Jx3 hybrid - Big guy climbing

[Baloo314]

Hey all, looking for some help on climbing in a jx3 hybrid. I ordered my hybrid this week and am turning my attention back to climbing. I am a big guy, 6’3” 345 but do crossfit. Think offensive lineman not just coming from the couch.

I’m new to climbing methods other than a ladder stand. Honestly finding a little overwhelming with all the climbing options. For those with a hybrid, what works well. I seem to be leaning towards a LWHC but one sticking seems to be popular. Hunting multiple private parcels but no bolts. Is it possible to SRT or DRT in the hybrid?

Appreciate any insights!

 

[Recurveaholic]

Hey all, looking for some help on climbing in a jx3 hybrid. I ordered my hybrid this week and am turning my attention back to climbing. I am a big guy, 6’3” 345 but do crossfit. Think offensive lineman not just coming from the couch.

I’m new to climbing methods other than a ladder stand. Honestly finding a little overwhelming with all the climbing options. For those with a hybrid, what works well. I seem to be leaning towards a LWHC but one sticking seems to be popular. Hunting multiple private parcels but no bolts. Is it possible to SRT or DRT in the hybrid?

Appreciate any insights!

At 345lbs I would stay away from the LWHC I think it is only rated to 300lbs I weigh 200 and I get a little flexing when I use it!!

 

[Baloo314]

Good point, especially the flexing. That’s the other thing, I’m right at the weight rating on most things. I am actively trying to lose weight though. Want to be safe.

At 345lbs I would stay away from the LWHC I think it is only rated to 300lbs I weigh 200 and I get a little flexing when I use it!!

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

You might do best with some Wild Edge stepps or a super durable climbing stick with a high rating. Have you looked at the Stacked Outdoors polypropylene climbing sticks? They’re rated to 300# like almost every other climbing stick, but they are second to few in being lightweight and low profile (maybe LWCG has them beat). I know it ain’t easy to drop weight when you’re that heavy as it is, but anything you can do to make yourself “feel lighter” going up a tree is aces IMO. Hiking with a full pack, swimming, sparring or heavy bag work, and biking are my favorite bulk-dropping exercises. Also, since you do crossfit, lightest weights with high range-of-motion exercises are good for shedding watery excess. Good luck!

 

[Baloo314]

You might do best with some Wild Edge stepps or a super durable climbing stick with a high rating. Have you looked at the Stacked Outdoors polypropylene climbing sticks? They’re rated to 300# like almost every other climbing stick, but they are second to few in being lightweight and low profile (maybe LWCG has them beat). I know it ain’t easy to drop weight when you’re that heavy as it is, but anything you can do to make yourself “feel lighter” going up a tree is aces IMO. Hiking with a full pack, swimming, sparring or heavy bag work, and biking are my favorite bulk-dropping exercises. Also, since you do crossfit, lightest weights with high range-of-motion exercises are good for shedding watery excess. Good luck!

Thanks. I was looking at we steps too. There’s a video of a modified “Cain” method on YouTube that kinda appealed to me and seemed like something I could handle. Constantly attached with tether and clips onto the step then sorta walks up the tree. I may revisit the steps but didn’t know how that would work with a hybrid.

I have looked at the SO stick but saw the 300 lb rating. I think the muddy pro is 350 rated.

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

Thanks. I was looking at we steps too. There’s a video of a modified “Cain” method on YouTube that kinda appealed to me and seemed like something I could handle. Constantly attached with tether and clips onto the step then sorta walks up the tree. I may revisit the steps but didn’t know how that would work with a hybrid.

I have looked at the SO stick but saw the 300 lb rating. I think the muddy pro is 350 rated.

@boyne bowhunter can give you good info on “Cain”-ing with WE Stepps and sticks

 

[Bigterp]

I’m 6’6” 275 , ( first off hang in there w/CF I was 325!!) I have a Jx3 & love it. I think you’re pushing it w/ LWHC , I have one & feel comfortable but can tell I’m at its upper limits. I would not start w/ stepps ( you could definitely migrate to them later, they require a decent amount of practice to become proficient) I would start w/ any stick that has double steps & go from there. Your already making a big change from ladders to mobile setups. Get s good setup & upgrade as you develop more comfort.

 

[Randy Shepherd]

the muddy aerolite climbing sticks are rated at 350lbs

 

[Baloo314]

I’m 6’6” 275 , ( first off hang in there w/CF I was 325!!) I have a Jx3 & love it. I think you’re pushing it w/ LWHC , I have one & feel comfortable but can tell I’m at its upper limits. I would not start w/ stepps ( you could definitely migrate to them later, they require a decent amount of practice to become proficient) I would start w/ any stick that has double steps & go from there. Your already making a big change from ladders to mobile setups. Get s good setup & upgrade as you develop more comfort.

Thanks that makes sense. Maybe just overthinking it all haha.

 

[kyler1945]

How and where do you hunt? Average distance you walk? Private or public? Leave sets out or tear them down every time?

The more detail you give about how you hunt, the better we can do to help.

 

[Baloo314]

How and where do you hunt? Average distance you walk? Private or public? Leave sets out or tear them down every time?

The more detail you give about how you hunt, the better we can do to help.

Ok, 100% private land at this point. I’m pretty new to whitetail hunting, primarily a turkey hunter. Once I got married I gained access to multiple parcels totaling over 200 acres (35, 45, 75, and 100 acres). Farthest I’d walk in is just over a mile one way and is flat. The terrain ranges from swamps to hardwood and pine stands.

I started looking at saddle hunting because I wanted to be able to setup on any of those parcels at any point with minimal impact. Sort of freedom to choose depending on what’s going on. It also seemed more cost effective than buying or building multiple stands for each parcel as there are only a couple of old wooden stands. I can leave sets out and I’m the only one hunting this land but would probably be more likely to tear down at the end of the trip just because don’t like to leave stuff there. Like I said originally, I’m a big guy so carrying weight in isn’t necessarily what I’m most concerned with. Safety and ease of use are most important.

My father in law just requests I don’t use bolts in trees. Want to respect that.

Hope this helps some. Appreciate everyone’s help!!!

 

[kyler1945]

I’d be drilling half inch holes and carrying grade 8’s. Or spurs. Not really sure how you walk a mile on 100 acre parcel, but if so, I’d be bringing steel sticks, then leaving them on the small properties(even if not set, just in the bushes near your access). Wild edge stepps are a great choice as well.

You might want to tinker with rope walking, but you’ll probably want to practice a good bit if you’re trying to keep ‘impact’ to a minimum - haha you’ll be cussing up a storm until you get it down.

 

[Hebeskibe]

Sticks are a reliable way up and u can bypass limbs easily

 

[Ryanp1212]

Check out xop sticks stack super nice climb like lone wolfs but bigger steps and standoffs rated 350lbs.

 

[BLP68]

Ok, 100% private land at this point. I’m pretty new to whitetail hunting, primarily a turkey hunter. Once I got married I gained access to multiple parcels totaling over 200 acres (35, 45, 75, and 100 acres). Farthest I’d walk in is just over a mile one way and is flat. The terrain ranges from swamps to hardwood and pine stands.

I started looking at saddle hunting because I wanted to be able to setup on any of those parcels at any point with minimal impact. Sort of freedom to choose depending on what’s going on. It also seemed more cost effective than buying or building multiple stands for each parcel as there are only a couple of old wooden stands. I can leave sets out and I’m the only one hunting this land but would probably be more likely to tear down at the end of the trip just because don’t like to leave stuff there. Like I said originally, I’m a big guy so carrying weight in isn’t necessarily what I’m most concerned with. Safety and ease of use are most important.

My father in law just requests I don’t use bolts in trees. Want to respect that.

Hope this helps some. Appreciate everyone’s help!!!

Also, a big guy. Also done my share of weight lifting but sadly have to admit that I am more couch than crossfit at the moment. I realize I am a bit late on responding to this, but maybe this info will help. Seeing these threads pop up every now and then makes me feel like there should be a sticky devoted to things 350 lbs rated, although I don't know that any saddle maker will say their saddle is rated for 350 lbs despite the materials being plenty strong (as far as I understand). I attempted to scour the market last year for anything rated 350 lbs. This is what I came up with.

Climbing sticks rated to 350 lbs:

Lone Wolf: I would consider these a great all around stick. I use them as a go to for longer hikes when my custom DIY sticks are already in the woods as a preset. Light. Short steps. Straight steps. Step only on one side at each height (which I know can be a deal breaker for some people with knee problems. https://www.lonewolfhuntingproducts.com/shop/Products/Lone-Wolf-Climbing-Sticks-4-Piece__CS4-4.aspx

Xtreme Outdoor Products (XOP): These are my preference for short distances. Heavier than Lone Wolf. Longer steps. More traction. Curve up slightly on the steps to prevent slipping, which I like. Standoffs (the peice between the stick and the tree) are longer than lonewolf and larger. This is great for people with big feet. You can get by with the lone wolfs, but these are just bigger and more solid imo. https://xopoutdoors.com/collections...ucts/storm-gray-series-climbing-sticks-4-pack

Muddy Aerolite: I got a set of these, and they seem solid. Honestly though they are noticeably heavier and bulkier than both above that I just haven't bothered using them. They are sitting in my garage waiting for the day I run out of other sticks and need to carry these beasts out. Also, in searching for a link to share, I think I discovered that these might not be made anymore... https://www.amazon.com/Muddy-MUD-MC.../dp/B00TP7UDI8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pb_opt?ie=UTF8

Custom made: I made some styled after DIY Hunter in the off season. I purchased double steps, lonewolf standoffs, and made my own buttons. I went with the toughest aluminum square tubing and the thickest walls in it I could find. They are stellar. I think that because I made them two steps instead of 3 the tubing is shorter, and therefore has less pressure to flex. It also allows me to spread them out on the tree, plus have a larger step distance than pre made sticks, and carry 5 sticks to get to the same height or higher than I did with 4 of the others in a more compact package. I have a lot of confidence in these, they pack down small. They are light. Plus I gave them a cool paint job. Highly recommend exploring this if you are a DIY kind of person. http://diy-sportsman.com/2017/09/24/diy-climbing-sticks-ultralight-video/

Heaven's Trail: These appear to be the most bullet proof sticks out there. They are rated to 400 lbs. I haven't had the money to spend on them. They look heavy and are expensive. https://htoutdoor.com/products/hang-around-sticks

Climbing methods that I tried and don't trust for me:

Wild Edge steps. They are a great idea. I bought a whole set. I love the design. If I were 100 lbs lighter, I would probably use these when I had time to set them up. However, under my weight there was quite a bit of flex. There was also instability on the tree because of the flex. Just my humble opinion...ymmv. If and when I lose a bit of weight, I will explore these again.

Platforms:

Simply can't find one that is rated at 350 lbs. However, you should be tethered in before climbing on anyways...so there is some built in protection if you do things right. I came up with the following options:

Tethrd predator platform: This one reigns supreme for the most part. Failure point was around 1400lbs if I recall correctly. They are rated by tethrd to 300 lbs, but I think that is just an overly cautious number. I use this as my main platform. I was not impressed with the strap provided. I replaced this with a lone wolf climbing stick strap that is a bit more robust. I also sought out some very strong ratchet straps, which I may switch to at some point. It is solid. I jumped up and down on this set up hard at ground level, and there was no sign of bending or breaking.

Out on a Limb ridge runner: Failure point was around 800 lbs...which is not as great as the tethrd. On the plus side, there is much more room for your feet on this one. It's wider, but not deeper. I like the size. It feels fairly solid. I won't be jumping up and down, and I will be tethered in before I step on it 100% of the time.

Ring of Steps:

Last year I tried the bullman outdoors ring of steps. I was extremely careful and tethered in before using them at all. I didn't die. They didn't crack. They are absolutely not rated for big guys...I believe they are even rated below 300. the weight rating is challenging to find. I found the number at some point after having used them, and was a bit horrified.

I also have a ring of steps with an extremely strong ratchet strap (rated in the thousands of pounds) and squirrel steps. I like it a lot better than the bullman, though because of the design of the steps, they tend to dig into the tree at the bottom and pull away from the tree at the top. They are still very solid, but not as comfortable as a platform. This is obviously a DIY ish method with no specific weight rating, but I am confident in it.

Obviously, do your own research and make your own decisions about what is safe for you. This is just what I have found.

 

[ltprodtorreyh]

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[Davis21]

I like the srt method a lot, but getting rope set up kinda sucks. I’m like you, this is my first year saddle hunting and I have the hybrid. Hawk sticks work pretty well, just don’t get much height for the weight. And hassle of carrying in. I’m still trying to pin down my climbing system. I’m leaning toward Crawford screw ins, but think you said you couldn’t use those. If you hunt all private, I’d just set some paracord and use srt. Sticks are probably the best place to start though. Good luck this year!

 

[Old Man Hunter]

I'm not quite at your size but I am a big guy at 270 and old. I bought the JX3 and love it. I'm currently climbing with a set of LW sticks that I have had for several years. I bought a double step from DanO for the top step of each stick give me a solid step to stand on with both feet while hanging my next stick. I also changed the straps to Amsteel 1/4" rope that is working great. One other thing I did was add an aider to each stick giving me an extra 15" of height with each stick. So far this is working out great. I have bad knees, worn hip sockets, lower back pain and just worn out from sports, and doing things I shouldn't have done in my younger life. But it sure was fun. Anyway. This set up works very well for me, I can get 15' to 16' easily. This isn't any where near as high I is use to climb in my Summit but it works. I bought the webbing to make the aider from DanO also. Look up DIY outdoorsman on Youtube to see how he make the aider. It goes around the bolt for the bottom step staying with the stick. Good luck with your search.

 

[Baloo314]

Also, a big guy. Also done my share of weight lifting but sadly have to admit that I am more couch than crossfit at the moment. I realize I am a bit late on responding to this, but maybe this info will help. Seeing these threads pop up every now and then makes me feel like there should be a sticky devoted to things 350 lbs rated, although I don't know that any saddle maker will say their saddle is rated for 350 lbs despite the materials being plenty strong (as far as I understand). I attempted to scour the market last year for anything rated 350 lbs. This is what I came up with.

Climbing sticks rated to 350 lbs:

Lone Wolf: I would consider these a great all around stick. I use them as a go to for longer hikes when my custom DIY sticks are already in the woods as a preset. Light. Short steps. Straight steps. Step only on one side at each height (which I know can be a deal breaker for some people with knee problems. https://www.lonewolfhuntingproducts.com/shop/Products/Lone-Wolf-Climbing-Sticks-4-Piece__CS4-4.aspx

Xtreme Outdoor Products (XOP): These are my preference for short distances. Heavier than Lone Wolf. Longer steps. More traction. Curve up slightly on the steps to prevent slipping, which I like. Standoffs (the peice between the stick and the tree) are longer than lonewolf and larger. This is great for people with big feet. You can get by with the lone wolfs, but these are just bigger and more solid imo. https://xopoutdoors.com/collections...ucts/storm-gray-series-climbing-sticks-4-pack

Muddy Aerolite: I got a set of these, and they seem solid. Honestly though they are noticeably heavier and bulkier than both above that I just haven't bothered using them. They are sitting in my garage waiting for the day I run out of other sticks and need to carry these beasts out. Also, in searching for a link to share, I think I discovered that these might not be made anymore... https://www.amazon.com/Muddy-MUD-MC.../dp/B00TP7UDI8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pb_opt?ie=UTF8

Custom made: I made some styled after DIY Hunter in the off season. I purchased double steps, lonewolf standoffs, and made my own buttons. I went with the toughest aluminum square tubing and the thickest walls in it I could find. They are stellar. I think that because I made them two steps instead of 3 the tubing is shorter, and therefore has less pressure to flex. It also allows me to spread them out on the tree, plus have a larger step distance than pre made sticks, and carry 5 sticks to get to the same height or higher than I did with 4 of the others in a more compact package. I have a lot of confidence in these, they pack down small. They are light. Plus I gave them a cool paint job. Highly recommend exploring this if you are a DIY kind of person. http://diy-sportsman.com/2017/09/24/diy-climbing-sticks-ultralight-video/

Heaven's Trail: These appear to be the most bullet proof sticks out there. They are rated to 400 lbs. I haven't had the money to spend on them. They look heavy and are expensive. https://htoutdoor.com/products/hang-around-sticks

Climbing methods that I tried and don't trust for me:

Wild Edge steps. They are a great idea. I bought a whole set. I love the design. If I were 100 lbs lighter, I would probably use these when I had time to set them up. However, under my weight there was quite a bit of flex. There was also instability on the tree because of the flex. Just my humble opinion...ymmv. If and when I lose a bit of weight, I will explore these again.

Platforms:

Simply can't find one that is rated at 350 lbs. However, you should be tethered in before climbing on anyways...so there is some built in protection if you do things right. I came up with the following options:

Tethrd predator platform: This one reigns supreme for the most part. Failure point was around 1400lbs if I recall correctly. They are rated by tethrd to 300 lbs, but I think that is just an overly cautious number. I use this as my main platform. I was not impressed with the strap provided. I replaced this with a lone wolf climbing stick strap that is a bit more robust. I also sought out some very strong ratchet straps, which I may switch to at some point. It is solid. I jumped up and down on this set up hard at ground level, and there was no sign of bending or breaking.

Out on a Limb ridge runner: Failure point was around 800 lbs...which is not as great as the tethrd. On the plus side, there is much more room for your feet on this one. It's wider, but not deeper. I like the size. It feels fairly solid. I won't be jumping up and down, and I will be tethered in before I step on it 100% of the time.

Ring of Steps:

Last year I tried the bullman outdoors ring of steps. I was extremely careful and tethered in before using them at all. I didn't die. They didn't crack. They are absolutely not rated for big guys...I believe they are even rated below 300. the weight rating is challenging to find. I found the number at some point after having used them, and was a bit horrified.

I also have a ring of steps with an extremely strong ratchet strap (rated in the thousands of pounds) and squirrel steps. I like it a lot better than the bullman, though because of the design of the steps, they tend to dig into the tree at the bottom and pull away from the tree at the top. They are still very solid, but not as comfortable as a platform. This is obviously a DIY ish method with no specific weight rating, but I am confident in it.

Obviously, do your own research and make your own decisions about what is safe for you. This is just what I have found.

thanks so much for this info!! Really appreciate it!