Thinking about adding an Etrier to my climbing method but concerned about safety.

[Stimputello]

I've been thinking about adding an etrier to my current climbing method as opposed to a standard aider for my Wild Edge Steps to shave a little pack space and weight.

Any climbing method aiders sound great to me from a standpoint of shaving weight and pack space, but I'd rather not sacrifice safety.

I'm a little concerned that the 5 step aiders are particularly difficult to recover if you have a kick-out. It's one thing practicing on a tree in a relatively safe environment, but I feel as if it's a different story after a long sit where you haven't really been moving a lot. Throw on cold weather gear and boot blankets, and I feel as if things could get pretty dicey.

How do you guys feel about 5 step vs 3 step aider. Less of a chance of kicking out with a 3 step or even a 4 step? Or what about the ease of being able to recover with a 5 step aider?

 

[JaredG16]

I use a 5-step aider and have had it kick out once or twice because of poor foot placement on the tree. It wasn't a big deal at all. My right foot kicked out to the right side of the tree and I "landed" on my inside thigh as the lineman's belt caught me. My foot was still inside the aider so I just simply kind swing to the side slightly. Very easy recovery and I never felt like I was in any danger at all. (Mind you, I do have a healthy fear of heights as well and this happened at 20 feet. Wasn't really a big deal for me to handle and recover.) It just takes awareness as you place the toe of your boot on the tree. It you do it properly, it also helps to make the next step in the aider more easily accessible for your next step up.

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