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:
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:
- 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
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:
Then get yourself in a tree and practice, practice, practice
- 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
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.
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.