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Leaning toward trying AIDERS with climbing sticks. What kind? Where to buy? DIY rigging? Carry as you go?

S

StacheNGuns

New Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2020
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12
Been obsessing over saddlehunting for the past week or two, and would really like to give it a go in Indiana this October.

So I was considering two climbing options:

1. First, just strapping some cheapish climbing sticks to a tree as a permanent setup to allow me to get comfortable using the harness system.

2. Transitioning to a mobile setup, using a CARRY AS YOU GO aider that will allow me to get up at least 20 feet with more quality climbing sticks.

My brain is a little overwhelmed with all the content out there, so I thought I'd just ask you guys for advice on AIDERs. What kind should I be using? Where to buy? DIY rigging? How to use?

Any advice is appreciated.
 
I personally have LW sticks that I cut down (basically the Novix Mini sticks) and put on cable aiders. I'm able to get 20ft high with 4 sticks. They are small and side stack well together. Pretty cheap option too compared to other sticks. I really like them, but I've never used a CAYG aider either. You can get the aiders from doublesteps.com
 
If it’s your first season hunting from a saddle, or even elevated for that matter, just buy some quality sticks and get comfortable without aiders. You will likely find that the extra 3-5 feet you get isn’t necessary or worth the cons that aiders have. I currently use 3 full length hawk helium’s with 1 step webbing aiders attached to my bottom steps. I really like the system because the webbing stays open well due to being attached to the step and not the post. They also fold flat and stack nice. In a lot of trees I just wrap the aider around the post and don’t use it. I’ve tried an aider like the backwoods mobile gear one that stays attached to your leg and it’s just not for me. I thought kick out was worse and I was really afraid of cinching a rope tight to my foot and climbing 20 feet in the air. I also have a friend who climbs with amsteel aiders and that works okay too, but I feel like the amsteel is so light sometimes I have trouble knowing for sure my foot is in.
 
Hunter260 said:
If it’s your first season hunting from a saddle, or even elevated for that matter, just buy some quality sticks and get comfortable without aiders. You will likely find that the extra 3-5 feet you get isn’t necessary or worth the cons that aiders have. I currently use 3 full length hawk helium’s with 1 step webbing aiders attached to my bottom steps. I really like the system because the webbing stays open well due to being attached to the step and not the post. They also fold flat and stack nice. In a lot of trees I just wrap the aider around the post and don’t use it. I’ve tried an aider like the backwoods mobile gear one that stays attached to your leg and it’s just not for me. I thought kick out was worse and I was really afraid of cinching a rope tight to my foot and climbing 20 feet in the air. I also have a friend who climbs with amsteel aiders and that works okay too, but I feel like the amsteel is so light sometimes I have trouble knowing for sure my foot is in.
Click to expand...
Did you purchase the 1 step webbing aiders or just rig them up yourself?
 
StacheNGuns said:
Did you purchase the 1 step webbing aiders or just rig them up yourself?
Click to expand...
I just made them. I had a bunch of 1 inch webbing and cut them the right length, stuck them through a hole on the step and tied a stopper knot. I took about 8 inches of bright orange webbing and sewed it to the step part, it holds the step open more and is nice and bright for climbing in the dark.

FOR LEGAL REASONS IM NOT ENCOURAGING YOU TO DO THIS OR ANY OTHER MODIFICATIONS TO ANYTHING EVER FOR ANY REASON
 
Hunter260 said:
I just made them. I had a bunch of 1 inch webbing and cut them the right length, stuck them through a hole on the step and tied a stopper knot. I took about 8 inches of bright orange webbing and sewed it to the step part, it holds the step open more and is nice and bright for climbing in the dark.

FOR LEGAL REASONS IM NOT ENCOURAGING YOU TO DO THIS OR ANY OTHER MODIFICATIONS TO ANYTHING EVER FOR ANY REASON
Click to expand...
Appreciate the info for sure.
 
I'll weigh in...I one stick and use a three step aider. Each step is 12" and that gives me 36" before I get to the bottom step of my stick. Depending on what stick I use I can get anywhere from another 9" (shikar mini) to another 20-25" of travel. My EWO stick from the top of my stick to the first aider step is 24"

What I'm saying is that I can get my feet to at least 4' with the mini and up to 6' with my 17" shikar and a three step aider. I have 4 sticks that have an aider from backwoods gear...my muddy pro is a CAYG aider and my other three aiders are permanently attached.

It's not hard to climb either... don't use a linemans belt. I throw my tether up the tree above my stick placement. shorten my bridge and then make my safeguard as tight up the tether as I can. As I move up...I pull the rope through the safeguard. I dig my toe into the tree and move my safeguard up as I go. Once on the stick I then move my tether as high as I can get it. Move to the top repeat the process. Then sit into my saddle and grab my stick. Place it beneath my tether and attach my daisy chain or rope to the versa button or cam lock. Place my foot into the aider step and pull myself up the tree with the tether.

If I fall...the slack at that moment is not to bad...if need be I can utilize my LB too...but as I stated it's not that difficult. I started this process last year and so far it's what I use.
 
First year and not a lot of time to practice before season, I would just go with sticks and not bother with aiders.

Even when you are perfectly practiced up, adding an aider into the mix adds a level of instability. People go nuts on here trying to get higher with less stuff (and some stuff seems to be unnecessarily dangerous for the sake of being creative IMO), but don't get distracted from the fact this is meant to be a good way to hunt deer and not a competition on how high you can get.
 
I agree with qwhalin, just use standard sticks unless you have some time practicing with some other climbing method. I've made rope ladders in the past to act as an aider for climbing and it gets a little hairy the first few times you use them. I'm not discouraging you from looking into these alternate climbing methods, but for a first timer I'd use what ever you can get most comfortable within the next month.
 
I'm new here, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt, but I've gotten so much good advice on this forum, I wanted to pay it back with one thing that worked for me. I made a cheap and simple aider with a piece of 8 mm rope threaded through about 12 inches of old garden hose to keep it open for my foot. I tied it with a double fisherman's knot, but didn't tie the second half of the knot until I'd hung the stick on a tree and played around with how high I wanted to lift my leg. So I could adjust the length of the loop before locking it in with the second part of the knot.
 
diuilin said:
I'm new here, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt, but I've gotten so much good advice on this forum, I wanted to pay it back with one thing that worked for me. I made a cheap and simple aider with a piece of 8 mm rope threaded through about 12 inches of old garden hose to keep it open for my foot. I tied it with a double fisherman's knot, but didn't tie the second half of the knot until I'd hung the stick on a tree and played around with how high I wanted to lift my leg. So I could adjust the length of the loop before locking it in with the second part of the knot.
Click to expand...
Good advice. the best way ive found to measure aider length is to take how long you want to step, (17 inches for me), double that and then measure across the bottom of your boot, (4.5 inches for me) and add it. Then start your knot there.
 
I did this last year and others have done the same. It seems to work good. Decide for yourself how to proceed.

Helium Aiders

I just made these and didn't test them yet but... 1) 44" tubular webbing 2) 6" of 5/8 inch old garden hose from back yard, split in half lengthwise. 3) Insert half hose in webbing to middle 4) Place webbing ends through HH steps and tie an over hand knot. I guess if I miss these with my foot...
saddlehunter.com
 
My first year saddle hunting and I've learned a lot on this site.
I have a set of 20" Heliums and made a CAYG aider. My aider goes over my top stand off and ends up being 20" from my bottom step on each stick so all my step spacing is the same. I use castration bans to hold the aider to my foot so I don't have to worry about foot placement.
This set up has worked well for me the several times I've practiced.
Main thing I have to drive into my head is to GO SLOW and not be in a hurry to get in the tree.
 
I have the 20" hawk sticks and a homemade 1/4" amsteel versa swaider. With this set up I can get about 1' higher than I used to with 4 30" sticks. I still haven't finished my tinkering with it but so far It works well. With the loop size I have it pops itself off of the button once you go to move the aider foot to the bottom step of the stick which is nice. I just got more 1/4" amsteel so I will be trying a fixed aider on the sticks as well. eventually I am thinking about combining the two which would get me over 5' per stick.
 
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Physical ability dictates your aider design....if u a nimble tree sprite like me I recommend a 3-5 step carry as u climb aider....either side step or ladder style is personal preference....go out with your stick, tape measure, and a piece of paper and write down these measurements.....how high u can comfortably attach your stick and how high u can comfortably lift your leg. Take your measurement from the top of the stick to the ground...once u got that # subtract your step height to get your total length. Once u got your total length u lay out your step distance. I'm 5'10" and can get up to 14-18 foot with 2 16" sticks, aider, and platform

If u not so nimble the 1 or 2 step fixed steps probably the way to go.

I've made all my aider so not sure about store bought 1s....they really easy to make yourself and will be custom fit to u if u diy....my stick aider isn't compatible with my stirrup aider and vise versa... $$Custom$$
 
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