Newbie stick question

[2old4this]

Any rhyme or reason for one stick set vs another other than maybe weight?
Hawk Helium, Muddy Pro, Lone Wolf, XOP, Beast (way to expensive and lead time)

Advise is always welcome.


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[150plusB&C]

Everyone is different. They all are good products and will get you in a tree but there is some differences. Just check em all out before you drop the cash


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[Wyatt_burp]

So I got hawk helium, but I single stick climb and I wanted steps on each side. If you want multiple sticks and have a platform at the top you can use lone wolf or any of the other ones.

How do you want to climb, 4 sticks w/ knaider & swaider, 4 sticks plain, single stick.

Got a platform up top or just standing on sticks or sticks and ROS?

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[dlist777]

Muddy is a good length and the rope cam system is great by they are HEAVY. Way too heavy in my opinion.

Hawk is nice because of the double steps and the steps fold for transport. 27 inches is not a great length (either should be longer with 3 steps or shorter with 2 steps in my opinion). A lot of guys cut it down to 2 steps and shorten a bit.

LoneWolf are the lightest of these. At 30-32 inches I think they are good stock. The downside is single step. I swapped out the top single for double steps (eastern woods outdoors), that's a good compromise...they'll still be lighter than hawks and will get you higher. You can also cut down the lonewolfs if you prefer two steps in the 20-22 inch range. The shorty lonewolfs are too short in my opinion at 17 inches or so....

I don't know XOP. Beasts are the best but $$$$.

Basically, they are all compromises....

I own Muddy, Hawk, Lone Wolf, and Beast. I like Beast the best. LW next (but with swapping out the top step for doubles). Then, Hawk, then Muddy.

 

[iamcorey]

don't forget the api huntin' sticks. $80 for 3 of them at cabelas. cheap and double steps.

 

[Bwhana]

For the $, you can't beat Heliums.

 

[joel0711]

Using Heliums with rope mod. I like the double steps. Got 4 sticks,one with Artisan Outdoors mini platform and 3 others to use with my predator platform soon as i get in a little more practice with it. Just got it yesterday.

 

[solo_archer]

Being a newbie myself, I scoured the internet, youtube, and this forum before purchasing sticks earlier this summer. I didn't have a chance to try any sticks before buying them so I had to make this count. After doing over a month of research and spotting certain trends, I ended up with these takeaways:

• Double steps are important. So much so that people were bursting with excitement when https://doublesteps.com/ started selling them so they could swap out the single steps on their lone wolfs. If you're new to sticks, double steps will cut down the learning curve, especially when you’re setting up in the dark
  
  
• Starting with 4 sticks will get you to a preferred hunting height of anywhere from 16 - 20+ feet. Once you get used to 4 sticks, your mind will naturally start thinking about how you can use less sticks to get to the same height if weight/bulk/packability is a priority. You’ll more than likely start looking into aiders/etriers, one-stick method, wild edge steps, etc
  
  
• If you dislike bulk then start yourself with short sticks (20 - 22in, Muddy, Beast, etc) or you can start with full length sticks and plan to cut them down yourself
  
  
• Weight is relative. What's considered heavy for some may not matter to you especially if you have no frame of reference being a newbie
  
  
• You will end up modifying your current sticks and/or purchasing another set of sticks/climbing method as you figure out what you’d like to improve from the first set you bought

With the above in mind, I had my heart set on Muddy Pros and using an aider but they were out of stock earlier this year when I was looking to buy from their site. They had a recall on their previous generation of sticks so I was weary of buying them from elsewhere. In case you go with Muddy, be sure to check this site out that explains what to look for if a stick is from the recall years:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2012/m...sticks-due-to-risk-of-serious-injury-or-death

Ultimately I ended up purchasing a set of DIY short sticks from another member on this forum. They were within budget and fit all of my criteria. Please keep in mind, purchasing used sticks from someone is something you do at your own risk.

All that being said, if I were in your shoes now I’d do one of the following:

• Get a 4 pack of Muddy Pros from their new generation and use an aider
• Get a 3 pack of 2019 Hawk Heliums and use an aider
• Scour the classifieds to see if someone is selling 4 Hawk Heliums and still use an aider

Then get yourself in a tree and practice, practice, practice

 

[2old4this]

Being a newbie myself, I scoured the internet, youtube, and this forum before purchasing sticks earlier this summer. I didn't have a chance to try any sticks before buying them so I had to make this count. After doing over a month of research and spotting certain trends, I ended up with these takeaways:

• Double steps are important. So much so that people were bursting with excitement when https://doublesteps.com/ started selling them so they could swap out the single steps on their lone wolfs. If you're new to sticks, double steps will cut down the learning curve, especially when you’re setting up in the dark
  
  
• Starting with 4 sticks will get you to a preferred hunting height of anywhere from 16 - 20+ feet. Once you get used to 4 sticks, your mind will naturally start thinking about how you can use less sticks to get to the same height if weight/bulk/packability is a priority. You’ll more than likely start looking into aiders/etriers, one-stick method, wild edge steps, etc
  
  
• If you dislike bulk then start yourself with short sticks (20 - 22in, Muddy, Beast, etc) or you can start with full length sticks and plan to cut them down yourself
  
  
• Weight is relative. What's considered heavy for some may not matter to you especially if you have no frame of reference being a newbie
  
  
• You will end up modifying your current sticks and/or purchasing another set of sticks/climbing method as you figure out what you’d like to improve from the first set you bought

With the above in mind, I had my heart set on Muddy Pros and using an aider but they were out of stock earlier this year when I was looking to buy from their site. They had a recall on their previous generation of sticks so I was weary of buying them from elsewhere. In case you go with Muddy, be sure to check this site out that explains what to look for if a stick is from the recall years:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2012/m...sticks-due-to-risk-of-serious-injury-or-death

Ultimately I ended up purchasing a set DIY short sticks from another member on this forum. They were within budget and fit all of my criteria. Please keep in mind, purchasing used sticks from someone is something you do at your own risk.

All that being said, if I were in your shoes now I’d do one of the following:

• Get a 4 pack of Muddy Pros from their new generation and use an aider
• Get a 3 pack of 2019 Hawk Heliums and use an aider
• Scour the classifieds to see if someone is selling 4 Hawk Heliums and still use an aider

Then get yourself in a tree and practice, practice, practice

Thanks. That’s all good stuff. Question on the step mod on lone wolf stick? What prevents the step from spinning when you step on it since it only has 1 bolt through it?


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[DelaWhere_Arrow]

I’m in the minority who hates double steps. Not the website, mind you. Great site, best products! Just in practice, I prefer a single step. I use Lone Wolf for a number of reasons:
1. I’m short, they’re long and lightweight. They’re right around 2.5 lbs with cam buckles. That’s tough to beat.
2. The single step is lighter, but also easier to get around with clothing, ropes, carabiners, rangefinders, lanyards, blah blah blah...if you can wear it up a tree, it can and will get caught on a double step. It’ll get caught on singles too, but not as easily or frequently in my climbs.
3. I can get between 4-6’ of trunk per stick, which is awesome for my height because I may only need 2 sticks on some trees, or I can use all 4 and be at a respectable 20’+ on other trees.
4. Best brackets in the business IMO. Nothing bites a tree like LW hardware.
5. At $60/stick or less, they’re hard to out-bang for your buck.

There are downsides, like sometimes a double on the top step would be useful to stand on, but it’s also in the way of my gear while climbing. Also, they stack well but could use a better strap to keep them all together. If I’m nitpicking, they can clang while attached to your saddle and climbing, but that’s true of any stick.

XOP is basically the same as Lone Wolf in design, with a few key differences. The step is a bit meatier and has a toe flair, they’re a few ounces heavier, and they have a really sweet locking mechanism in the middle step that keeps your sticks together without extra straps. I like XOP just fine.

 

[neonomad]

I’m in the minority who hates double steps. Not the website, mind you. Great site, best products! Just in practice, I prefer a single step. I use Lone Wolf for a number of reasons:
1. I’m short, they’re long and lightweight. They’re right around 2.5 lbs with cam buckles. That’s tough to beat.
2. The single step is lighter, but also easier to get around with clothing, ropes, carabiners, rangefinders, lanyards, blah blah blah...if you can wear it up a tree, it can and will get caught on a double step. It’ll get caught on singles too, but not as easily or frequently in my climbs.
3. I can get between 4-6’ of trunk per stick, which is awesome for my height because I may only need 2 sticks on some trees, or I can use all 4 and be at a respectable 20’+ on other trees.
4. Best brackets in the business IMO. Nothing bites a tree like LW hardware.
5. At $60/stick or less, they’re hard to out-bang for your buck.

There are downsides, like sometimes a double on the top step would be useful to stand on, but it’s also in the way of my gear while climbing. Also, they stack well but could use a better strap to keep them all together. If I’m nitpicking, they can clang while attached to your saddle and climbing, but that’s true of any stick.

XOP is basically the same as Lone Wolf in design, with a few key differences. The step is a bit meatier and has a toe flair, they’re a few ounces heavier, and they have a really sweet locking mechanism in the middle step that keeps your sticks together without extra straps. I like XOP just fine.

I’m in this camp... if you compare weight per length, LW is the best of the mid priced sticks. I have Heliums too, guys here love Heliums, but I always reach for my LWs first. XOP have some advantages (twist lock) but you pay a weight price for that. What I run right now is 3 LW sticks cut to 22” with a double step on the top of each, and a double step amsteel rope aider hanging below each. Three short sticks = 20 feet. Also, before you get seduced by lightweight rope mods and daisy chains, be aware that nothing holds a stick as securely to the tree as the stock strap and buckle.

 

[solo_archer]

Ya know hearing y'all talk about the benefits of single steps has me wanting to pull the trigger on some LWCG minis as a Christmas gift to myself. Y'all bring up very valid points.

@2old4this the double steps are machined with a little channel/ridge in the middle which fits snugly around the stick. This way when you step on it, it doesn't spin.

I attached a pic but I'm doing this from my phone so don't know if it will appear correctly

 

[2old4this]

Just ordered some LW sticks. I will try them out as they are. I have a predator platform coming so I don't think having double step is going to make a difference. I'm not worried about weight as I have been hauling a climber around for the last 15 years. I'm going to feel naked.

 

[solo_archer]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice! Great choice and I'm sure they'll serve you well. I've got the predator platform too and it is very nice, will definitely be a different world compared to a climber

 

[neonomad]

Just ordered some LW sticks. I will try them out as they are. I have a predator platform coming so I don't think having double step is going to make a difference. I'm not worried about weight as I have been hauling a climber around for the last 15 years. I'm going to feel naked.

Thought it’s worth mentioning, if you are setting the next stick with two feet on the stick you are on, less of an issue, but if you climb to the top of that stick with really only one foot planted into the single top step, that’s where you really need to pay attention. Don’t put side pressure on the top of that stick and make sure you have a solid footing for that boot. Even with a lineman’s on, you do not want to slip off that step. Good luck!