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Is it just me that struggles to climb sticks??

M

muzzypower

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Messages
443
I’m a climber guy but Ive used climbing sticks For foreverbut i had strapped them to the tree already. Honestly, i just climbed up like a ladder without a rope. Climbing and screwing in steps wasn’t hard either. But this business of strapping mini sticks as i go and trying to use an aider is muy dificil! The linemens rope makes it even harder. I have a set of lone wolf and mini heliums and feel like a fish outta water with both.
i have grown to love my saddle w a lwhc tho. my goal is to carry the sticks and lwhc and be able to go up any tree.
 
This is one reason I prefer the 3 step sticks over the minis. Less strapping. I also never use more than a 1 step aider and try to keep my aider the same length or shorter than my steps. A big problem I had when I started was trying to climb with my hands and then move my linesman, now when I climb I almost never put my hands on my steps like a ladder. I throw my linesman up, then pull back on it for hand support while stepping up on the stick.
 
Im kinda in this boat. I hate aiders. They are a PITA. I haven’t tried cable aiders though and I bet they are the lowest aggravation factor option.

I love spurs. I think more guys need to give them a longer chance, like 8 climbs. There is a reason it is the preferred method for guys like G2 and Fling’n.

I’m also blessed that for me the best hight is 14-17 feet and 4 hawk minis gets it done if I need sticks. And I also Am going to make a Versa aider and I think that will get me down to just 3 minis.
 
Been doing it so long don’t really think about it, but it seems when someone has trouble it’s because they are not leaning into their belt which creates slack. Try to lean keeping tension on your belt at all times. Also check out this video I explain my aider use. When I tried toeing in it wasn’t user friendly.

 
And tgey dig in my foot hard....But admittedly have been climbing in inappropriate footwear :)
 
I find most aides to be a pain in the ass except for a movable aided you can strap down to your boot. Then no fumbling to get your foot in. Just move the aider to the next stick.
 
Try a single step aider. I just couldn’t get more than one step to work for me. I will only use them on my bottom two sticks just because I don’t like to mess with them any higher. I get plenty high with 4 hawk minis and two single aiders. Just practice practice practice and you’ll get it down.
 
Patriot said:
I love spurs. I think more guys need to give them a longer chance, like 8 climbs. There is a reason it is the preferred method for guys like G2 and Fling’n.
Click to expand...
id love to be able to use spurs, but hunting public land exclusively prevents me from using them. they look like they are the lowest weight, way to reach any height desired.
 
Last few years I've used 4 LW standard sticks. The key to attaching sticks as I climbed was loosening the linesman's belt when I ascended or descended so it didn't grab, and tightening it when I needed two handed to attach the next stick.
I only used a fixed aider on the bottom step because I find fishing for my foot in an aider while I descend in the dark very discomforting.
This year I am switching to 1-stick/rappelling. Im using a modified swaider with a coated j-hook on the top. With the swaider attached to my foot there's no fishing for foot placement after moving the stick, and the left to right movement of the swaider makes hookups to the bottom step easy.

I wish I was a headlight on a north-bound train
 
I am the same way. Last year was my first year with sticks and saddle after hunting for 19 years in all kinds of stands including summit climbers. It took an hour to almost get up 2 sticks and I finally gave up for that day. A hunter swore at me from across the field and then went home. I must have spooked a few deer trying to get up the tree. It took about 8 more times before I was decently fast. I hung sticks and hang-on stands this year already so it'll all be ready for me on Oct 1st. I hunt alone, so falling out of a tree is a death sentence, likely. 1,200 meters away from civilization - fuggetaboutit!

Practice makes better.
 
Practice is the key! But it shouldn’t be about how fast either, I lean on the stealth side if anything. Slow and sure. I also think sticks with double steps are much easier. Good luck!
 
try putting a prussic tender on the linemans belt. Now it can be as short or as long as you need,

Aiders are great... but they have issues. One stick method can eliminate the need, just get up 7 minutes earlier for the extra moves.
 
Hunter260 said:
This is one reason I prefer the 3 step sticks over the minis. Less strapping. I also never use more than a 1 step aider and try to keep my aider the same length or shorter than my steps. A big problem I had when I started was trying to climb with my hands and then move my linesman, now when I climb I almost never put my hands on my steps like a ladder. I throw my linesman up, then pull back on it for hand support while stepping up on the stick.
Click to expand...

Anyone have a good video of someone using their lineman's belt like this when climbing sticks?
 
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