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Was really starting to love my WE Stepp's

Abe Knuth

Abe Knuth

New Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
4
Location
Reedsburg, WI
Got done hunting last night. Probably my 12th to 15th time using the Stepp's with my saddle. Starting to get pretty damn good at it. It's dark. I climb down my tree and fold my ropes in the bag. The zipper has always been a tough one to close. I go to zip it up and give it a good tug and the the damn thing breaks. It was already a pain to get through the "jungle" with all my gear in the dark now I have to do it while carrying 12 of these things in my hands. Got wacked in the face about 1,000,000 times. I'm bloody and tired. I quit! lol. just kidding.

So, I don't have another way to climb trees and not hunting isn't an option. I'll order a new bag for $40! But shipping time still applies and it's the rut! What should I do to stay mobile with these? I was thinking about getting the biggest safety pins I can find and using those to hold the bag together but I don't know. Anybody else have issues with there bag? Or a better idea for now?
 
In a pinch ...... you could got to Walmart or whoever and buy a new zipper. Sew it in your self or maybe a cloth shop to do it for ya. Upholstery shop can deal with it too. I agree the zipper could be a lil more heavy. I love the wild edge stepps , that’s all I use. Without the bag I don’t believe the system would be as great. With the bag I can be very quiet up the tree ...... without it I think it would be a lot more noisy. Just my 2 cents. Good luck !!!!!
 
Take the bag the a local seamstress and have them put a new zipper in it. Almost all the dry cleaning service around here would do that. I would if I could find the zipper I wanted them to use and take it to them.


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I also highly recommend a bag that can hold more steps than you carry in. I use a ten step bag for five steps. The only mod I made was to sew some thread around the zipper about four inches up from the bottom so it cannot unzip all the way. That way I do not have to worry about the steps ever falling out during the climb. Works like a charm.

20180923_131714.jpg
 
That zipper is a really small for what we use it for. If mine ever breaks I would get a larger/stronger one sewn in before I bought one. I usually zip mine about halfway stuff the rope in to fill the bottom then zip the rest of the way and finish packing the rope.
 
Also been considering installing a side release cam buckle to about mid way down the zipper to keep the rope from unzipping the zipper as I climb.
 
Peterk1234 said:
I also highly recommend a bag that can hold more steps than you carry in. I use a ten step bag for five steps. The only mod I made was to sew some thread around the zipper about four inches up from the bottom so it cannot unzip all the way. That way I do not have to worry about the steps ever falling out during the climb. Works like a charm.

View attachment 7622
Click to expand...

After an annoying climb down, immediately sewed the zipper like this.

Is it just me or is it a nuisance that the bag swings to the front when you bow down to step down? How are folks dealing with this?


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EricS said:
Also been considering installing a side release cam buckle to about mid way down the zipper to keep the rope from unzipping the zipper as I climb.
Click to expand...

@EricS just for the heck of it, sew some thread around the zipper like I did. Cut it off if you do not like it. Takes two seconds and solves the unzipping issue. It is such a simple solution.

I honestly don't know why they have that bag unzip completely. Pete
 
pesqimon said:
After an annoying climb down, immediately sewed the zipper like this.

Is it just me or is it a nuisance that the bag swings to the front when you bow down to step down? How are folks dealing with this?


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Click to expand...

The minute my feet hit the ground, the bag comes off of me. I had that problem initially when starting to climb because I had my order of operations wrong. I put the bag around my neck then bent down to slide K/S on my feet. My bad. Now the last thing I put on me is the bag on the way up and it is the first thing to come off when I get down.

I think I spent a month during the off season figuring out where everything should go and what order to do it in :)
 
There’s a lady out there named Diane that makes slotted decoy bags, damned good slotted decoy bags at that. Excellent quality and extremely durable. I have several. Look her up and send her an email with pictures and dimensions of your defective bag and ask her if she can make you one.

https://customdecoybags.com/
 
Peterk1234 said:
The minute my feet hit the ground, the bag comes off of me. I had that problem initially when starting to climb because I had my order of operations wrong. I put the bag around my neck then bent down to slide K/S on my feet. My bad. Now the last thing I put on me is the bag on the way up and it is the first thing to come off when I get down.

I think I spent a month during the off season figuring out where everything should go and what order to do it in :)
Click to expand...

Same. I have the stepps attached under my pack. When I get to the tree i put each foot on the tree or a log to get my k/s on.
I can unbuckle the steps without taking the pack off and the steps go over the pack and are the first thing hooked to the tree at height other than my tether
 
b06dfda237aba6e30668712128137e13.jpg


For me the bag slides in the way, sometimes, when climbing down. But I found an easy fix!


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Peterk1234 said:
@EricS just for the heck of it, sew some thread around the zipper like I did. Cut it off if you do not like it. Takes two seconds and solves the unzipping issue. It is such a simple solution.

I honestly don't know why they have that bag unzip completely. Pete
Click to expand...

Yes, worked flawlessly. I think it makes the “opening the bottom” mod unnecessary.

I also improved the pull tab by weaving paracord through it and tying a few snake knots to get a grip.


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IMG_1810.JPG This is a 12 step bag bought this backpack from Walmart for 10 or $11 much easier to carry the steps in this backpack works pretty good and cheap option
 
pesqimon said:
After an annoying climb down, immediately sewed the zipper like this.

Is it just me or is it a nuisance that the bag swings to the front when you bow down to step down? How are folks dealing with this?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
My bag hangs on the outside of my lineman's belt, that keeps it from swinging in front of me.
 
The WE steps carry bag appears to employ a nylon coil type zipper. I'd suggest looking into a different zipper type such as one with heavy duty molded plastic teeth that are stronger and quieter to operate.
 
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