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Climbing sticks for smooth bark trees?

A

Ashlee22

New Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2020
Messages
6
From my last post, many people were recommending Hawk Heliums for climbing. Has anyone used these for climbing trees like Aspens that are smooth?

I want to make sure I purchase a brand of climbing sticks that will be steady and dig into the tree well. Like I mentioned above, I hunt out of trees like Aspens.
I'm working on my fear of heights, so I don't need these things sliding all over the place. Having an easy grip and foothold to help me feel stable climbing would be nice.
 
Ashlee22 said:
From my last post, many people were recommending Hawk Heliums for climbing. Has anyone used these for climbing trees like Aspens that are smooth?

I want to make sure I purchase a brand of climbing sticks that will be steady and dig into the tree well. Like I mentioned above, I hunt out of trees like Aspens.
I'm working on my fear of heights, so I don't need these things sliding all over the place. Having an easy grip and foothold to help me feel stable climbing would be nice.
Click to expand...

I've only slid once on a tree. It was a Lone Wolf climber (which dig in among the best) and it was a Quaking Aspen (which is both a hardwood and slick bark, double whammy). I have climbed with Hawk Heliums many times and never had them slip, but I have never attempted on a tree like an Aspen (usually just maple and oak). So, without trying it, I can't advise. I will say that if I was concerned, then I would use the cam buckle straps which act like a block and tackle and I believe get tighter than any other method of attachment. If you pull on the strap hard and then pull out the bottom tree bracket and slide the stick down, then I believe a Hawk Helium would stay put on any tree that something like a Lone Wolf hang on could stay on (and they grab better than a climber). I can often remove the strap (daisy chain now) from a Helium stick and it will stay stuck to the bark and has to be pulled off.

The Beast sticks are much more expensive and hard to get, but everyone comments on how sharp the bracket teeth are and how well they dig into the tree. For my hunting habitat, that would actually be a negative because I don't usually need that and don't want to worry about cutting myself (which people do with those sticks, but just superficially) or a bow string or a goretex jacket. I think you could take the Heliums and carefully sharpen the tree brackets with a file to make the 90 degree angle as sharp as possible at the edge of the brackets. They sell single Hawk Heliums so you can always try one before you buy more.

I'm betting someone else in a similar habitat will chime in though soon.
 
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I agree with @raisins post above. I would also stick with the cam buckle straps, at least until much later when you get comfortable and then I would only change the bottom step until you are once again super comfortable the stick isn't going anywhere. I also don't have direct experience with Aspens, but I use a telephone pole as my test subject in my yard. Hard and slick. Climbed it yesterday with a new 20" Helium and it stuck great. Properly setting the stick is the most important part of climbing sticks IMO.
 
I’ve never gone more than one stick up but I have a birch tree in my back yard that I’ve tested the heliums on. I’ve had no issues once the sticks were set. I have tried both full length and 20” ones on it with amsteel daisy chains.


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sdoyle1 said:
I’ve never gone more than one stick up but I have a birch tree in my back yard that I’ve tested the heliums on. I’ve had no issues once the sticks were set. I have tried both full length and 20” ones on it with amsteel daisy chains.


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Click to expand...
Is there much of a difference between the full length 30 inch and the 20 inch ones? wasnt sure if one was more stable than the other.
 
Ashlee22 said:
Is there much of a difference between the full length 30 inch and the 20 inch ones? wasnt sure if one was more stable than the other.
Click to expand...

Honestly I haven’t tried them much. This will be my first year saddle hunting and I’ve practiced SRT and DRT a good bit but only played either sticks a little bit.


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Ashlee22 said:
Is there much of a difference between the full length 30 inch and the 20 inch ones? wasnt sure if one was more stable than the other.
Click to expand...

I only have full lengths cut down to a 23" step length.

My sense is that the shorter ones will be more stable because the steps and tree teeth are both closer to the strap.
 
raisins said:
I only have full lengths cut down to a 23" step length.

My sense is that the shorter ones will be more stable because the steps and tree teeth are both closer to the strap.
Click to expand...
My 5' 2" frame could never make that step distance. Lol.
And yeah, that makes sense. I put in an order for the 20s so I'll give them a try soon!
 
I've climbed some ash and beech trees with my heliums no problem. The feet actually penetrate the bark and can be a bear to get unstuck.
 
Super old thread, but I wanted to circle back around for anyone researching this: Hawk Heliums worked great here in Utah on Aspen trees. Bit in really nicely and I highly recommend them! Thanks for the product recommendation for this first time saddle hunter. :)
 
Ashlee22 said:
My 5' 2" frame could never make that step distance. Lol.
And yeah, that makes sense. I put in an order for the 20s so I'll give them a try soon!
Click to expand...

I'm going to assume that you are a small framed lady...with that said...I would recommend two affordable sticks. First, I am 5'4" and 51 years old...and I one stick up the tree. I do not have Aspens in Illinois so my experience may vary. I do however have many smooth trees that I have climbed with these sticks...so my mileage may vary. The two types of sticks are: Shikar and EWO ultralite stick. The Shikar 17" or the Shikar mini. If the mini, ask Matt for a second double step for the top. I think it costs 10.00 for a second double step. Then let him know that you want the stick to be permanent. That means you won't be able to fold the steps or the standoffs. I wasn't able to get the steps or the standoffs tight enough to not rotate. When at any height and you feel the steps wiggle...that's not a good feeling. So I made my mini and my 17" permanent.

The EWO stick is permanent and the standoffs are sharp enough to dig into a smooth bark tree like an aspen. The shikars will actually grip that tree when you take the strap off after putting your weight on it.
 
I have used heliums on some very smooth & slick trees in FL swamps

Some are hard and slick and ooze water when helium bites in

Others are soft and heliums sink in pretty far when they bite and water is oozing out

Heliums have worked great for me


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