I'm curious to hear how those of you who use climbing sticks and platforms carry them into the woods with you and how you take them up the tree. I have seen some different molle/bungee solutions on here and elsewhere but I would really like to hear from those with experience. I used to just strap my sticks to my lock on before I was infected with the saddle bug. Now I am trying to decide if I want to modify a backpack with my thread injector or purchase one to haul my sticks and platform. For going up the tree, I would hang two spare sticks on paracord loops on my old safety harness. I am wondering if you guys are doing something similar with your saddles or you are keeping them on your backpack. Looking forward to what the weird DIY wizards around this forum have rigged up. I better not get any bolt or wild edge step recommendations on here or I am going to freak out!!! Haha
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Hauling Your Climbing Sticks and Platform
- Thread starter BackSpasm
- Start date
First of all, bolts are the cat's pajamas. Unless you like back spasms from carrying sticks and platforms! 
You can carry sticks up the tree with the two loops on your saddle, just like with a harness. I generally just carried sticks in my hand like a barbarian when I used them. But I also had an Easton pack that was made to carry a rifle. It worked well for hauling sticks.
Talking with John at JX3, he says he can lay the stacked outdoors sticks in the back of his hybrid saddle and just pull them out one at a time as needed. I gotta admit, that sounds sweet.
You can carry sticks up the tree with the two loops on your saddle, just like with a harness. I generally just carried sticks in my hand like a barbarian when I used them. But I also had an Easton pack that was made to carry a rifle. It worked well for hauling sticks.
Talking with John at JX3, he says he can lay the stacked outdoors sticks in the back of his hybrid saddle and just pull them out one at a time as needed. I gotta admit, that sounds sweet.
Vtbow
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I'll tag team...Bolts....
I used to carry my sticks up DIY sportsman style with a loop of p-cord on each hip I placed the standoffs through. Actually worked quite well. I just got sick of packing up sticks at the end of the day wiht cold hands. Anyway I tried to pack them they were loud and cumbersome. I like to climb as light as possible and pull up the rest of my gear so the p-cord loops worked well.
Vtbow
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- Mar 21, 2018
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We're just playing with ya
Hahah for the record, I am using sticks because I have them and I am familiar with them. One day I will potentially pony up for another method. I was afraid when I posted that @Nutterbuster was going to bust my.... well, you know
Vtbow
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Nothing wrong with sticks! I used them for many many years. I think the most important thing to do is look at your overall process, and if you are going to climb with a pack, and haul weapon, haul weapon and pack, how many sticks you put up from "ground" level, etc. with full length sticks, I always put 2 sticks up than came down and got all set and ready to go, then hauled pack and bow. PRactice and try several ways, go with the one that works for you!
I see my reputation precedes me.
Sticks are fine. Heck, according to a recent poll that's what most guys are using. I've owned lone wolf and API sticks, and am slowly working on a set of DIY sticks.
Rock what you have, brother!
Not to freak you out but I use bolts, wild edge steps and yes, sticks when I feel like slumming it. I’m a big guy and must expend great amounts of energy to haul my but up a tree. I only want to do that once per hunt. When I’m using sticks I use a one step moveable aider that doubles as my sling for carrying them. I have carried them in rifle carriers on my pack also. Really about any pack with a loop at the top and a couple compression straps around the back will carry sticks fine with little modification. Carrying them up the tree differs from saddle to saddle but I normally stick them in my bridge loops. Like said above practice with them before hand with your hunting pack on. It will make you a better climber and reveal any flaws in your system.
Last year, I exclusively used Lone Wolf sticks. I tried the wind chime method (aka, loop/standoff method) and liked it okay. But I’m typically hunting really thick stuff so climbing with stuff hanging off of my sides was annoying. I always felt like the sticks became like wind chimes dangling and clanking through the trees.
I finished out the year using a strap as a sling for the sticks. The LW have a small strap that buckles the stack of sticks together. Using a larger sling strap, I kept all the sticks on my back. Once I was ready to hang the next stick, I leaned back into my lineman’s belt, rotated the stack so the sticks were held by the lineman’s belt in front of me, unsnapped the buckle, pulled off one stick, snapped/tightened the buckle strap back down, sling the remaining sticks back over my shoulder, and hung the stick I’d removed. Then climb that stick and do it again. It was certainly a quieter method so long as you’re careful with buckles and not clanging the stack of sticks.
I finished out the year using a strap as a sling for the sticks. The LW have a small strap that buckles the stack of sticks together. Using a larger sling strap, I kept all the sticks on my back. Once I was ready to hang the next stick, I leaned back into my lineman’s belt, rotated the stack so the sticks were held by the lineman’s belt in front of me, unsnapped the buckle, pulled off one stick, snapped/tightened the buckle strap back down, sling the remaining sticks back over my shoulder, and hung the stick I’d removed. Then climb that stick and do it again. It was certainly a quieter method so long as you’re careful with buckles and not clanging the stack of sticks.
patriotoutlaw
Well-Known Member
When I use sticks, I carry 4 of them. I always have an aider along if needed. Four sticks get me up high enough for the areas I hunt. I strap them vertically to my pack frame or stand, by making 2 stacks of two sticks, laying them on their side, before strapping them to the pack frame or stand. I make sure that the sticks are no higher than my head when walking. With the sticks strapped on sideways, the profile is just barely over one stick deep. Unless you have to crawl, this works pretty well. Sometimes I carry the sticks over my shoulder, with the LW carry strap. At the tree, I hang one stick on each side of me, in my RC harness, as previously mentioned. Then while climbing into position, either by holding it with my hand or by the LW carry strap, I mount the 2nd stick. I've never had any problem with clang-a-langing the remaining 2 sticks, while climbing. As a side note. Sticks are light, and go-up easy. They work well for me. But unless I have a tree picked out, I carry steps on MO public.
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I use to use sticks and I strapped them to my pack, put the first two on the tree from the ground then bebop up and put the third on. Come back down grab the fourth (if needed) and the platform and scurry back up and put them in place.
Now I use 1 stick and everything goes up the tree with me or is tied off to a pull rope.
I refuse to use bolts because I do entirely too much work for timber guys and I know the problems deer hunters cause them by leaving metal, be it bolts, screw in steps, etc, in trees and I can’t bring myself to do it.
Now I use 1 stick and everything goes up the tree with me or is tied off to a pull rope.
I refuse to use bolts because I do entirely too much work for timber guys and I know the problems deer hunters cause them by leaving metal, be it bolts, screw in steps, etc, in trees and I can’t bring myself to do it.
I modded my pack with the @DaveT1963 paracord twist system after reading some of these reviews and searching around and it is perfectly functional for now. I will probably sew up a carry strap as well having seen some of these ideas. I was using my movable aider as a carry sling but it is a bit cumbersome as is. This is really helpful guys. Looks like I will stick with the "windchime" method I am used to for putting them up for now off some paracord loops through some sewn webbing I added to my saddle.
In terms of carrying them I to the woods they just strapped to my pack and my homemade platform fits in the stuff pocket and stays put for the climb up. The sticks I wind chime up. I have paracord loops on a few of them to hang into clips on my saddle. Theres only four so I end up hanging two sticks only off my saddle. The other one I hold in my hand. 