How are Bullman Platform steps for climbing?

[Westdesign03]

I’m really considering trying the Bullman Steps for climbing with the amsteel attachment method that Bullman offers. Looked around here but didn’t find much specific to this and just was wondering how any of your experiences have been using this climbing method and what you think of it?

My main motivation for this is better packability for the climbing method I bring into the woods and lightweight being secondary. I really just don’t like packing sticks in and out, no matter what make/model. But also don’t want to end up breaking myself on a climbing method in practice, though it looked easy in the instruction videos.

 

[MNFarmHunter]

I like them. 8 steps plus a ROS weighs 5.4#.

If you can do your own Amsteel work, EWO sells by the foot plus triglides for less than half the price of what Bullman sells for.


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[MNFarmHunter]

Stupid send button.

That setup gets me to about 18' at the feet and i carry them in a USGI gasmask pouch.

 

[Westdesign03]

Stupid send button.

That setup gets me to about 18' at the feet and i carry them in a USGI gasmask pouch.

Cool thanks good to know. Unfortunately I’ve not really messed with AmSteel much.

Do you have much of an issue with the steps shifting or swaying on you as you step up onto them or as your pushing off to the next step or anything like that?

 

[MNFarmHunter]

When you first place them, there's a 1-3" drop in the step when you first step on it. This is normal as you're merely taking up the slack and setting it. It's unnerving at first but once set it's rock solid. This is the same as setting a stick only that you're using your body weight to set them.

The new platform step design is also an improvement over the previous narrow design. The old design works but needs to be modified to work like the newer ones.

As far as climbing methods, sticks are still the easiest as once set, you're just climbing a ladder with the penalty being weight and bulk.

Next are these. They and smaller, lighter and climb about the same but not as convenient to set compared to sticks.

Rope techniques including 1-stick are the smallest or lightest with the penalty of needing more technical proficiency.


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[Westdesign03]

When you first place them, there's a 1-3" drop in the step when you first step on it. This is normal as you're merely taking up the slack and setting it. It's unnerving at first but once set it's rock solid. This is the same as setting a stick only that you're using your body weight to set them.

The new platform step design is also an improvement over the previous narrow design. The old design works but needs to be modified to work like the newer ones.

As far as climbing methods, sticks are still the easiest as once set, you're just climbing a ladder with the penalty being weight and bulk.

Next are these. They and smaller, lighter and climb about the same but not as convenient to set compared to sticks.

Rope techniques including 1-stick are the smallest or lightest with the penalty of needing more technical proficiency.


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Thanks for the info. So they work pretty much like how it is shown on the Bullman videos then.

 

[MNFarmHunter]

Thanks for the info. So they work pretty much like how it is shown on the Bullman videos then.

I'd say so. I don't set them as far apart as the video simply to make the climb easier. For a measurement, i place each step knee height so somewhere between 18"-24". I also do one at a time as opposed to the video setting 2 at a time. It just seems smoother and less work that way.


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[Westdesign03]

I'd say so. I don't set them as far apart as the video simply to make the climb easier. For a measurement, i place each step knee height so somewhere between 18"-24". I also do one at a time as opposed to the video setting 2 at a time. It just seems smoother and less work that way.


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Makes sense. Good to know. Thanks.

 

[Taulbeescott]

I have a pack of 10 and I want to like them but I just can’t. The amsteel USA is horrible

 

[Westdesign03]

I have a pack of 10 and I want to like them but I just can’t. The amsteel USA is horrible

What issues do you have with them that keeps you from liking them?

 

[Taulbeescott]

What issues do you have with them that keeps you from liking them?

No matter how tight you get the USA, on some trees the step just won’t get tight and I’ve had some try to walk around the tree while stepping on them. The Prussic that’s used on the USA is a bear to get loose when you go to adjust it on the next hunt to whatever size tree you’re using. Sometimes, even after tightening, picking up on the step, and retightening like he says, when you step on them they hinge away from the tree. I wanted to love them as I hate sticks also, but after using them on 15 or so sits this year, I just can’t seem to. Which sucks because they are so easy to pack and so lightweight. My breaking point was a day I found a white oak littered with deer sign and bumped two does off it when I found it. I went to climb a tree and the first step hinged away, next step was ok, the third step tried to slip around the tree, and the attachment method was as absolutely tight as it could get around the tree, I looked around, realized that I was only like 6 feet off the ground, at this point I was fuming mad, I’m hot headed anyway, and I pulled them all off the tree, stuffed them in the bag and went home. I haven’t used them since. When my climbing method causes me to not hunt due to aggravation, it’s not much in my opinion

 

[euge]

No matter how tight you get the USA, on some trees the step just won’t get tight and I’ve had some try to walk around the tree while stepping on them. The Prussic that’s used on the USA is a bear to get loose when you go to adjust it on the next hunt to whatever size tree you’re using. Sometimes, even after tightening, picking up on the step, and retightening like he says, when you step on them they hinge away from the tree. I wanted to love them as I hate sticks also, but after using them on 15 or so sits this year, I just can’t seem to. Which sucks because they are so easy to pack and so lightweight. My breaking point was a day I found a white oak littered with deer sign and bumped two does off it when I found it. I went to climb a tree and the first step hinged away, next step was ok, the third step tried to slip around the tree, and the attachment method was as absolutely tight as it could get around the tree, I looked around, realized that I was only like 6 feet off the ground, at this point I was fuming mad, I’m hot headed anyway, and I pulled them all off the tree, stuffed them in the bag and went home. I haven’t used them since. When my climbing method causes me to not hunt due to aggravation, it’s not much in my opinion

Lol I wish I saw your grumpy message last week, bc then I would've offered to buy them off you, but I have a set from Pullman on the way, hopefully I have better luck

 

[Chorn]

I'm new to the saddle game but I bought 6 platform steps with the ratchet strap..haven't got to try them yet. I did buy a OCB strap from EWO..the ratchet strap is good quality but I saw where lot of guys recommended the OCB strap over the ratchet.

I'm also thinking about maybe using the Platform steps for a climbing method.

 

[Taulbeescott]

Lol I wish I saw your grumpy message last week, bc then I would've offered to buy them off you, but I have a set from Pullman on the way, hopefully I have better luck

I hope you have better luck than me as well buddy. I’m sure there is people that love them out there lol.

 

[euge]

I hope you have better luck than me as well buddy. I’m sure there is people that love them out there lol.

Thanks, my plan is to use them mostly as a ring around the tree to give me more shooting options with my predator platform, not as a primary climbing methods, so hope that I'll have less frustration than you do!

Before the bullman steps, how were you generally climbing trees to height?

 

[Taulbeescott]

Thanks, my plan is to use them mostly as a ring around the tree to give me more shooting options with my predator platform, not as a primary climbing methods, so hope that I'll have less frustration than you do!

Before the bullman steps, how were you generally climbing trees to height?

Man, I’m a gear nut. I’ve tried muddy sticks, lone wolf sticks, latitude sticks, the original bullman steps, tethrd grit sticks, cranford steps with whoopies, wild edge steps, a sladder, the new bullman steps, the xop x2 sticks, I’m sure there are more but that’s what comes to mind. I have several of these in the classifieds. My all time favorite method I used was the lone wolf hand climber seat as a climbing method and platform but like a dummy I sold it a few years ago and can’t find another.

 

[MNFarmHunter]

Regarding the prusic cord, they do lock down so tight that it is impossible to break while on the tree. There is enough stretch when setting that to remove the step, you just lift up to unbuckle.

For more at least, i wait until i get home to repack/reset the steps at which time I'll loosen the prusic and slide it to the end. Lastly, the smoother the bark, the better they seem to stay out the first time.


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[NMSbowhunter]

Man, I’m a gear nut. I’ve tried muddy sticks, lone wolf sticks, latitude sticks, the original bullman steps, tethrd grit sticks, cranford steps with whoopies, wild edge steps, a sladder, the new bullman steps, the xop x2 sticks, I’m sure there are more but that’s what comes to mind. I have several of these in the classifieds. My all time favorite method I used was the lone wolf hand climber seat as a climbing method and platform but like a dummy I sold it a few years ago and can’t find another.

What kind of trees are you climbing the majority of the time? Are they limby up to hunting height or are they mostly limbless?

 

[Taulbeescott]

What kind of trees are you climbing the majority of the time? Are they limby up to hunting height or are they mostly limbless?

It depends on the situation but I’d say 85 to 90% of the time, limbless to hunting height. I tend to hunt low, around 15 feet or less. I hunt a lot of thick areas and just get high enough up to see

 

[Westdesign03]

No matter how tight you get the USA, on some trees the step just won’t get tight and I’ve had some try to walk around the tree while stepping on them. The Prussic that’s used on the USA is a bear to get loose when you go to adjust it on the next hunt to whatever size tree you’re using. Sometimes, even after tightening, picking up on the step, and retightening like he says, when you step on them they hinge away from the tree. I wanted to love them as I hate sticks also, but after using them on 15 or so sits this year, I just can’t seem to. Which sucks because they are so easy to pack and so lightweight. My breaking point was a day I found a white oak littered with deer sign and bumped two does off it when I found it. I went to climb a tree and the first step hinged away, next step was ok, the third step tried to slip around the tree, and the attachment method was as absolutely tight as it could get around the tree, I looked around, realized that I was only like 6 feet off the ground, at this point I was fuming mad, I’m hot headed anyway, and I pulled them all off the tree, stuffed them in the bag and went home. I haven’t used them since. When my climbing method causes me to not hunt due to aggravation, it’s not much in my opinion

Wow that’s a bummer. What you described is honestly mostly what I was afraid of with them. I’ll have to do some more hemming and hawing over it. $288 shipped is a lot to spend on something that frustrating.

This is why I guess I keep going back to the WE steps. Once you get the knot and how tight to set them, they are totally solid and you can treat them literally like a ladder as far as how you climb on them and you can get both feet on them if you want to like a double step stick.