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Wild edge stepp lovers

Sticknstring88 said:
I bought a couple sets for this season and have been practicing with them. There is definitely a learning curve with them, but I think they have several good things going:

1. Packability compared to sticks
2. Rock solid once cammed properly
3. Last but not least, no horizontal pointy steps to impale oneself on if a fall happens


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Impaling oneself on a sharp metal protrusion during a fall is the main reason I prefer rope climbing to using screw-in steps, bolts, or sticks. I will use them, but I'm always wary of that danger. I agree that the lower risk of injury when contacting a Wild Edge Stepp during a fall is a significant advantage. 2TC and the various rope climbing techniques share that advantage vs. pointy metal climbing aids.
 
Nutterbuster said:
True story.

In all seriousness, I'd be 100% down with stepps if they didn't gouge the almighty crap out of every tree I put them on. I doubt Wild Edge wants me to send them the ticket when the river pirates debate their claim that they're "public land legal." The way our rules read here, anything that harms a tree is non-kosher, and the aftermath of a stepp climb can look pretty gruesome.
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How does that work with most platforms then since they also bite into the tree?
 
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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Well, I bought a set when I forst got into saddle hunting 2019ish. I've never used any other method, though I've tried sticks one summer and hated it...... not knocking it, just not my style. I use five W/E steps, and a diy tube webbing step. And I originally used the perch, then added the solo last year, now I use the ridge runner. I love how compact pact my setup is. My #1 factor is simplicity, I feel the steps are simple. The platform is simple, it may not work for everyone, and that's ok. I've killed quite a few deer from this setup now and I've gotten very familiar and smooth with this setup. I don't forsee changing to another method at all.
 
MNFarmHunter said:
How does that work with most platforms then since they also bite into the tree?
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I've never seen a platform bite into a tree the way a stepp does.

Ultimately, I'm sure you'd have to catch the right officer on the right day for it to be an issue. But if I'm hedging bets I'm hedging bets. My mini sticks don't leave a mark.
 
MNFarmHunter said:
Talking about Wild Edge, does anyone use their perch platform?
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Not anymore, this is my first year with the ridge runner...... I'm done with the perch. That concept, I love. One system. The size was great, light weight. However, especially on all day sits, I would have to reset my step atleast 2 times, it just bites the tree to much.
 
MNFarmHunter said:
Talking about Wild Edge, does anyone use their perch platform?
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Yes and I really like it. I took the rope off and put a cam buckle with a hook on it. Much easier that way. Depends on the bark/tree if I’ll need to reset or not the light the day
 
As of late I am using 6 steps- 3 as stopping point and 3 for a platform at the top. I use a cinched srt system and it pairs nice with the steps. I first discovered them when Jim was first selling them at a hunting expo years ago.
 
Practice climbed today with the knaider and swaider combo. Loved the knaider, and the swaider wasn’t great but wasn’t awful. I’m thinking I may prefer using an aider/etrier instead of either though. That’s my next thing to try. I am faster and prefer 1 sticking with my mini shikar as a climbing method though. May just need more practice.
 
Went out today to work on my system and have now gone back to using just the steps. I am using 12 total- 9 for the climb and 3 for the platform. I wanted to have a way of determining 24" between steps so I made up a small carabiner with a length of throw line that you clip to the step you are getting ready to set and it allows proper spacing. I am experimenting with using a Kong frog to connect to a Step then to a central saddle connection point and can do away with the linesman belt but I still have my tether that can be used as a linesman if needed. Went up and had a doe and a fawn stroll under me and give me a show.
 
I've used the primal steps for the last 3 years now. I like them well enough. I still use the original buckle straps that came with them, instead of switching it up to the rope. They can tend to get a little loose on me, but I'm a big dude.. 280. Use the plywood platform with it, but it doesn't want to stay tight to the tree. Maybe the rope mod would help with that.

I have used the knaider on occasion, but after one time of trying the swaider and almost wrecking myself, I decided not to go with that.

And yes, they do tear the snot out of the bark of a tree.
 
I'm back to playing with them and a knaider due to this thread, but have never liked the WE rope. For those that tried it, is amsteel (or another rope) any better or about the same? Asking before I start cutting and splicing.

I also agree that athough the swaider works, it is nowhere near as stable as the knaider, so I abandoned that option years ago, other than possibly eliminating the very first step from the ground.
 
Bwhana said:
I'm back to playing with them and a knaider due to this thread, but have never liked the WE rope. For those that tried it, is amsteel (or another rope) any better or about the same? Asking before I start cutting and splicing.

I also agree that athough the swaider works, it is nowhere near as stable as the knaider, so I abandoned that option years ago, other than possibly eliminating the very first step from the ground.
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I tried the wild edge rope on primals back when I first tried this method. I’m using 1/4 amsteel that I already had. I don’t see 1 working better than the other. I prefer amsteel just because it’s softer to work with. But my experience is limited.
 
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