Lone Wolf Mates with Hawk Helium

[bj139]

I didn't know how this would work but I could always put the platform back on the
Lone Wolf stand and the top steps back on the Hawk Helium stick. Three sticks
with platform and straps weighs 11.5 lbs. One stick with seat and straps weighs
4lbs-14oz and one stick with strap weighs 3lb-5oz.
I placed the stick with platform on my favorite telephone pole and climbed up with
lineman's belt and moved my left leg to the side standing on the middle step and
lowered the platform with my right leg and stepped on the platform. It was very
stable as the HH standoffs bit into the pole. No sideways shifting at all. I
attached my tether up the pole and connected it to my sit drag bridge. It was
comfortable sitting. I think the Lone Wolf mating with a Hawk Helium was a
success. I have some noobie or newbie observations which I will post in another
thread. This is my second time up a pole but with one stick only. Next I will try 2
sticks and sit for while. I am trusting the equipment a bit more each time.
Any comments?

 

[Inhunter]

That looks awesome! I would love to do that if I can find a lonewolf seat for a reasonable price. How well do the three sticks stack together with the platform on?

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[KyleND]

Did helium bend from leverage when you stood on end of platform? (furthest from pole) that's my only fear is that it could snap top of helium stick right off. Not sure if that is the direction of intended strength. With that being said this is a bad ass mod!!

 

[bj139]

IH,
I bought the Lone Wolf stand on Craigslist a few weeks ago for $100. I thought I posted a photo showing the 3 sticks together. Maybe it is in the other thread.

KND,
Good point. I hadn't relly thought about that. Other hollow square tubing supports would be weaker, I think. I did walk on the platform a bit and the Helium showed no signs of bending. It is pressing against the stick at the adjustment bolt and at the pivot bolt. I am going to try a tree in the local park this afternoon. I hope I am not the reason for a climbing ban in the park but who knows. The main thing I like about climbing using ropes is if the platform collapsed I would still be caught by the tether and/or lineman's belt.

 

[ImThere]

Want your money back on the lock on? lol looks great!

bro, on a side note It looks like you have a lot going on with that set up make sure you tie in at the right points and whatnot. make sure all points are load bearing.

 

[bj139]

Want your money back on the lock on? lol looks great!

bro, on a side note It looks like you have a lot going on with that set up make sure you tie in at the right points and whatnot. make sure all points are load bearing.

It just took a bit of filing on the sides of the HH stick and a hole drilled for the seat pivot bolt. Minimal modification.
All my weight bearing or falling load points are to the harness or sit drag.
I went to the park across the street today and found the best looking tree and the strap on the stick barely went around but it made it. I set the stick and went to attach my linemans belt and it did not go around. I knew my tether was longer, so I just switched the fittings and used the tether for a linemans belt. I climbed to the middle step on the second stick and attached the short tether to the now narrower tree. The tree was wider further up as it split into 2 main beams so I could not move the tether up. I found standing on the narrow steps was no fun. I don't even want to think what standing on one foot on a Lone Wolf stick is like for a while. I made a new longer linemans belt and will try the platform again tomorrow. I didn't bring the platform stick this time since I did not want to complicate my first tree climb. Telephone poles seem easier.

 

[bj139]

I went tree climbing in the local park and tried the board tied to a lower tether combined with an upper tether method and it was FUBARed. I went and got the Hawk Helium sticks and now understand why more people don't use the board with tether method.
Flickr is currently having a migration problem so I can't post pics now but will later. I was height limited by many small branches and used 2 sticks to get the platform to 8 feet with a single aider on the bottom. I put the aider on the second stick and had trouble finding it on the way down so just left it on the first stick and put the second stick 15" up from the first. I found my left leg is a bit weaker than my right so I am glad I bough the sticks with 2 steps at each level. I am 62 years old and notice a bit more weakness in my legs than I had at 35. The platform on stick worked fine. I moved around a bit to simulate shooting below the platform and it seemed fine. The stick showed no sign of bending from the platform as a previous poster suggested. I used my rock climbing harness only because the addition of the sit drag made it unwieldy. I was up about an hour and experienced no discomfort while standing and sitting alternately. I don't know if I need the sit drag as long as I have the platform. I have to try the trees near the road next which have a greater height before numerous branches interfere with climbing further.

 

[ImThere]

At some point you may want to sit down and the sitdrag will make it more comfortable for a longer sit.


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[bj139]

I climbed a taller tree today and used all 3 Hawk Helium sticks. I set up on the tree side away from the road. At the third stick, the tree trunk bent backwards a bit and the knots made the stick uneven. I decided to move to the other side which was better. In the process, I learned to remember to remove everything on the way down or I have to climb back up to get it all multiple times. After nearly missing the aider on the way down I decided to eliminate it for now until I get more experience. I figured head height for me was 15 feet after standing on the third stick. Is this hunting height? I searched for this term but did not find any numbers The sit drag made it a bit more comfortable, I think. Not sure.
A previous photo in this thread showed 11mm rope attaching a climbing stick. It was very stable. I weighed the rope (237g) and the strap with buckle (163g). So much for saving weight. The rope seemed easier to attach.

 

[bj139]

In my previous photos you may notice a water bottle in one side of my pack and another bottle in the other side. This other bottle is my most important piece of equipment for tree climbing in the park. I am over 60 years old so true to the TV commercial sometimes I gotta go right now. The park is about 1/4 mile from my house. The technique I have developed relies on me rooting around in my pack on the ground while discreetly ascending the bottle up the leg of my shorts. After the ascent phase of the bottle is over, the descent phase and lid replacement is commenced. Then tree climbing can resume with no nearby dog walkers and joggers being aware. They have leg bags for old guys with this problem. I read Senators relied on the leg bags during their filabusters when they could not leave the floor. The jar is a simple DIY solution to an age old or is that old age, problem.

 

[bj139]

My latest attempt at DIY a small platform at the top of a climbing stick. The stick with the Lone Wolf platform weighs 5lb 6 oz with straps and aiders.
The stick with the oak platform weighs 4 lbs 12 oz configured similarly. The stick alone with aider and strap weighs 3 lb 9 oz. It looks like I better stop adding oak to the top of the oak stick. It is getting too heavy. It seems overbuilt at this point with all those bolts.

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[Tapeworm]

Most people are using 7mm-8mm rope instead of 11mm (7mm gets more stretch so 8mm seems to be used more)

That’ll probably bring the weight down to around the strap/buckle range

To really save weight most guys use 1/4” amsteel blue

3 amsteel pieces are about the same weight as 1 of my strap/buckles when I weighed them out




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[bj139]

Most people are using 7mm-8mm rope instead of 11mm (7mm gets more stretch so 8mm seems to be used more)

That’ll probably bring the weight down to around the strap/buckle range

To really save weight most guys use 1/4” amsteel blue

3 amsteel pieces are about the same weight as 1 of my strap/buckles when I weighed them out




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I did give up on the 11mm rope. It worked well enough but I just went back to the buckled straps. I did try removing the buckle and just wrapping the strap around the button in the wedged manner. This worked fine the one time I tried it but I never went back to it.

 

[Aeds151]

How has that platform held up with the bolt through the hawk helium that way?


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[Still Kicking]

I did give up on the 11mm rope. It worked well enough but I just went back to the buckled straps. I did try removing the buckle and just wrapping the strap around the button in the wedged manner. This worked fine the one time I tried it but I never went back to it.

I made 1/4" amsteel buried and locked with a loop that fits tight on the button and it's really quiet, solid, and light. I am real happy with them.

 

[bj139]

How has that platform held up with the bolt through the hawk helium that way?


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It held up fine for the limited amount of time I used it. There was plenty of aluminum at the bolt and nothing at the pivot looked like it was bending. I used the platform to make a different camming platform with square aluminum stock.

 

[IAbowhunt712]

Digging up an old thread. Now that you’ve been able to use the setup for a season, what are your thoughts? Did the platform stress the stick at all?