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Lessons from 1st timer - WE stepps experience

Cavman66

New Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2020
Messages
13
Sorry for the rambling narrative on this but I think it will be helpful for new saddle users. Over the last month or two I have built out a saddle hunting kit with the help of the classifieds here. I got a Tethyrd Mantis, Sys haulers, 8 WE stepps, ropes from @DanO, and carabiners from Backcountry. The goal was to do this relatively cheaply, and I didn't buy gear I probably should have (see below). I made my own tether and linesman's ropes, practiced out in the backyard, climbing pretty easily and feeling relatively secure. I had planned on using an adapted Cain method for climbing, but instead of clipping into a stepp I would use my linesman's around the tree just for a little more security. 5 stepps for the climb 2-3 for a makeshift ring of stepps. The following is what I learned after going for a morning hunt.

-Oh **** moments do happen, and you want to know what you are doing. 15ft up, just pulled up to my next step resulting in 3 ft of slack on my tether, linesman' wasn't very tight yet, and the stepp I was on slipped 3 inches down and ended at a 45 degree angle. Now I can't put weight on my right foot or it'll slide more, so balancing on one foot, have to fully untie my tether in order to get it past the linesman's which is the only thing holding me to the tree. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Don't rush it.
-Backyard trees are different than forest trees, Forest trees do not go straight up and do have limbs
- Do not pick a tree with smooth/slippery bark with WE stepps
-sideways pressure is not great on WE stepps, and when they slip you don't trust them anymore
- you probably need to get a true platform, as WE stepps theoretically work great, until they don't and you are 18ft up and your stepps have no grip on the smooth bark tree you picked at 4:15am in the dark.
- you can never have too many climbing rated carabiners.
- I would also advise a gear hauler, so when you are slipping on a tree you don't have a heavy backpack and your bow strapped to you pulling you backwards. If I had fallen, my bow would be in pieces. Much more expensive than an extra rope (or rappel rope that could double as both)
- learn how tree angle effects rope swings. When I'd let go it would swing me to the right despite doing everything I could think of to offset this. Its really hard to climb when the step you placed is now a foot to your left and you are lifting your whole body weight + pack.
- You can use your linesman rope as a second tether if you set both ropes up the same (figure 8 on a bite at both ends). As I didn't trust my stepps, i was solely trusting ropes so I figured i'd secure myself with 2 instead of one.
- Do not hook up your bow/pack to your gear hanger until you are in a FINAL position. Once you do you can't move them up without a lot effort. Only reason i tried was my first "hunting height" step completely lost purchase and I had to retroactively attach 2 more a little higher on the tree. This resulted in my bow and pack around my knees.
- Rappel, Rappel, Rappel. Just do it. Fork over the money, get a descender thingy-majig and a long rope. I had to slowly rappel, alternating between my converted linesman and my tether bc I couldn't put any weight on the stepps I used to get up. It would have been a cinch if I'd been able to rappel using 1 long rope, instead I fought with my friction hitches and the tree the whole way down.
-its hard to truly hunt when you are constantly concerned about falling out of the tree.
- shortcutting gear is great for the wallet, until you are up a tree and would pay 3x as much to have the stuff right then.
- PICK A GOOD TREE, despite knowing the private land I was hunting, scouting a specific tree would've been helpful for a first time saddle attempt.
- YOU WILL BE SORE AS HELL - my entire body is worn out from fighting a tree, and I'm 27 and in pretty good shape. My calves, hamstrings, hands, and shoulders are crushed.

Things to buy for next time:
real bow hanger
long rope for tether/rappel/gear hauler
quicklink carabiner
mechanical descender for rappel
potentially a platform or true ring of steps.

I'm proud I got up there, didn't quit despite the tree struggles, got to hunting height, sat it out for 5 hours and made it down safe. Saw some deer, didn't get a shot. This isn't as easy as the people who have been doing it for years make it look, but after some time and experience I think it could be.
 
I had a similar oh **** moment. Set my Predator platform but didn’t realize I was around a dead branch on the other side. So when I got on the platform it slowly slid down past that branch making my platform no longer tight. Easy fix but a big eye opener.

I learned you really need to understand the tree you climb before you get up there. Anticipating issues like branches or knots in the bark.
 
Getting a better climbing method would solve a lot if those problems. I too started out with WE Stepps but quickly sold them. My preferred method now is SRT, but if I can’t SRT I climb using beast sticks.
 
I learned to exercise restraint when you are considering making what are despite your best efforts and intentions statements that most will likely and incorrectly interpret as unjust or undeserved criticisms when all you are doing is being completely honest in sharing a very negative experience with an otherwise very popular piece of equipment
Reminds me of the saying:
"Thinking is hard, that is why most people judge"

I must commend you OP on a very well witten fair and unbiased review.

That has been case with some of my hunting equipment I bought based on a 90% favorable rating by users of it only to myself use it and find it has short comings if not outright failings if used under certain circumstances quite common in hunting that are a result of a design flaw unique to that piece of equipment and not the users ineptitude

Has only happened to me with a select few pieces of hunting equipment but unfortunately they were not small expenditures of cash.

I now have learned if you are seriously considering spending some significant sums of money on equipment especially equipment you have little chance of recouping at least 55% of your investment in a resale you had better research your purchase as well as you can doing so with the premise your research has to change your mind from a yes I'm interested but unlikely to buy to WOW this equipment purchase is worth the financial risk
 
@DMTJAGER I did a lot of research, watched a ton of tutorials, tested it myself in my backyard multiple times. I would say my comment was more of a realistic and relatable experience. I chose a bad tree. I am not sure if sticks would have been any better, the tree was brutal. I couldn't even place my foot on the side to get leverage without it slipping off. The equipment worked as it should have, just not as easy as I had expected. I will continue to use the steps. I was surprised the side pressure moved the steps, but looking back at it (or down on it from my tether) that makes total sense, the whole system is designed on front->back pressure on the crossbar. If you push sideways, you are pushing the step away from the tree and loosening the system. That changed my perspective from using it as a platform. Rappelling down is just safer and smarter no matter what your climbing method is. For single sticker, if you drop your stick you are equally out of luck.
 
Getting a better climbing method would solve a lot if those problems. I too started out with WE Stepps but quickly sold them. My preferred method now is SRT, but if I can’t SRT I climb using beast sticks.

I just recently learned about SRT and DRT climbing. Do you always have set trees? What do you do when you go in the dark to a new tree?
 
Morning hunts would always be a set tree with a paracord loop. Afternoon I’m open to throwing the throw ball. It’s always in pack along with a spool of paracord if I see a tree I want to preset.
 
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