• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Spurs built into boots

Nutterbuster

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
10,068
Location
Where the skys are so blue!
We've got DIY sticks, carbon fiber bolts, and home-brewed platforms out the whazoo. I have to say, I'm dissapointed in all of you mad-engineer types out there. Nobody thinks we can bring "leg irons" into the new millennia?

Parts are readily available, albeit expensive. Every time I take spurs on and off, I think about how sweet it would be to have a steel or titanium insert built into my boots, and a bracket to slide the tree gaff into. Walk up to tree, kneel and attach gaffs to boot (they'd fit in your front pocket for the walk in), spur up, and put them back in your pocket.

I've seen the idea mentioned once or twice in some arborist forums, but the consensus is it would be uncomfortable, expensive, and wouldn't hold up well. Well, we don't spend hours on gaffs. Just a few minutes here and there on the weekend. We aren't running up and down trees with chainsaws while supervisors breath down our necks, just tippy-toeing around with no reason not to be totally focused on the task at hand.

Regarding the "expensive" part...I'm not even going there. Y'all know who y'all are, and y'all know that we know that y'all got problems.

Don't make me buy some $20 Walmart specials and start taking pictures of spurs JB welded to them.
 
We've already bastardized most of their gear anyway. Compare an arborist saddle to a mantis or kite. Its like comparing boxer shorts to lacy panties. Same general concept, just sleeker and sexier.

Most saddle hunting gear would raise serious eyebrows from safety personnel in the arborist/linemans industry. Amsteel for example, would be a terrible idea for them, but it works fine since our situation isn't hard use.

I find it incredibly hard to believe that even the kiwi and gecko products aren't overkill for us. I think that a rigid, knee-high boot would provide enough support to climb with sans-irons, if you could just find a way to attach the spur.

You'd probably have to accept some compromise on the weight and comfort of the boot,as well as the comfort of the climb, but I think it would be a good trade off. Heck, if ladies can walk around in heels all day and we've got folks hunting in Crocs...

Anybody know a good cobbler?
 
Here's something that to me is proof of concept:

http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=0&item=16238

Boot-mounted rope ascenders are a thing. You could mount a spur to that bracket just as well as you could an ascender. Incorporate that webbing and a calf brace INTO the boot to provide a little stability and comfort. I'm picturing something like a lace-up snake boot. You should be able to get away with just the laces keeping everything tight, instead of fooling with top and bottom straps. Really, I think they'd do a better job of keeping everything snug.

The old sport climbers were apparently ankle-killers, but from what I gather the bigger issue was a bad spur design and overall shoddy craftsmanship. I think this idea would bridge the gap between sport climbers and "proper" spurs. It wouldn't be hard to make the bracket accept most popular spurs. You could experiment and choose whatever you were happiest with.
 
Why not just have them "bat man" style where they retract in and out of the side of the boot...one stop shopping
 
Did we just have a Marvel vs DC moment? The Bat vs The Wolverine?

I'm going to keep drinking this Redbull and thinking. If nothing else, I think we could make an improved sport climber.
 
elk yinzer said:
I like where you're going with this.

I also think the "public land spurs" eponmeow climbers are a great concept ripe for some SH innovation.
Click to expand...

This! Im surprised someone hasn't come out with a better version of the EONPOW. Something that has more options for different size trees, quiet, lighter, etc. I would buy them in a second.
 
SH4896 said:
This! Im surprised someone hasn't come out with a better version of the EONPOW. Something that has more options for different size trees, quiet, lighter, etc. I would buy them in a second.
Click to expand...

How about carbon EONPOW... haha

As far as built in spurs. I like the general idea, but I wonder if a hybrid between boot and spur will be like the Bass/Ski combo boats. Not good at either.

As many miles as I put on my boots (25 miles in the last 3 days) I need them DANG comfortable/functional. I don’t know how they would perform hiking if the inside calf was rigid as heck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A good pair of snake boots are more than a pair of climb rights. Then the fact that most would need at least two pairs for hot/cold weather. Something like the sport climber would probably pair well with Irish setter vaportreks or similar boots if it had a better spike.
 
Too many different boot needs. No way we can make a boot that we could all use. Plus it has to be comfortable, because in general we walk a lot. Now some squirrel claws would be sweet. Hands and feet.
 
I’m just gonna hold out for Tethrd’s anti-gravity attachments.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
swampsnyper said:
Too many different boot needs. No way we can make a boot that we could all use. Plus it has to be comfortable, because in general we walk a lot. Now some squirrel claws would be sweet. Hands and feet.
Click to expand...
You've got excellent points, but here's my thoughts:

It's true that we've got everything from snow-crunching Canucks to swamp-slogging Cajuns. But, for most folks, I think that they COULD wear a pair of highish, waterproof, lace-up, non-insulated boots for at least most of the season. It may not be your first choice, but if it meant not really having to carry a climbing method, I think a lot of guys would compromise.

We do walk a lot. However, I think we need to be honest with ourselves. Most Eastern hunters are not putting miles and miles on their boots, even if they're hunting public. I live on the edge of a 90,000 acre tracts of WMA land. It's 5 miles by 30 miles, give or take. There is not a single area on it that cannot be accessed with a 3 mile walk. Dan Infalt and Warren Womack are two poster-boys for hard hunting, and if I'm not mistaken they do most of their work in sneakers and Lacrosse Grange boots, respectively. Hardly high performance trotters.

We are not backpackers. We don't carry heavy stuff. Heck, even through-hikers do most of their stuff now in glorified sneakers.

To me the main benefit of a saddle is reduced bulk. If achievable, a spur/boot system would be in line with the minimalistic philosophy of saddle hunting.

A lot of guys already wear their treestand to the tree, why not your climbing method too?
 
I started to play around with this a couple weeks ago. The main thing I am trying to come up with is the actual spur that is removable, something that maybe twists on then locks, could be removed while walking in (my luck the spur would tear up my camo or worse yet my leg.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top