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Climbing Stick Recommendations

C

Crane

New Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Messages
14
Hey Guys, I’m fairly new to this style of hunting but I had the Wild Steps last season with K/S and I have recently sold those and looking to buy a set of climbing sticks. I get overwhelmed when researching all the different options out there. I’m not looking to buy the most expensive/newest product on the market just to have the latest product. I want something that has been proven in the field and at a good price point. I have a large family so when it comes to looking at my phone my time is limited that’s why I’m posting this. I know there is a ton of info on this site but just trying to cut all the stuff out I don’t really need to sort through. Also I’m in North Carolina so if there is any North Carolinians that would be willing to meet up and show me there set ups that would be great. Right now I have a Aero Hunter Kestrel with a Tethrd Predator platform. Also what has everyone found that is the best option for Aiders with there climbing sticks.
 
You can't really go wrong with Hawk Heliums, Muddy Pros, or old school Lone Wolf sticks. They wont be the lightest or the fanciest, but they'll get you up a tree at a decent rate to a decent height with a decent amount of weight on your back for the walk in and out. At this time of the year, use what you can get your hands on and begin thinking for next year.
 
I’ve got Hawk Helium mini’s and I would recommend getting something quality right off the bat. I plan to upgrade mine after this season. Like mentioned above, for $100-ish they’re what you would expect.


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You can't go wrong with beast sticks. They're a bit spendy, but very nice. I've got a stack of 5 beast sticks with Tethrd mini-versas and they weigh in at just around 7 lbs.

The new Tethrd One sticks look sweet, but they're at a very high price point and aren't available yet. OOAL Shikar sticks are worth a look too, but again, they're at a higher price point and some folks have noticed a bit of play in the steps as they climb.
 
I like Lone Wolfs too. I had a full length set I cut down to minis a couple years ago. With stealth strips and being careful they're pretty quiet. If you want a double step, maybe the Heliums would be a better bet for the price. I just use a Metolius 5 step aider on my versa button attached via an Amsteel soft shackle.
 
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Thanks for all the input. What’s the biggest issue with the Hawk Helium sticks. Are they unstable? Like what makes the difference between a more expensive stick and a cheaper stick? Is it weight, stability, durability? Let me know. Also, I’m still trying to learn about the Am Steel rope. Seems a lot of people use it instead of the buckles on the sticks. Is that due to weight and noise? Let me know please.


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Being a stick junkie, I don't usually go by price. There's certain features I look for in sticks, and if a cheaper stick has them where a more expensive one doesn't, I'm going cheap. And no matter what anyone tells you, including me, there's no best stick. Every single one has pros and cons
 
For the money I’m also in the Hawk Helium camp. The difference I find in price of sticks is the materials they use and the quality/craftsmanship of the manufacturing. The heliums are definitely cheap but they are stable and grab the tree just about as good as any others out there. I’ve never had a problem with them. And for the money they are hard to beat I think. You have compactness to walk with and the benefit of the double steps. And they are reasonable in weight.

For an aider, I actually do not like aiders to begin with. But I do have the Wild Edge Aider and I really like it when I need one. So I recommend that one.


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I really do appreciate all the input. I hate to even use the word cheap because that’s really not what I’m going for when it comes to this but I just know when it comes to buying anything that sometimes we buy things just for the name on the product and that’s what I’m trying to avoid. I’ll go with what’s the best if the best is on the higher end then it is what it is. I also agree that I’m sure they all have there pros and cons and it’s all going to depend on who is using them too. We all have many different opinions when it comes to things like this.


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Crane said:
I really do appreciate all the input. I hate to even use the word cheap because that’s really not what I’m going for when it comes to this but I just know when it comes to buying anything that sometimes we buy things just for the name on the product and that’s what I’m trying to avoid. I’ll go with what’s the best if the best is on the higher end then it is what it is. I also agree that I’m sure they all have there pros and cons and it’s all going to depend on who is using them too. We all have many different opinions when it comes to things like this.


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For sure. Also at the end of the day the $90-$100 set of sticks gets you up the tree just as much as the $400-$500 set will. I try to decide on features too instead of brand and price. But that has its limits for me. I’ve spent so much $$ on saddle hunting and bow hunting in the last year, I had to draw the line somewhere. I had other sticks and for me the heliums are the best bang for the buck. I would love to try a full set of EWO sticks or even the new Tethrd one sticks. I just can’t justify the cost right now and I love how the hawks handle while climbing and setting up. Nice and solid and everything I said in my last post. I also have a set of WE steps so between these two climbing methods, there really isn’t much can’t climb.

I tried one stick climbing a couple times. I liked it when I had the full set of Hawk heliums but for some reason I don’t like it with the small ones. Also had one of the EWO sticks just for this and decided it wasn’t for me either. Never know until you try things I guess. Fortunately you can sell things pretty easily on the classifieds which helps with the cost of trying all this stuff.


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Thank you very much! Yea man I have spent a ton of money in the last year with this also. It cost me about $900 just to get started! I had Wild Edge steps and they wasn’t for me. Sticks just seem to be a lot easier to get up the tree. This is very helpful. Does EWP stand for eastern woods outdoors?
 
Yeah EWO stands for Eastern Woods Outdoors. Website is doublesteps.com

As for sticks off the shelf, I’ve had hawk heliums, muddy pros, and lone wolf.
My favorite has been the lone wolf, but some guys don’t like the single steps. They have been by far the highest quality (and lightest weight). I recently cut them down to 24” and now they are perfect for me.
 
What I learned when I started testing out climbing sticks was that I preferred double steps for each steps. Unfortunately in my opinion there is no answer to your question because every single one of us is different. Do you hunt public or private? Do you care about the weight of the sticks? Are you short or tall? Are you fit or heavyset? etc etc.

For example, when I tried the muddy sticks I did not like how the steps shift to one side or the other depending on which leg you have more weight on. There is nothing wrong with the muddy sticks, I just for some stupid reason couldn't shake that feeling that I didn't like them so that taught me I wanted steps that did not move at all. This is just me being odd I guess.

I do agree though that for the money, I'd go with hawk heliums. I hope I didn't make your decision harder on you. Just wanted to point out that everyone here could tell you to go with option A and you might prefer option B more.

If my srt climbing doesn't work out, I'll probably buy one tethrd stick every other month next year and cry at the end of the year when I realize that I have 600$ in climbing sticks alone
 
I use one lw stick with Dano double step/ two step aider and one step lw above it. Predator platform above that. My feet are 15-16' off the ground
 
Crane said:
Thanks for all the input. What’s the biggest issue with the Hawk Helium sticks. Are they unstable? Like what makes the difference between a more expensive stick and a cheaper stick? Is it weight, stability, durability? Let me know. Also, I’m still trying to learn about the Am Steel rope. Seems a lot of people use it instead of the buckles on the sticks. Is that due to weight and noise? Let me know please.


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The hawk sticks will get just as solid as anything. I love my full length heliums with amsteel daisy chains. This is a great way to go but make sure you’re setting the stick correctly. Here’s a video I made on it.
 
I like my beast sticks.. Also used the original lone wolf's and they worked fine as well..
 
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