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Wild Edge Tree Selection

Catskills

Catskills

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Messages
227
Location
Sullivan County, NY
I have been messing around with my new Wild Edge Stepps and I like them when they cam correctly. However it seems some trees that appear perfect for climbing are too soft to get it to cam. Is this common? Or do I just need more practice? I do not like the feeling of trying to hunt the perfect tree rather than getting them to work where I need them.
 
I kind of raised the question on another thread, and based on the responses and my limited experience with them, it seems more of an issue with not camming them properly.

I don't have a ton of experience so far but I've been asking if they work on trees with deeply furrowed bark without a response. Chestnut oak is the example of a tree I climb all the time I am concerned about them working on. For the flatlanders, black locust would be a similar comparison. I need to make a trip out the mountains and just try it out I guess, but I just can't picture them being any more user friendly on these trees trying to line everything up just right.
 
elk yinzer said:
I kind of raised the question on another thread, and based on the responses and my limited experience with them, it seems more of an issue with not camming them properly.

I don't have a ton of experience so far but I've been asking if they work on trees with deeply furrowed bark without a response. Chestnut oak is the example of a tree I climb all the time I am concerned about them working on. For the flatlanders, black locust would be a similar comparison. I need to make a trip out the mountains and just try it out I guess, but I just can't picture them being any more user friendly on these trees trying to line everything up just right.
Click to expand...
I've climbed swamp Chestnut oak, which has furrowed/scaly bark, without issue.
 
Catskills said:
on the soft trees to me such as pine, it keeps digging into the bark and sliding down. Trying to figure out why
Click to expand...
Probably not tight enough. I need to get a video up. My practice tree is a pine, and I can get mine solid. Sometimes you have to set it once to tighten the knot, and then uncam it, raise it up a fuzz, and reset it. Doing that should lock in in good.
 
Nutterbuster said:
Probably not tight enough. I need to get a video up. My practice tree is a pine, and I can get mine solid. Sometimes you have to set it once to tighten the knot, and then uncam it, raise it up a fuzz, and reset it. Doing that should lock in in good.
Click to expand...

thanks man, going to practice some more with this in mind
 
Ive noticed in my practice pine the same issue nutter. The bark starts to slip off and then ill have to reset it. Trying to get it tight enough the first time so I don’t have that issue. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. I’m about to start field trials with them on different species and sizes


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Soft pine is a bit tricky. I have found that if I try to make the cam too tight, then the feet slip down on the bark. I use a bit less tension so the feet of the Step can "turn over" a bit and bite. It is not as rock solid at first, and it may shift on you when you stand on it, but I do not worry about it a single bit. Even when the step is a little loose on a tree, it is still rock solid. I place hooks and carabiners on the steps, offcenter, when climbing. Even then, the slight shift does not bother me at all.

I have some very thick oak bark in my yard as well. Big ridges. The key here is to just make sure that one of the legs are not floating, meaning that it is not set against the tree. I rather have the step at a slight angle, with both legs set firm, than having it level with one leg just barely touching the bark.

Place the steps at a level where you are willing to fall from. Now play around with different amounts of tension. Let it move under you so you can feel what happens. It should lock in place at some point (the rope will tension at some point). Figure out at what point it is too loose and the step fails under your weight.

One thing I do often when I have a sketchy cam over is I grab the rope on both sides of the step and pull down hard. I find it helps to lock it in place. Pete
 
Catskills said:
I have been messing around with my new Wild Edge Stepps and I like them when they cam correctly. However it seems some trees that appear perfect for climbing are too soft to get it to cam. Is this common? Or do I just need more practice? I do not like the feeling of trying to hunt the perfect tree rather than getting them to work where I need them.
Click to expand...

I’m in the same boat. I’ve heard that it does take some practice but I’m learning all of this as well


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I have had one bay tree that I shouldn’t have tried to climb but after the standoffs had a couple inches penetration after multiple retightening of the rope it held fine but loosely. On most trees if they are moving at all they weren’t tight enough from the start. When using as a platform it’s tough to get the ones to the side tight enough but if you get the one facing you super tight and a little lower than the ones on the side they will only slip until they get to the rope that’s banjo string tight.
 
elk yinzer said:
I kind of raised the question on another thread, and based on the responses and my limited experience with them, it seems more of an issue with not camming them properly.

I don't have a ton of experience so far but I've been asking if they work on trees with deeply furrowed bark without a response. Chestnut oak is the example of a tree I climb all the time I am concerned about them working on. For the flatlanders, black locust would be a similar comparison. I need to make a trip out the mountains and just try it out I guess, but I just can't picture them being any more user friendly on these trees trying to line everything up just right.
Click to expand...

In Ky I have had trouble with deep furrowed bark like ash trees but still practicing ...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Catskills said:
I have been messing around with my new Wild Edge Stepps and I like them when they cam correctly. However it seems some trees that appear perfect for climbing are too soft to get it to cam. Is this common? Or do I just need more practice? I do not like the feeling of trying to hunt the perfect tree rather than getting them to work where I need them.
Click to expand...
Never had a problem with them on soft bark trees . After you can them over un cam them again and tighten the knot cam back over they should be tight. Give it a try.
 
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