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Helium Aiders

Tr33_n1nj@ said:
Not trying to stir up anything new but I am trying to figure out where I want to attach my aiders. Does it matter that the section near the bolt hole is thinner than the sections under the slots so wouldn’t that be the most likely point of failure regardless of where the aider/ whether or not there is an aider attached to the step?
View attachment 30399
Amsteel or webbing over that 90 degree edge though is probably a different issue altogether.
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I thought this was a great idea from the start and was not trying to stir up trouble. Trouble seems to find me. If each strap can only have 90 lbs on it, I can't imagine how it would fail at that point. I think the bolt hole would fail first or the webbing as you mention. I have not climbed much with this since I went to SRT but it sounds as if it is getting a lot of tests from other users.
 
I sewed a one step aider on my heliums just like you did with some leftover webbing I had laying around for rifle slings. Only a couple times of use but my 170 lbs seems to work fine on it with no worries. Thought about putting a pvc section on there with uprights and pushouts to keep the aider foot away from the tree and in a more consistent spot for the climb down.
 
Since I posted this many people have reported doing this and have had no problems and @DanO from EWO sells an Amsteel version designed to attach to the holes in question. I am guessing this is tested about as well as a few users could do. I would be more worried about the webbing to webbing knot for the second step which might not be too secure the way I made it. I meant to stitch the webbing tail down in the final version but I never got to the final version and moved onto other DIY. If I was using this every time hunting I certainly would.
 
I have seen people use amsteel through the holes on Hawks but I would think the Amsteel has a higher abrasion resistance to being cut because of its intended use. With that being said, in the rigging world you would just need some type of softener for the hard edge. Since we are already modifying and going outside of the manufactures recommendations of use, you could always file down the hard edge a bit to soften it or add some extra webbing. Ive seen 2” slings rip like paper due to a load shift and no softener when rigging. If to say your step we’re to kick out a bit, there Is a good chance of the tube shearing. Crazy the things we do kill deer.
 
Shakeandbake said:
I have seen people use amsteel through the holes on Hawks but I would think the Amsteel has a higher abrasion resistance to being cut because of its intended use. With that being said, in the rigging world you would just need some type of softener for the hard edge. Since we are already modifying and going outside of the manufactures recommendations of use, you could always file down the hard edge a bit to soften it or add some extra webbing. Ive seen 2” slings rip like paper due to a load shift and no softener when rigging. If to say your step we’re to kick out a bit, there Is a good chance of the tube shearing. Crazy the things we do kill deer.
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The edge on mine is not sharp but slightly rounded so I wasn't concerned. It could be rounded more if you were so inclined. The steps seem to be tumbled in abrasive before painting since they have an overall matte finish.
 
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