For everyone that has used both what do you prefer? Looking to buy 5 stepps and hoping to get 18-20 ft max.
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Like said before I get about 3.5 feet per step using the aider. Coming back down is a cake walk. I usually don’t use the aider but if you wanted to it’s easy. You don’t have to fish it back between the rungs. I don’t even do that on the way up. It’s not important. The trick going up or down is not taking your foot out of the aider. On the way up get your foot in the aider properly and then lift the aider up and hook it while keeping it tight against your boot. On the way down you will take the aider off the top step. Hook it on the waist high step. Remove and store your top step. Then grab the aider below the hook and lift to keep the aider tight to your boot on the step down. I think one of the foot loop type adjustable aiders would be easier to work with but either one would work fine.Thanks for the feedback. The WE Aider looks pretty slick in their videos, but I wasn't able to find a ton of reviews on real world use. I found some threads on here that had less than favorable feedback especially when coming back down the tree. In reality 16-18 ft with 5 steps would be more than sufficient for any of my hunting scenarios.
I agree with everything @EricS said above. The only things I would add are I have found the WE aider more forgiving then the knaider for step spacing. There have been a few times when climbing with the knaider that I couldn't place the step exactly where I needed to because of a knot/limb, etc. and if I placed the step above it I couldn't get the knaider hooked on. The adjustability of the WE aider helps with this.
Also, I never use the WE aider when coming back down. I simply squat down on the step I am standing on, grab the step that is at chest level (waist level when standing) and lower myself down to the next step. It's surprisingly easy.
5 step aider [etrier] with a small extension and a knaider can get you to 20' w/3 Stepps
I have the WEI Aider. I like the 5 etrier. I really didn't give it a chance. I will mess with it this week.Thought about the multiple step aider, but thinking i'll stick with the WE Aider and 5 or 6 steps now. I'm very comfortable with using sticks as my climbing method, but would rather carry a few extra steps for added ease and peace of mind.
That’s what I used my first full year in the saddle. It became second nature To climb and use as a platform. It is about the best value for a new saddle hunter. I bought a set of eight with the bag in their clearance section for $125. Add the aider and I had a climbing method and platform that weighed a little over 8lbs total and fit in a day pack for less than $175. Not bad for something that required no diy or mods. Just a little practice.If I am using my Predator platform I will carry 6 steps, but I usually use three WE steps for my platform and in that case I carry 8 steps. I typically set my last step with 18" spacing. This allows me to still use the WE aider to step up to the second to last step (I just have to shorten it up almost all of the way) and then I hold on to the tree to step up the last 18". This does make it a little tricky to lower yourself down the first time because the step you are holding onto is pretty low but, it is manageable. I sometimes keep my tether hooked up on that first move back down. This process usually puts my feet about 18-19' off the ground.