Climbing sticks ...
Contributors to this thread:New York
From: Droptine10
24-Feb-18
How many guys use them, tried them.. love, hate ?. I'm looking at the muddy sticks , sizeable investment !. The are sold in 3 packs but I'm thinking you will need at least 5 to get to 20 plus feet. I'm sure if your lucky enough to find a tree with good limbs you could get away with less but.... Bow hunting is the perfect situation for " better to have it and not need it than to need it and NOT have it". ;)
From: Cornpone
24-Feb-18
I have 6 LW sticks I use whenever I use my XOP portable. I use one stick somewhat regularly at the bottom of a large diameter tree; that gets me high enough to attach my LW climber.
From: woodsman
24-Feb-18
Been using them for years and that's pretty much all use. I feel they are much safer than screw in steps because the keep you out from the tree more while climbing and your feet are turned in like climbing a ladder the way they were meant to be. I have some one piece sticks but like the sectional sticks like you are talking about. Easier to adjust them to a tree and turn them if you need to get around a limb. You are right in the fact you will need more than three to get up where you need to be. I usually use 4 or 5. I like to put one above my stand for safety reasons so I can hold onto it climbing in or out. I usually take the bottom two off and carry them in and out with me. A nice feature on the LW stick is you can swivel the step to one side or another.
From: Mint
24-Feb-18
I use 4 LW sticks and get up twenty feet no problem.
From: skipmaster1
24-Feb-18
I use 4 LW sticks and 20' is no problem. If you want more height, an adder strap at the bottom is no big deal.
From: Droptine10
25-Feb-18
Those damn Lone Wolf's are the most expensive ones, crap. I seen the Muddys on sale on Amazon the other day. I think I could get 6 for $260
From: woodsman
25-Feb-18
There are other brands that are much cheaper. Rivers Edge make some 19.99 each. Dicks was running a sale earlier this year $40 for a set of 4. They aren't as light as LW but work just as well.
From: skipmaster1
25-Feb-18
It's all on what you are looking to do with them. I set up/tear down every time and often walk 1 to 1.5 miles into my spots. Light weight and pack ability were top priority for me. If I was leaving sets up more or not walking very far, I might have gone with cheaper sticks.
From: Droptine10
28-Feb-18
I will be shopping for some that are lite and hackable = $$
From: 8point
28-Feb-18
I've been using the API Stackin Sticks (Bass Pro) for years. $90 gets you 20 feet in the air.
From: Shawn
28-Feb-18
LW lite and easy to pack. You can find them for 130 bucks for 3 sticks and if ya watch for sales and such a bit cheaper. When I hunt out of state I just buy the 3 sticks for 30 bucks from Sportsman guide, a bit heavy but cheap and I leave them out for the two or 3 weeks I am hunting, not out a bunch if someone jacks them either. Shawn
From: skipmaster1
28-Feb-18
LW almost always has codes for $50 off of a $200 purchase or more
From: Arrowone
01-Mar-18
I use the Muddys, bought 4 sets of three, the LW 4 sticks, and I have the Millenium ladder sticks. I'd say the Muddy is the safest, but they're heavy and not easy to carry. LW is the lightest and easiest to use, and plenty safe if you take your time making sure your feet are on the steps, and the ladder sticks are the most convenient to climb, but I only use them where I can leave them up for awhile. I bought a duck hunting shoulder bag for when I'm carrying sticks. I just lay them across the top and then my left arm holds them in place while going to stand. It's a quick and easy pack up. Bottom line: if i could only have one system I'd go with LW. If you do, buy a couple extra straps to get around the bottom of bigger trees.
From: 8point
04-Mar-18
Looked at the LW site, and it appears you only get 4-32" sticks, or 10 feet up for $190. Way to rich for my blood, my lowest stand out of 7 is at 15', the rest are all 20'. .
From: woodsman
04-Mar-18
Don; not sure I understand. 4 sticks gets you up a lot higher than 10 feet. Don't forget you have a foot ot two in between as well. I easily get up 18' with 4 sticks.
From: Arrowone
04-Mar-18
Same here. I can get 18-20 with 4 sticks no problem.
From: Arrowone
04-Mar-18
One other thing on LW. You get what you pay for. They are light than the others and easy to pack. More importantly I got mine 15 years ago or so and the sticks and straps are in the same condition now as when I got them.
From: drslyr
05-Mar-18
Same here Lone wolf all the way. I read something in outdoor life magazine years ago. The Quote was " Buy good gear once or buy cheap gear every couple years. Which is cheaper"? Iv'e tried to do that. 2 Lone wolf sit and climbs. One of them over 20 yrs old and good as new. 8 wolf climbing sticks and 1 alpha lock on. OWWWWWOOOOO. Wolf man here. And I'm not even gettin paid to say it. Lone wolf gear will last the rest of your life or until some Ahole steals it.
From: Droptine10
06-Mar-18
I ordered 2 packs of the Muddy sticks. They were on sale again :)
From: 8point
08-Mar-18
Woodsman, when I looked at the LW sticks in Cabela's it said: "Lone Wolf's Climbing Sticks boast reversible steps that make it easy to get in and out of your treestand. Quiet design won't spook game, plus they nest together for easy storage and transport. Pivoting brackets match the contour of your tree for exceptional stability. Product meets industry standards recognized by TMA. Length: 32"/stick. Wt: 2.5 lbs./stick. Wt. capacity: 350 lbs." I just multiplied 4 sticks @ 32" each, and came up with 10.66 ft, where did I go wrong?
From: woodsman
08-Mar-18
The sticks arent stacked directly on top of each other, you have spaces in between. Depending on how tall you are or your step there will be a foot or two in between. When you strap your first one around the tree you are already about 18" off the ground from the bottom of your first step. Then you have a gap or spaces in between all the way if that makes sense?
From: Shawn
09-Mar-18
Yup, 4 LW stick will get ya 20ft. 18"s between the sticks plus the 18"s ya start at from the ground id not 2 ft. gets you to 20 ft. Shawn
From: 8point
09-Mar-18
Description in Cabela's didn't make the design clear. Still a lot more money then the API for the same height. Just my opinion. Thank you for the info.
From: Droptine10
11-Mar-18
The muddy sticks came yesterday.They seem well constructed. Not as light as I thought but still not bad. Now I have a climber and climbing sticks that I need to start practicing with. Just waiting for Spring ;)
From: Shawn
22-Mar-18
Also just as Greg said you can add a strap to the first step and gain another 2 ft from the get go. I do not add them on the other steps as they are a bit tough to get your foot in and out as you get up the tree. I just bought a bunch of the Muddy sticks for 44 bucks for a set of 4, gonna add them to my collection. I have over 70 climbing stick sections now. Shawn
From: Droptine10
25-Mar-18
70 climbing sticks, holy crap Sean !!!! $44 for 4 is an awesome deal !!! Craigslist ?
From: Shawn
26-Mar-18
No, optics planet had a sale and free shipping. Shawn
From: woodsman
28-Mar-18
That's a great price!
From: Taz
17-Oct-18
I use the hawk helium sticks very light weight for the long walk in, # sticks for 99.00 , they weigh 2.7 lbs per stick 32" long 4 sticks will get you to 20' no problem also I carry an aider from wild edge that you can move with you as you go up if you want to get in the nose bleed section!!
From: SaddleReaper
17-Oct-18
I prefer my muddy pros for some scenarios and LWs for others. Either stick has its strengths and weaknesses. 5 Muddy Pros will get you 20'. 4 LWs might get you there too. Depends on the gap between sticks. As I climb I gauge gap by placing the next stick on top of the one below and then running it up one stick length (For LWs i go less than 1 full length though). For me that works... and I'm only 5'7" with short legs!
Some other points worth noting... Muddy pros have the best attachment system with the rope cam in my opinion. Its fast and very quiet to swing a rope around the tree and cam it, versus a strap with buckle. However the strap of a LW tightens up nicely, sometimes slips less than a rope, and the cam buckles can be covered with bicycle tube to silence anyways. LWs can be modded to run a rope instead of a strap as well. LWs also stack a little more securely IMO.
With any stick... its fun to DIY camo them if you have time, and it makes them less noticeable if you leave them out. Straps and ropes will still catch the eye though... The last tip I have.... paint the tops of your sticks with a white gloss enamel paint. It makes them much easier to spot in the dark climbing down instead of feeling your way around.
Good luck out there!
From: Petcontain
17-Oct-18
I am too old for this ground blinds are now more my style.
From: archer756
18-Oct-18
Hope that you use LIFE LINE when climbing Have not seen any one in photos use. Here in NY last year and yrs before we have had deaths due to not using any LIFE LINE.
From: SaddleReaper
18-Oct-18
Archer756 - if you're referring to my picture i am securely tethered to the tree. And use a linemans rope going up.
From: archer756
18-Oct-18
SaddleReaper Thanks for the note!
