I would step onto the stick..if I looped the bottom step and weighted the aider it would not set the stick as well. There would be noticable stick drop when I stepped onto it. Also..having it attached to the bottom step is creating a longer "lever arm" so if there is a sideways movement with ur feet the stick has more leverage to kick out sideways. The versa button/attachment method is usually always offset toward the top and the aider on the bottom makes longer distance if that makes any sense at all....I can't seem to describe it very well. I can't ever imagine a stick flipping end over end...but I'm just assuming that we all attach the stick correctly and set it correctly with our hands/arms first, and set it again when first stepping into the aider. If u did that and the stick flipped it wouldn't matter if u on the top or the bottom cause ur attachment method just failed. I can maybe see if the aider was the style that only attached out on the tips of the steps maybe u couldn't get a good stick set but if u attach the aider around the post on top of the top stand off it more better IMO

 

[GeoFish]

Are cable aiders that attach to the bottom step a better alternative?


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Depends who you ask. LOL.
If I have on soft bottom rubber boots they kinda hurt my feet. Most tear drop aiders put some side pressure on your feet. I had a kickoff on a cable aider and it fractured my foot. I always have aider issues comming down.

 

[woodsdog2]

Glad you are ok @raisins. That would be a sketchy moment 15’ up!! I’m am curious the aider model that utilizes the top step?