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Origin steps?

Buckhorn70 said:
I have a set of Orgin Steps and used them a couple times last year. They are definitely a viable climbing option. Highly packable and light weight. There is a a fiddle factor attaching the ropes but not to bad once you development muscle memory for installing. They do flip up at times when climbing but I just flip them down….. no big deal for me.

I think they are worth a try but you have to stick with them for a bit to get used to them.
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Flipping up isn’t a problem. Hinging away putting that step on a downward angle is. That’s my primary concern. If they ever get stock in maybe I will try them….lol
 
One "miss" with the Origin steps is that the full bury 7/64" amsteel hitch becomes a larger diameter and firmer than the 1/8" amsteel it slides on. This means it does not grab as well as it could.

Mine came with the hitches all different lengths and some were so small that the metal piece that locks it was difficult to insert, even after doing the stretching they recommend. So, I bought a splicing loop and remade all the hitches and they are all now uniform and the loop is a size I like. I stretched them all much more than the video shows by creating a loop not on a tree and then hanging from it with full body weight (about 190 lbs with clothes/shoes) until it stopped stretching. I actually used a stool and stood in the loop.

However, in an application like the hitch, you could get away with making the hitch out of just 7/64" amsteel (no bury) and then where the schwabisch hitch crosses over (that piece that is straight and goes across the loops that do work) just tie 2 overhand knots. It will likely grab better. People reflexively say never to knot amsteel, but in non-life support settings (if a step breaking will kill you, you are climbing wrong) where very little force is seen and it is static, then it works fine. You just have to tie a knot that will not slip loose due to the slickness of the amsteel. I have made amsteel aiders using knots carefully and used them for many seasons and there was never a single issue. There are resources online regarding knots that will work with amsteel. If you can somehow break a knot of 7/64" amsteel in this application, then I'd be shocked.
 
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enkriss said:
Flipping up isn’t a problem. Hinging away putting that step on a downward angle is. That’s my primary concern. If they ever get stock in maybe I will try them….lol
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The originals flipped up bad because the shape wasn't as good and the polypropylene straps had a lot of give to them. It is a concern going down when you are 20 feet up and look under you and none of your steps are right. It is a pucker. Then, on your way down, you have to try to flip them the right way or climb with them that way. It stinks more than you think.
 
raisins said:
The originals flipped up bad because the shape wasn't as good and the polypropylene straps had a lot of give to them. It is a concern going down when you are 20 feet up and look under you and none of your steps are right. It is a pucker. Then, on your way down, you have to try to flip them the right way or climb with them that way. It stinks more than you think.
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I think it happened because that strap slot was in an arc on of the corner of the step. They also slid down the tree little by little using them as a ROS. I didnt like the originals at all.
 
enkriss said:
I think it happened because that strap slot was in an arc on of the corner of the step. They also slid down the tree little by little using them as a ROS. I didnt like the originals at all.
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They were overly concerned with them being ambidextrous, so you could always have the pull strap in the middle. Giving up on that and just always having the hitch or pull strap on a dedicated side was a big improvement because it allowed what you mentioned.
 
enkriss said:
I am willing to give them a try again with that attachment. Will that attachment work with a ring of steps also?
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No. You need an OCB or ratchet strap for the ROS to work properly. But the original steps work wonderfully well with the amsteel attachment method. If they didn’t, @GeoFish would have told me all about their shortcomings at the Saddle Hunter Meet up :tearsofjoy:
I personally only tried them a few times at the house and if you use them the way Shawn shows in his you tube videos (with the metal tight to the step, and your feet heel in) they climb very well
 
raisins said:
One "miss" with the Origin steps is that the full bury 7/64" amsteel hitch becomes a larger diameter and firmer than the 1/8" amsteel it slides on. This means it does not grab as well as it could.

Mine came with the hitches all different lengths and some were so small that the metal piece that locks it was difficult to insert, even after doing the stretching they recommend. So, I bought a splicing loop and remade all the hitches and they are all now uniform and the loop is a size I like. I stretched them all much more than the video shows by creating a loop not on a tree and then hanging from it with full body weight (about 190 lbs with clothes/shoes) until it stopped stretching. I actually used a stool and stood in the loop.

However, in an application like the hitch, you could get away with making the hitch out of just 7/64" amsteel (no bury) and then where the schwabisch hitch crosses over (that piece that is straight and goes across the loops that do work) just tie 2 overhand knots. It will likely grab better. People reflexively say never to knot amsteel, but in non-life support settings (if a step breaking will kill you, you are climbing wrong) where very little force is seen and it is static, then it works fine. You just have to tie a knot that will not slip loose due to the slickness of the amsteel. I have made amsteel aiders using knots9 carefully and used them for many seasons and there was never a single issue. There are resources online regarding knots that will work with amsteel. If you can somehow break a knot of 7/64" amsteel in this application, then I'd be shocked.
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Sorry to hear about your loops being different sizes. I checked mine and they all seem to be consistent.
I kinda thought my Schwabisch grabbed too tight. Did they make a change to the hitch? This is mine.
Screenshot_20260228_083532_Gallery.jpg
 
enkriss said:
Flipping up isn’t a problem. Hinging away putting that step on a downward angle is. That’s my primary concern. If they ever get stock in maybe I will try them….lol
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Reading this makes me interested. I have the cranford rope steps and like them but they are metal so a tad heavy. Let us know what you think when you try them. @GeoFish, @raisins and @BTaylor have me chomping at the bit on these though not gonna lie.!
 
The version with the straps is a bit cheaper and he says in one of his videos they are a bit more stable but of course heavier. Any of you try them with the strap version instead of amsteel?
 
GeoFish said:
Sorry to hear about your loops being different sizes. I checked mine and they all seem to be consistent.
I kinda thought my Schwabisch grabbed too tight. Did they make a change to the hitch? This is mine.
View attachment 125714
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I got mine after their supplier of amsteel spliced products had been away for a while. It looked like he was playing catch up or having someone help him that was new, etc. Very inconsistent. Some of the exposed loops were 3 or 4 times longer than other ones.

They grab well enough. My idea of increasing the grab was a bit of a fever dream.
 
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woodsdog2 said:
Reading this makes me interested. I have the cranford rope steps and like them but they are metal so a tad heavy. Let us know what you think when you try them. @GeoFish, @raisins and @BTaylor have me chomping at the bit on these though not gonna lie.!
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If you have Carnford steps and like them, I cant imagine that you wouldnt like these origin steps. They are a little more bulky than cranford's but a good bit lighter and way easier to stand on.
 
woodsdog2 said:
Reading this makes me interested. I have the cranford rope steps and like them but they are metal so a tad heavy. Let us know what you think when you try them. @GeoFish, @raisins and @BTaylor have me chomping at the bit on these though not gonna lie.!
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When I climbed on the Cranford steps they hinged pulling away from the tree. I never liked climbing on them.
Also the Cranford steps weigh 9.9 oz each on my scale. My Origin steps with my mods weigh 4.4 oz each.
 
enkriss said:
Flipping up isn’t a problem. Hinging away putting that step on a downward angle is. That’s my primary concern. If they ever get stock in maybe I will try them….lol
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Did you get your steps yet? I saw in the comments on March 9th someone said quick shipping.
 
MattMan81 said:
Did you get your steps yet? I saw in the comments on March 9th someone said quick shipping.
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They shipped USPS on 3/4… coming from Ohio to NJ. They were scanned in Tulsa Oklahoma this morning so who knows when they will get here… but they are heading the wrong direction. They were supposed to be delivered today.
 
enkriss said:
They shipped USPS on 3/4… coming from Ohio to NJ. They were scanned in Tulsa Oklahoma this morning so who knows when they will get here… but they are heading the wrong direction. They were supposed to be delivered today.
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It’s always the post office’s fault. I’ve been waiting for a shipment that landed in Miami 10 weeks ago, still hasn’t made it 5 hours away to Jax
 
MattMan81 said:
Did you get your steps yet? I saw in the comments on March 9th someone said quick shipping.
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Got my steps… definitely way better than the old approach steps.

The Amsteel needs to be stretched. After it’s stretched the steps seem to be very solid when your weight it on them. Definitely need to make sure that arrow stays vertical cuz that might wiggle through the loop if it turns.

It’s a viable climbing method. Still a little strappy imo… but that’s the trade off. They are super light from a weight per foot perspective they are way lighter to get up the tree than any climbing stick on the market.
 
enkriss said:
These started growing on me a bit the more I was messing with them. I ordered more of these with the bag to give them a legit effort.
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I like the steps…..I didn’t care for the bag as it was a little too big. It’s nice if you want to carry more than your steps though.
 
His next design needs to have an easily tightened, integrated cleat so it doesn't add weight or moving parts and that only needs one piece of cord.
 
LAKY said:
His next design needs to have an easily tightened, integrated cleat so it doesn't add weight or moving parts and that only needs one piece of cord.
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Interesting, but this might only allow 1X mechanical advantage when tightening. A cam strap is 2X and the current hitch might replicate that. Also, a mini cleat that is strong will likely be heavy and expensive. Maybe if the whole step, including cleat, was machine aluminum or titanium then it could be light and work. But those are gonna be Gucci steps where a dozen cost 1K.
 
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