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MR Pop Up and Beast sticks

hokiehunter373

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
1,566
Location
Maryland
Does anyone run beast sticks with a Mystery Ranch pop up bag? I've got the 28, and I tried to pack in some hawk helium sticks Saturday. I put them on the meat shelf but man it was a pain in the a$$. I'll be using my wild edge stepps only until I finally take the plunge on some beast sticks. Just curious how everyone is packing them in? Is there any easy way to lash them to the pack? I can't imagine it's easy to put them on the meat shelf since the steps can't fold down. Thoughts?

Thanks!
 
With the fixed step I would think outside the bag, with the standoffs facing in, lashed tight with the straps would be the best way
 
I have the pop-up 28 and I run 1 muddy pro and 4 leverage mini sticks. If I'm just one sticking it then I place it on the side of the pack and run the two side straps and connect them to the top and bottom. If I carry more then I lay them all flat on the pack and strap them from the side straps. Both straps are male/female connectors and you can connect from one side to the other...and strap tight. Easy peasy.
 
I have the pop-up 28 and I run 1 muddy pro and 4 leverage mini sticks. If I'm just one sticking it then I place it on the side of the pack and run the two side straps and connect them to the top and bottom. If I carry more then I lay them all flat on the pack and strap them from the side straps. Both straps are male/female connectors and you can connect from one side to the other...and strap tight. Easy peasy.

Alright, maybe I didn't examine the straps close enough. It just seemed there was no way to strap them to the front of the pack. Although it may have seemed that way because I had my camera arm in one of them water bottle pockets and a water bottle in the other. Thanks for the help!
 
Alright, maybe I didn't examine the straps close enough. It just seemed there was no way to strap them to the front of the pack. Although it may have seemed that way because I had my camera arm in one of them water bottle pockets and a water bottle in the other. Thanks for the help!
I have a MR treehouse w/ 4 beast sticks, pics when I get home.....
 
I have a MR Pop-up 28 with Beast Sticks. It is a match made in heaven and rides awesome. Don't use the Meat Shelf. Lash to the back. I'll post pics tonight.
 
I run beast sticks on my MR. I put them on the meat shelf sicking out both sides work great. I even have room for the predator on top of the sticks
. IMG_5065.jpg
 
Here is my set up. The beast sticks fit perfect with the steps cradling the top and bottom of the bag. Notice how one strap is pulled far right and one pulled left. This makes it really efficient at the base of the tree as you can hook the straps back up and not have to pull adust either side since you have one top and one bottom strap tight on opposite sides. Plus buckles out in front of the sticks get in the way some when attaching platform. To attach platform, lay down big nite-ize gear tie before sticks and attach platform to top of Beast sticks with attached little gear tie as shown and secure with the big gear tie.

IMG_5084.jpg
IMG_5085.jpg

Strap hooked back up after removal of sticks at base of tree - Still holds bag tight even with one loose on each side:
IMG_5090.jpg
IMG_5091.jpg

Attaching platform:
IMG_5093.jpg
IMG_5086.jpg
IMG_5087.jpg
IMG_5088.jpg
 
I tried this method but found my arms being hit and jabbed by the steps pointing towards me. Do you face that problem? If so, how have you eliminated it?
I have never noticed it hitting my arms, I do catch brush every now and then with the steps, but it is not bad.
 
I run 1 stick strapped to the top of my MR PU18. I have my platform and camera arm on the shelf.
 
Here is my set up. The beast sticks fit perfect with the steps cradling the top and bottom of the bag. Notice how one strap is pulled far right and one pulled left. This makes it really efficient at the base of the tree as you can hook the straps back up and not have to pull adust either side since you have one top and one bottom strap tight on opposite sides. Plus buckles out in front of the sticks get in the way some when attaching platform. To attach platform, lay down big nite-ize gear tie before sticks and attach platform to top of Beast sticks with attached little gear tie as shown and secure with the big gear tie.

View attachment 19508
View attachment 19509

Strap hooked back up after removal of sticks at base of tree - Still holds bag tight even with one loose on each side:
View attachment 19513
View attachment 19514

Attaching platform:
View attachment 19515
View attachment 19510
View attachment 19511
View attachment 19512

And there goes another reason not to buy these sticks. Thanks, man! I think lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
And there goes another reason not to buy these sticks. Thanks, man! I think lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry if I just cost you $345.

But for real, I really like these sticks. They are quiet and efficient. I feel like they will last. Buy once, cry once. I bought 4 but still have only used 3 max. I hunt a lot of crazy trees that don't require extensive height to get covered. I have made a CAYG aider but barely used it. These things are so light, I would rather just bring an extra stick than fiddle with an aider. There are a few places I think I will need the 4 sticks that I will hunt in the future, especially when the leaves fall. Make sure you get stealth strips and especially apply them where they connect at the bracket. (See Mark's video below) That is an area that they can make noise when unpacking. But since I added the stealth strip there, these things are quieter than a mouse fart.

On the MR Packs. One neat/brilliant thing they do is every buckle that is opposite of each other is set up to connect to the buckle completely on the other side. That is what makes it super easy to lash the sticks to the pack. I don't keep a lot in my bag so the sticks cinch down close to my back as if they were in the meat shelf. Not putting them on the meat shelf also requires less messing with buckles (especially when cinching one left and one right). I walked 6 miles the other day on a scout/hunt and it felt great. Never ended up getting in a tree and I wasn't cussing myself that I brought 3 sticks and a platform for nothing.


 
Sorry if I just cost you $345.

But for real, I really like these sticks. They are quiet and efficient. I feel like they will last. Buy once, cry once. I bought 4 but still have only used 3 max. I hunt a lot of crazy trees that don't require extensive height to get covered. I have made a CAYG aider but barely used it. These things are so light, I would rather just bring an extra stick than fiddle with an aider. There are a few places I think I will need the 4 sticks that I will hunt in the future, especially when the leaves fall. Make sure you get stealth strips and especially apply them where they connect at the bracket. (See Mark's video below) That is an area that they can make noise when unpacking. But since I added the stealth strip there, these things are quieter than a mouse fart.

On the MR Packs. One neat/brilliant thing they do is every buckle that is opposite of each other is set up to connect to the buckle completely on the other side. That is what makes it super easy to lash the sticks to the pack. I don't keep a lot in my bag so the sticks cinch down close to my back as if they were in the meat shelf. Not putting them on the meat shelf also requires less messing with buckles (especially when cinching one left and one right). I walked 6 miles the other day on a scout/hunt and it felt great. Never ended up getting in a tree and I wasn't cussing myself that I brought 3 sticks and a platform for nothing.


Yeah, I checked my pack when I got home yesterday and I was just being dumb and not paying attention to detail about how the straps could connect across the front. I'm really torn on beast sticks vs WE stepps. I love how small the stepps are. A big advantage originally was that I could have 6 of them, easily get 20-30 feet with a knaider/swaider, and only be at 6 pounds of weight with fitting them in my pack. After trying my not cut down heliums again on Saturday, I'm convinced I'll never use full length steps again, but man they are so much easier to setup/climb. I'm only 5'5", so I'd still probably want some type of aider or the k/s combo with beast sticks, but if I switch out the stock straps for versa straps, I can have 4 sticks for about a pound more than 6 WE stepps. So far I've only used 3 stepps on my hunts but I still carry all 6 just in case. With basically no weight savings, it comes down to packability and ease of use. Beast sticks won't be quite as packable, but strapping them to the front will be easy enough, and even if I decide to use some sort of aider, they won't be any more difficult to use than the stepps. Trying to justify the purchase by thinking I can sell my 6 stepps and helium sticks for ~$200 and at least cut the outlay in half lol.

How tall are you? And how high can you get with 4 with no aider vs with an aider?
 
Yeah, I checked my pack when I got home yesterday and I was just being dumb and not paying attention to detail about how the straps could connect across the front. I'm really torn on beast sticks vs WE stepps. I love how small the stepps are. A big advantage originally was that I could have 6 of them, easily get 20-30 feet with a knaider/swaider, and only be at 6 pounds of weight with fitting them in my pack. After trying my not cut down heliums again on Saturday, I'm convinced I'll never use full length steps again, but man they are so much easier to setup/climb. I'm only 5'5", so I'd still probably want some type of aider or the k/s combo with beast sticks, but if I switch out the stock straps for versa straps, I can have 4 sticks for about a pound more than 6 WE stepps. So far I've only used 3 stepps on my hunts but I still carry all 6 just in case. With basically no weight savings, it comes down to packability and ease of use. Beast sticks won't be quite as packable, but strapping them to the front will be easy enough, and even if I decide to use some sort of aider, they won't be any more difficult to use than the stepps. Trying to justify the purchase by thinking I can sell my 6 stepps and helium sticks for ~$200 and at least cut the outlay in half lol.

How tall are you? And how high can you get with 4 with no aider vs with an aider?

Hookie,

I'm 5'4" tall and when I use my 4 cut down leverage steps I can get to 18' with three. I use a 3 step aider and can easily get my steps 5-6 foot spread...that's with the aider. I usually just do the one stick method and get about 22 feet. I tried the WE stepps...bought and sold them twice...won't be a third time. I could never get them to stay tight to the tree...in fact during one climb the stepp came off the tree about 2-3." This wasn't the first time either, but I made sure it was the last. Sold them that night.

As far as using multiple sticks...I can easily get 18' with a single aider or a 3 step aider...and three sticks.
 
Yeah, I checked my pack when I got home yesterday and I was just being dumb and not paying attention to detail about how the straps could connect across the front. I'm really torn on beast sticks vs WE stepps. I love how small the stepps are. A big advantage originally was that I could have 6 of them, easily get 20-30 feet with a knaider/swaider, and only be at 6 pounds of weight with fitting them in my pack. After trying my not cut down heliums again on Saturday, I'm convinced I'll never use full length steps again, but man they are so much easier to setup/climb. I'm only 5'5", so I'd still probably want some type of aider or the k/s combo with beast sticks, but if I switch out the stock straps for versa straps, I can have 4 sticks for about a pound more than 6 WE stepps. So far I've only used 3 stepps on my hunts but I still carry all 6 just in case. With basically no weight savings, it comes down to packability and ease of use. Beast sticks won't be quite as packable, but strapping them to the front will be easy enough, and even if I decide to use some sort of aider, they won't be any more difficult to use than the stepps. Trying to justify the purchase by thinking I can sell my 6 stepps and helium sticks for ~$200 and at least cut the outlay in half lol.

How tall are you? And how high can you get with 4 with no aider vs with an aider?

I’m like 5’ 8” on a good day with boots on. I do not have an exact height on how high I can get with and without aider. I haven’t measured yet. I’ll try to do that sometime soon and post results. Anecdotally, I have gotten as high as I have needed with 3 sticks so far.
 
Hookie,

I'm 5'4" tall and when I use my 4 cut down leverage steps I can get to 18' with three. I use a 3 step aider and can easily get my steps 5-6 foot spread...that's with the aider. I usually just do the one stick method and get about 22 feet. I tried the WE stepps...bought and sold them twice...won't be a third time. I could never get them to stay tight to the tree...in fact during one climb the stepp came off the tree about 2-3." This wasn't the first time either, but I made sure it was the last. Sold them that night.

As far as using multiple sticks...I can easily get 18' with a single aider or a 3 step aider...and three sticks.

Thanks that's good info to have. Probably save me $80, a couple pounds, and some extra packability. I have no doubt that if I practiced with my WE stepps more that they wouldn't be a problem but as everyone knows time is tight. I haven't given up on them but the way people rave about the beast sticks it just seems like that could save some aggravation.

I’m like 5’ 8” on a good day with boots on. I do not have an exact height on how high I can get with and without aider. I haven’t measured yet. I’ll try to do that sometime soon and post results. Anecdotally, I have gotten as high as I have needed with 3 sticks so far.

Approximations are fine with me but good to know about you haven't felt the need for the 4th. I've 3 sticked it with full length sticks and not felt high enough at times so I have no doubt that with shorter sticks I'd need to use something to get higher. With a knaider/swaider I imagine I can get 6 feet a stick minimum and probably more like 7 foot if I'm using a versa strap. That's 21 feet to the top of my last stick with just 3 and I doubt I'd ever need more.

So keep talking me into this guys... $255 for 3 beast sticks, $20 for stealth strips, $50 for versa straps... sell my stepps and sticks for about $200 and I'm $75 in the hole not counting shipping. Call it $100. Decisions decisions lol. I might have a stand I can sell. Man, I should have never of joined this site.
 
Those of yall that are running the pop up 28 how do you like it size wise? Im torn between the 18 and 28. I dont bring alot of extra gear, i use wild edge steps and predator platform. Biggest item would be my layers which consist of sitka stratus coat & bibs/fanatic vest.
 
Those of yall that are running the pop up 28 how do you like it size wise? Im torn between the 18 and 28. I dont bring alot of extra gear, i use wild edge steps and predator platform. Biggest item would be my layers which consist of sitka stratus coat & bibs/fanatic vest.

I bought the 28 simply because during the winter, I have first lite sanctuary bibs and jacket...I need something to carry that...my stand, stick(s), and rappel rope. If I just want a pack to carry everything then I'll break out the Kifaru.
 
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