best climbing sticks?
Whitetail Deer
anyone got a suggestions on a good lightweight/packable set of climbing sticks? I have a set of lone wolf and like them but a set of 4 (3 just doesn't get me as high as I like) costs $189.99 plus S&H :-/ that's a little rich for my blood.
I looked at XOP steps and they are just like lone wolf just a little cheaper and out of stock.... anybody got another set they like that I might look in to.
thanks
I got four Lone Wolf sticks and they work out great. Very light and will get you to 18 - 20 '
Sorry for the redundancy. Read too fast and missed that you already had LW sticks. They aren't cheap but they are worth it. I got 4 with Cabelas coupon a few years back for approx 150.00.
I use Leverage sticks but I modified them to use a Lone Wolf strap and versa button. Much quieter and even lighter. I really like the 'double step' to put both feet on.
CD
IMO there are two considerations for climbing sticks.... Weight and price. I keep a set of 3 gorilla sticks for any pack in hunts out of my tree saddle. For all of my fixed stands I buy economical because they all will get you into the tree safely. I looked at Cabelas and all of them are way cheaper than what you are paying for LW. I know LW makes good stuff but for sticks I would look elsewhere
Mike TN
I also have the lw sticks and recently picked up a set of HAWK aluminum sticks for 99 bucks. I like them better than the lw sticks.
Lone Wolf or Muddy.
November, I think those have been on Camofire lately, thought about trying a pair. Glad to hear they are worth it!
Many of times I carry 3 sticks and 2 or 3 strap on steps for the bottom. The strap on steps are easy to put on standing the ground.
BC......lets see some pics of that mod to the leverage sticks. I have 6 and like them, but the straps are not ideal. I have seem some mods on AT, but was curious what you have done.
Summit rapid rails especially for big guy. LW hurt my feet
I have several sets of sticks from Sportsmans Guide. 3 sticks for about $30. They work great for my stands I leave up for a while. My preference is the rapid rails. I do have 2 sets of the Lone Wolf sticks but have had problems with my feet slipping off steps when my boots were muddy. Didn't like that
I do a lot of the opposite. since I hunt a lot of very big woods etc, sometimes I have to go very lite and I mean lite, and of course quiet.
My stand, which weighs 2 pounds, and you can not get anymore, I strap on one or maybe 2 sticks, but usually just one.
I use lone wolf, I trust them, and bought them when they first came out.
one stick, gets me off the ground, and with the foliage I call this an elevated ground blind, and with the wind, its worked well......
I can also quickly change up set ups. However to do this you must sit or stand, without much movement.....
hunting deep areas also that see little pressure....
I have killed deer, bear, and 2 elk, with this strategy..... love them lone wolf sticks
Who makes a two pound tree stand
I knew I wasn't the only one Pat!
Boubound - The stand I have was called a Wind Walker and it was introduced thru stony wolf, by Dick Idol. He had it designed, at the time, for his needs in the mountains.
I believe that the old Loc On company made the stand. It was designed to actually fit into the old packs. it has a strap/ hook system, a cloth seat, and small platform, that just gives me enough room with my boots.
With bunny boots its a little tight , ha ha .....
too many guys would hate this stand, its not designed to sit and play with your phone, ha ha, it was made to hunt and pay attention, at least that is what I am doing while hunting.......
I weighed it on a hang scale, but my friend here this am, said it weighs just over 3.....
I have had this stand for 26 years..... taking good care of it, and not leaving it out, even the cloth seat has lasted..........
believe me, this is a killer set up, but to today standards, and I have to be 40 feet in a tree to kill something mentality, it would not be popular, and of course, it is not designed for 10 hour sits,,,,,
Pat, with you on the climbing sticks at Dick's. you can also get 20 footers at Sportsmans Guide. They are great for a stand you are going to leave in.
For going in blind, I use the LW sticks and a Chippewa in place of a climber. It's a great setup without the hassle of a climber. Up the tree in no time and does not have to be a pole tree either. I modified the Chippewa harness using a LW strap. Works great.
Razorhead x2 on the Wind Walker. I mostly use semi permanent homemade ladder stands anymore but if I am checking out a new area and I want to be quick and lite the Wind Walker and a couple or LW sticks is my go to for sure.
I use economical cost sticks from Dicks. They should begin their fall deer hunting sale soon.
Take advantage of their $10 off coupon for purchases over $50.
I also have several of Dick's 20ft Comfort Zone Climbing Sticks that Pat mentioned above. The downside of these climbing sticks are weight - they are not light, especially if you are trudging to the deep, DEEP woods on a solo mission. Include the hang-on stand and its a two man or two trip operation. I had a few steps stolen on private property that were cable locked; they are not the most discreet looking things either. Sturdy, practical & cost effective - yes. But also heavy, obtrusive & cumbersome.
Although a little more expensive, I like the Ameristep Aluminum Rapid Rails. They are better than LW in my opinion. Just as light and you can grab onto & step on rail in more than one area. What I've been doing is attaching hang-on stand using RR, screwing in a few tree steps from the top down and then removing the RR. When I return to stand, I bring one RR with me, which gets me just high enough to grab onto tree step & climb up to stand; quick, quiet and prevents thievery. They make the RR with tubular steel for a cheaper price also, but just as heavy as CZ Climbing Sticks.
I have the cheapies Pat mentioned for when weight isnt an issue and one set of the muddys for long treks. 3 good choices for light steps: LW, Muddy and Hawk
I have no issue playing with my phone while using my Windwalker. :-). Big fan of the cheapie sticks for permanent set ups on fairly secure private land. Love the LW sticks for a quick in/out hunt where I'm not comfortable leaving a permanent set up or out in the Midwest where finding a straight tree in the right spot is all but impossible. .
Here is a pic of my Chippewa/LW setup.
BC, has my exact set-up for quick set-up except I make my own brackets for the stand.(A heck of a lot cheaper!!) I also agree withdnovo, I have at least 10 sets of the sportsman guide sticks. I paid $27 a set of 3 and free shipping. I also have 2 sets of 4 LW sticks, which if I( have a long walk in and am setting up on the spot and hunting I carry them with my Chippewa wedge-loc stand. I really do not mind the sticks for $27 and package them up with 4 sticks as that will get me to 20 ft with 2 screw in steps. They weigh a bit more but I am heading to Kansas for 3 weeks and I am bring 5 sets of the $27 ones and 2 sets of LW with me. To answer the question, the $27 set of sticks cannot be beat for the price. Shawn
I like the Leverage sticks I bought a couple of years ago. Like many of the other brands three are okay but really don't get me as high as I like. I generally start with a couple of strap-on steps then move onto the Leverage sticks. I like that the steps are on both sides and they angle away from the tree to give a little more room for boots.
I didn't like the noisy metal snaps and buckles so started out by covering them with bicycle innertube. That worked pretty well but I hated messing with the buckles and the extra weight so modified them to use rope. I attached a photo of the stick with rope. The link I included is to a web page where both those mods are shown.
I also build my own EMT steps from 1/2-inch conduit. Those are my favorite but three of them weigh about 14 pounds. The 'how to' is also on the linked web page.
Razorhead, X3, wind walker and LW. Easy and quick.
Almost worse than someone stealing my sticks would be if they sit in my stand and ruin it. That's why I pack in and out every time. Tresspassing hunters are numerous
My first set of steps I made from top rail of chain link fence, 4, 5 ft sections tapperd, brazed 4 or 5 alternating steps to each, used light weight alum bolt on u channel to keep from tree, and truck straps from moveing van. it weighed in at 27 lbs. and got me twenty one ft up. used it for twenty yrs, its now off rt 70 in NJ in lebenonstate forest. its yours if you can find it. I give you gps #'s if you want
