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I love cam buckles and I cannot lie

Bama_Xander

Bama_Xander

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Messages
1,226
Location
North Alabama
Cam buckles get a lot of hate. It seems like you can't be cool if you use them (JK). I have mainly used them as my attachment method for both Lone Wolf sticks when I was using a hang on stand and my Hunting Beast Sticks with a saddle.

With that said, I've been researching different attachment methods. In the past, I have tried Versa Straps and buckleless with a flat strap but I didn't like them more than the cam buckle. I may end up trying amsteel daisy chains but I want to let the record show that I actually like the cam buckles. My sticks and buckles are stealth stripped so sound is not an issue. I generally carry 3 sticks so weight is negligible. I really do like the stability a cam buckle offers. I almost never have to worry about it kicking out or slipping which is one of the most important parts of climbing. I have also found that I can set them up quickly and remove and pack them up quickly and quietly.

So although I might try a different method (the bane of the saddle hunter, FOMO/Overthinking/tinkering) I want to let the record show that I think cam buckles are great.
 
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Yea I liked cam buckles too as well, didn’t have any trouble out of them. With that being said I bought 8’ daisy chains and haven’t looked back. No noise and no chance of noise. Imo cam buckles weren’t really ever a problem with noise if careful. I truckers hitch the daisy chain and it gets just as tight as straps if not tighter in some cases. A platform with a daisy chain truckers hitch is so solid it blew my mind. IMO a truckers hitch on a platform is better than a cam strap. On sticks it’s debatable which is tighter. Little longer than buckle straps too for little bit bigger trees
 
Even with the cam buckles silenced you still have to be careful with them to be quiet. Don't even have to worry about it with amsteel daisy chains. Also, just because your using cam buckle straps don't get the false sense of security that your sticks will never kick out. It can still happen.
 
I was a cam buckle guy until I used versa straps. Now I run versa straps on sticks and a heavily stealth taped cam buckle on platform. Will never get away from a cam buckle on a platform.

Was skeptical of versa straps at first but rock solid!!!


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DroptineKrazy said:
Even with the cam buckles silenced you still have to be careful with them to be quiet. Don't even have to worry about it with amsteel daisy chains. Also, just because your using cam buckle straps don't get the false sense of security that your sticks will never kick out. It can still happen.
Click to expand...
True on the kick out. It can still happen. But I would say it is far less than some other methods in my experience. Edited to “almost never”.
 
amsteel daisy chain with trucker's hitch gets way tighter than a cam buckle...it's partly that the trucker's hitch has 3X mechanical advantage while the cam buckle is 2X...also the webbing straps stretch a lot more than amsteel once tight
 
I've never found a better alternative for a platform or stand. And I get a daily chuckle out of guys worried about the "weight" and "noise." The D'Acquistos and Infalt don't seem to have trouble killing deer with them. I don't think I'd go back to using them on every stick, but 1 for a platform is money

Quit banging your gear together and it will quit making noise. Or throw a yak paddle grip on them and move onto the next thing.
 
I've moved away from the cam buckle. I've been using Resc Tech, Prussic and a trucker's hitch. Quiet and strong.
 
I like cam buckles on my platform. However on my sticks I like the original muddy pro with the rope cam. I put the steps from Eastern Woods Outdoors on them and lightened them up. To me they are perfect


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Nutterbuster said:
I've never found a better alternative for a platform or stand. And I get a daily chuckle out of guys worried about the "weight" and "noise." The D'Acquistos and Infalt don't seem to have trouble killing deer with them. I don't think I'd go back to using them on every stick, but 1 for a platform is money

Quit banging your gear together and it will quit making noise. Or throw a yak paddle grip on them and move onto the next thing.
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I just make sure I poop before every hunt to offset the added weight of carrying cam buckles
 
raisins said:
amsteel daisy chain with trucker's hitch gets way tighter than a cam buckle...it's partly that the trucker's hitch has 3X mechanical advantage while the cam buckle is 2X...also the webbing straps stretch a lot more than amsteel once tight
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Any chance you can post a picture or link a video of how to do this?

David

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yoda4x4 said:
Any chance you can post a picture or link a video of how to do this?

David

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Click to expand...

There's several variation, but here's a video with sticks. This will get you started on the concept.

Alternate daisy chain method

After seeing someone fall due to a kick out using daisy chains I figured I would share with everyone how I use my daisy chains. Much safer. Much tighter. Please share so we can help people avoid getting hurt.
saddlehunter.com

With my predator (or any caming platform), I do my wraps and such as much behind the ropes already on the button as possible, then when you cam it open it locks everything. Just try it at ground level.

A word of caution...amsteel does not stretch...which is great in a way and makes the platform super solid and quiet (the top bracket never lifts), but you can get it so tight that you cannot cam it down without putting too much force (on certain hardwood trees). You'll figure out how to loosen it just enough that it cams down to the point where the amsteel is as tight as a guitar string but not too tight to where you put crazy, foot stomping force on your platform.

EDIT: I do all my tying with the platform slightly open so I can get around the versabutton on my predator. This seems to help with it not getting too tight. Pulling it tight with the platform about half folded down seems to work pretty well. The half camming action gets it really tight.
 
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raisins said:
There's several variation, but here's a video with sticks. This will get you started on the concept.

Alternate daisy chain method

After seeing someone fall due to a kick out using daisy chains I figured I would share with everyone how I use my daisy chains. Much safer. Much tighter. Please share so we can help people avoid getting hurt.
saddlehunter.com

With my predator (or any caming platform), I do my wraps and such as much behind the ropes already on the button as possible, then when you cam it open it locks everything. Just try it at ground level.

A word of caution...amsteel does not stretch...which is great in a way and makes the platform super solid and quiet (the top bracket never lifts), but you can get it so tight that you cannot cam it down without putting too much force (on certain hardwood trees). You'll figure out how to loosen it just enough that it cams down to the point where the amsteel is as tight as a guitar string but not too tight to where you put crazy, foot stomping force on your platform.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. This can be done on sticks right?

David

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yoda4x4 said:
Thanks for this. This can be done on sticks right?

David

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

It can be used for stick, platform, and even steps.

I use treehopper polymer steps to climb, and each one has a daisy chain and I do the trucker's hitch with them.

The steps don't have a versabutton like sticks and platform. The versabutton makes it way easier.

It's a pretty adaptable method. I can put near full side pressure on just a step that doesn't cam or even sink/dig in and it won't move hardly at all.
 
Nutterbuster said:
My great dane was still taking 3oz craps at maybe 8 weeks, so I guess.

By the time he was grown he could crap a predator platform. Gen 2
Click to expand...

I was thinking "bread bag size".

I am amazed that an 80 lbs dog craps bigger pieces than a 200 lbs man. I don't know how that works.
 
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