• 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

Climbing spikes. Good or bad

S

Skrause5

Active Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2019
Messages
102
I have been using climbing sticks this season and yesterday accidentally stumbled upon theses things called climbing spikes. Can anybody give me there experience on theses. Thanks
 
Lots of guys on here use them (including me) for good reason. They are light, fast, can climb any height. Downside is they aren’t legal on all public land and there is definitely a learning curve to them. I use them 98% of the time and hate the days I have to carry sticks lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
flinginairos said:
Lots of guys on here use them (including me) for good reason. They are light, fast, can climb any height. Downside is they aren’t legal on all public land and there is definitely a learning curve to them. I use them 98% of the time and hate the days I have to carry sticks lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Which spikes would you consider buying?
 
climb rites are really good for the price if u got deeper pockets go for gecos are other carbin fiber ones

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
I love mine. I believe I got the first set of carbon spurs on the forum. I'll never give them up

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
I use some heavier steel buckingham spurs and couple primal steps as a platform. for probably around 10 lbs I can get anywhere I need to be or want to go.
 
Love spikes, love mine, I went with the expensive but light version, kiwi climbers... many spike climbing posts onsite


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
I was looking to try out climbing spurs.

How are the Klein climbing spurs? I really don’t want to spend $600 on spurs to try that method out.

Also, logic tells me tree gaffs are the way to go but reading of old threads is a mixed bag of opinions. Which would be the ones to get pole or tree gaffs?
 
enkriss said:
I was looking to try out climbing spurs.

How are the Klein climbing spurs? I really don’t want to spend $600 on spurs to try that method out.

Also, logic tells me tree gaffs are the way to go but reading of old threads is a mixed bag of opinions. Which would be the ones to get pole or tree gaffs?
Click to expand...

I use climb right tree gaffs. They are a little harder to use but come in handy on the big old trees I like to hunt. If you’re not climbing a lot of thick barked trees I would run pole gaffs.
 
Wirrex said:
I use climb right tree gaffs. They are a little harder to use but come in handy on the big old trees I like to hunt. If you’re not climbing a lot of thick barked trees I would run pole gaffs.
Click to expand...

I have tree gaffs and I love them but I’m interested in pole gaffs. What are “thick bark trees”? I’m in NH, do you know what trees are safer with tree gaffs? I don’t want to change our to pole gaffs if it is a safety sacrifice but it seems consensus is pole gaffs are the way to go so long as it’s not “thick bark trees” that I’m hunting.
 
I’ve used pole gaffs the last two seasons and for the woods I hunt they have been completely fine. I can’t see myself ever going back to tree gaffs. If you climb big pines or cottonwood you might want them but those are trees I don’t have here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I ordered a set of Klein’s with pole gaffs to give spurs a try. For $185 I figure why knot. Can always use them to prune trees right?...:D
 
Any concerns about weight limits? I’m about 245. Will spikes hold up? I don’t want to get 15 feet up and have the foot hold start to bend. Any bigger fellas using them?

also, found climb rights in amazon for $150. Good way to go or would I regret not snatching up the $600 carbon fiber kiwis in our classifieds right now?
 
tedk said:
Any concerns about weight limits? I’m about 245. Will spikes hold up? I don’t want to get 15 feet up and have the foot hold start to bend. Any bigger fellas using them?

also, found climb rights in amazon for $150. Good way to go or would I regret not snatching up the $600 carbon fiber kiwis in our classifieds right now?
Click to expand...

those kiwis and the gecko carbon are probably the best of the best. I would hate to spend that kind of money and hate spurs. $600 is also MSRP. You can wait for them to be back in stock if you are patient and get them new for that price. I say go for the cheaper ones to test the waters... if you like spurs then splurge.... you have a link? Wish I saw those climbrites before I ordered the Klein’s
 
I'm not a huge fan of them. There are several trees on public I use more than once a season and wouldn't want the tree looking like a telephone pole from repeated use. They "gaffed" out on me a couple times in thick barked, soft wood trees too causing a butt pucker moment. I'd feel more comfortable if I worked in them daily but for hunting, I'll use sticks or steps. Having them as an option or your go to after getting used to them can't hurt though depending on your set up and how much ya want to spend.
 
Last edited:
I have the climb rites with tree gaffs. They are great if you’re climbing a tree once. The best thing about them is you never run out of steps.Ive found myself over 40’ a couple times this year. The worst part is they do damage to the tree. I’ve got a couple trees that I’ve climbed 2-3 times and they look worse than my drill and bolt trees. I’ve tried rappelling down and that cuts the damage in half but it appears to reduce damage even more. My marks climbing down look worse than when climbing up because I’m pulling away from the tree instead of up to remove them. So far getting my rappell gear down and stowed is more of a pain than it’s worth butbaI am working on some new ideas to improve that. I’m also wanting to try some pole gaffs just to see if they cause less damage.
 
EricS said:
I have the climb rites with tree gaffs. They are great if you’re climbing a tree once. The best thing about them is you never run out of steps.Ive found myself over 40’ a couple times this year. The worst part is they do damage to the tree. I’ve got a couple trees that I’ve climbed 2-3 times and they look worse than my drill and bolt trees. I’ve tried rappelling down and that cuts the damage in half but it appears to reduce damage even more. My marks climbing down look worse than when climbing up because I’m pulling away from the tree instead of up to remove them. So far getting my rappell gear down and stowed is more of a pain than it’s worth butbaI am working on some new ideas to improve that. I’m also wanting to try some pole gaffs just to see if they cause less damage.
Click to expand...
The damage to the tree is probably my main reason I gave them up. We have private ground here (like a lot of areas) that is deemed public for hunting after the land owner gets enrolled in a program. I'd hate to see them pull the ground after seeing their trees look like a beat up telephone pole. I haven't given it a full try both up and down but the same could be said about one sticking in regards to never running out of steps. I'd assume gaffs are a little quicker than one sticking though?
 
Is using gaffs harmful to the trees? Can't imagine using them public or private if they are. Not a tree hugger, just try to do the right thing.
 
I use the climbrite aluminum spurs. I love them. I didn't feel that the learning curve was bad. I walked in the woods and climbed 25ft up a tree the first time I put them on. I don't recommend that approach, but just just showing that it isn't hard to do. They do cause some damage to the tree, but so do climbing sticks, lock ons, bolts, etc... I used tree gaffs before, because they are longer, they may do more damage. Just switched to pole gaffs, maybe the shorter spike will do slightly less damage. Can't beat them for quickness, quietness, and versatility. Hike in, find a good tree, climb up and hunt. They fit in my backpack, lightweight. Private land, I won't use anything else. Public land, gotta go with the sticks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top