RE: CLIMBIBNG STICK SUGGESTIONS ANYONE ?
I bought a cheap ($40) set from Dicks Sporting Goods. Cabelas sells a very similar model. I think Hunters View made them. They worked very well for the most part. I wound up selling them along with a treestand I didn't care for though.
One thing I didn't like about them was that the footpegs were staggered. ie: you could only use the left foot or the right foot per step. I think I would prefer the kind that have pegs on each side allowing you to use either foot. The reason: if I wanted to pause while climbing, I had to rest on only one foot.
The only other thing I didn't like was: the strap system holding the unit to the trees was just slightly cumbersome to use.
-Mike