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Wild edge stepp lovers

I received my knaider and swaider today from Backwoods Mobile Gear. I should be able to get by with 4 steps versus 8 with this combo. Wild Edge Inc steps have never failed me on any type of tree.


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SaddleUpPartner! said:
Pros: They’re packable, they’re relatively light, tons of surface area vs a screw in step, can use them for a ROS, can get around branches and go up leaning trees.
Cons: Ropes can be confusing for beginners and the bag is frustrating if you don’t get them just right in there, they can clank together if you’re not careful, not suitable for all trees(crumbly bark trees like red pine and softer trees like cherry SUCK), the standard ropes can’t do big trees very well.

Overall I think they’re the best bang for your buck. They pack in better than sticks, they’re cheaper than most light sticks, you can get higher with aiders, also their durability is second to none.
Click to expand...

Plus going up the tree with the bag vs hanging sticks on your hips!


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I made a hook attached to the strap on the bag. I hang it from the rope of each top step as I go up. Beats having the bag hanging on yourself all the way up.
 
redsquirrel said:
I started using wild edge stepps in 2017 in some form or another. I've tinkered with some other stuff in the meantime but nothing has replaced them. Since the knaider came out I've used them with a knaider. 7 stepps and a knaider and I'm up at least 20 feet. I don't think there is a much safer method because I always have something up above me to help pull myself up. Once you get comfortable with putting them on they go on really easy. Once in a while they may shift a little bit but they're never coming off. I think they are the best compromise between safe, packable and weight. I've tried a lot of sticks and sticks really don't compare in the packable department. I can go up the tree fast if I want, but more importantly I can sneak up the tree quietly without a ton of movement with them.

So share your love of stepps here. Whether you use the wild edge aider, knaider or just use them as they are. ( I don't support the knaider/swaider combo fyi!!!)
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Is there a You Tuber who has content using the knaider with the WEI steps? I have both the knaider and the swaider and I love my WEI steps. Been using them since '20.
 
I switched my WE steps to 2 step amsteel aiders this year. I much, much prefer it over the Knaider Swaider I ran for 3 seasons. Quieter, simpler, I feel safer and actually lighter.
 
I'm going to resurrect this thread. After using WE steps since 2019, I've become pretty good with them and using the knaider. Despite this, I still was thinking a better system was out there. This year I tried out the Sladder, which I really wanted to like, but it just wasn't for me. I was hoping for a climbing system that would be quicker, more efficient to be up and down a tree. However, for various reasons, it just wasn't for me. But the Sladder did make me realize a few things:
  • In 90% of situations, getting 15-17' high is enough. I don't have rappel gear, so that's all I was ever planning to do with the Sladder; two moves, 15' up.
  • Using a knaider and only 5 WE steps, I can easily get 16-17', and only carrying/setting 5 steps saves time and weight. (I also always used to set a WE step behind my platform for better movement around the tree. While this is nice, it's not really necessary.)
  • However, if I carry all 8 of my WE steps, I can setup 5 steps high in the morning, hunt, then get down and leave up the top 3 steps, taking the bottom two steps with me. That way, I can find another place to hunt in the afternoon, and I leave behind an "almost-preset" that I can come back to the next day, and I still have 5 steps with me to move to a new location. So essentially, carrying 8 steps and a knaider is like carrying almost 2 setups (technically 1.6, lol).
  • I'm trying to hunt more mornings this year, get in before first light. Leaving behind a preset from the night before to hunt again in the morning may not always pan out, but it does incentivize me to get up early and get out there. This morning reminded me how much I enjoy seeing early morning stars in the sky while already up in my tree waiting for sun up.
  • Returning to a tree the next morning, finding it in the dark can be a pain in the ass. That is, until I added reflective tape to my WE steps. Now, when I get within 50 yards of my steps, my headlamp hits them, boom - I know immediately where I need to be without any extra fumbling around in the dark.
In conclusion, perhaps I could have spent more time with the Sladder to get good with it. I know at one point I was very close to giving up on WE steps. Yes, there was a bit of a learning curve, but I think they offer the best combination of packability, versatility, and safety. It only took experimentation with a different system for me to realize all the advantages I already had with the steps. I'm excited again about using them.

Edit: In addition, there is almost no tree that the steps wouldn't work in. Yes, some are more tricky than others. But this past weekend I set them up on soft pine trees and the hardest, most uneven, knobby bark oak trees. Once you know how to set a step with the right amount of tension, it's not that difficult.
 
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coolhand78 said:
I'm going to resurrect this thread. After using WE steps since 2019, I've become pretty good with them and using the knaider. Despite this, I still was thinking a better system was out there. This year I tried out the Sladder, which I really wanted to like, but it just wasn't for me. I was hoping for a climbing system that would be quicker, more efficient to be up and down a tree. However, for various reasons, it just wasn't for me. But the Sladder did make me realize a few things:
  • In 90% of situations, getting 15-17' high is enough. I don't have rappel gear, so that's all I was ever planning to do with the Sladder; two moves, 15' up.
  • Using a knaider and only 5 WE steps, I can easily get 16-17', and only carrying/setting 5 steps saves time and weight. (I also always used to set a WE step behind my platform for better movement around the tree. While this is nice, it's not really necessary.)
  • However, if I carry all 8 of my WE steps, I can setup 5 steps high in the morning, hunt, then get down and leave up the top 3 steps, taking the bottom two steps with me. That way, I can find another place to hunt in the afternoon, and I leave behind an "almost-preset" that I can come back to the next day, and I still have 5 steps with me to move to a new location. So essentially, carrying 8 steps and a knaider is like carrying almost 2 setups (technically 1.6, lol).
  • I'm trying to hunt more mornings this year, get in before first light. Leaving behind a preset from the night before to hunt again in the morning may not always pan out, but it does incentivize me to get up early and get out there. This morning reminded me how much I enjoy seeing early morning stars in the sky while already up in my tree waiting for sun up.
  • Returning to a tree the next morning, finding it in the dark can be a pain in the ass. That is, until I added reflective tape to my WE steps. Now, when I get within 50 yards of my steps, my headlamp hits them, boom - I know immediately where I need to be without any extra fumbling around in the dark.
In conclusion, perhaps I could have spent more time with the Sladder to get good with it. I know at one point I was very close to giving up on WE steps. Yes, there was a bit of a learning curve, but I think they offer the best combination of packability, versatility, and safety. It only took experimentation with a different system for me to realize all the advantages I already had with the steps. I'm excited again about using them.

Edit: In addition, there is almost no tree that the steps wouldn't work in. Yes, some are more tricky than others. But this past weekend I set them up on soft pine trees and the hardest, most uneven, knobby bark oak trees. Once you know how to set a step with the right amount of tension, it's not that difficult.
Click to expand...
I recently switched from WE steps and knaider to Lattitude carbon sticks with double aiders. The reason I did this is to reduce the amount of connections to the tree. I find that each connection is time and has safety associated with it. I try to get up a try as simply and therefore quickly as I can.

I only try to get 13' or so high and achieve this with 2 sticks and double aiders. If I wanted 15-17' I'd add a stick.
 
I’m giving WE steps another run this year. They were my go to for many years. They were replaced by tethrd one sticks several years ago. The one sticks have a weight advantage by about 1.5-2lbs to 18’. The wild edge are quieter than everything I’ve used with exception to spurs.

@redsquirrel I know at one time you had experimented with amsteel as an attachment method. Did you stick with or go back to the factory supplied rope.
 
EricS said:
I’m giving WE steps another run this year. They were my go to for many years. They were replaced by tethrd one sticks several years ago. The one sticks have a weight advantage by about 1.5-2lbs to 18’. The wild edge are quieter than everything I’ve used with exception to spurs.

@redsquirrel I know at one time you had experimented with amsteel as an attachment method. Did you stick with or go back to the factory supplied rope.
Click to expand...

I have both versions. Thanks to the classifieds I have two 5 packs with regular ropes and a 10 pack with amsteel. I'm using the regular ropes right now but have tried the amsteel. Can't say I have a huge preference.

Now....after some practice and kit refinement, this is my go to from here on out. You can't do with sticks what you can do with WE step. Tight spots, wrapping around the tree to avoid limbs, being able to put both feet together...they are slick. Love them. I'd almost rather hang steps than predrill Treehopper bolts at this point.

Bag of 5 goes in my pack, platform clips to pack. Once at the tree, put the platform on my hip and the bag over my shoulder and climb. So simple. Sometimes I use a knaider, sometimes not. Last night I used three steps and a platform to get where I needed.
 
I've went back to WE steps with a knaider this year also. It only took a climb or two to get back in the groove on getting the correct tension for the cam. The Kydex holster I got from @krub6b has been the ticket. It has a belt clip that I clip to the shoulder strap of my pack, they hang just under my right arm as I climb. 6 of them get me 19' with my platform and they pack better then sticks IMO.
 
EricS said:
I’m giving WE steps another run this year. They were my go to for many years. They were replaced by tethrd one sticks several years ago. The one sticks have a weight advantage by about 1.5-2lbs to 18’. The wild edge are quieter than everything I’ve used with exception to spurs.

@redsquirrel I know at one time you had experimented with amsteel as an attachment method. Did you stick with or go back to the factory supplied rope.
Click to expand...
It's been so long since I did anything with amsteel that I can't even remember. I'm just using the regular ropes. When they first got popular we got Andrew to make the ropes with a tighter weave for a while. I don't think that is still happening, but I did find that a little beneficial for packing them up.
 
GCTerpfan said:
I've went back to WE steps with a knaider this year also. It only took a climb or two to get back in the groove on getting the correct tension for the cam. The Kydex holster I got from @krub6b has been the ticket. It has a belt clip that I clip to the shoulder strap of my pack, they hang just under my right arm as I climb. 6 of them get me 19' with my platform and they pack better then sticks IMO.
Click to expand...
thought I just saw yours for sale in the classifieds?
 
Bump79 said:
I've got a bag for a 5 (pretty sure it's 5) and the new version of the gensis3d actually. Shoot me a message
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I don't have a pic. but I sewed two straps w/buckles across the front of the bag to keep them in when it's unzipped. Slit the bag down the back and added a 1" strip. Problem Solved.
 
I have been crazy over these stepps. When Jim first came out with them I bought a dozen used them for a while but never got used to the knot. I don't know what happened to that set but they are gone. Then a buddy bought a dozen and he didn't like them so I bought them from him. I used them for a season but just put them on a tree and left them until the season was over,
Last night I bumped into this string and it started again. Now I'm reading and watching everything I can find about them. I rummaged through my stuff and found four plus a knaider. I'm getting all this stuff in my head about them now! Anyway I'm going to start using them I want to love them like @redsquirrel does.

I found this video that I think is awesome.This guy is showing how to use the Knaider/Swaider.

 
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