If anyone believes in the products they personally use the most, it HAS to be HCH. Not that it is a bad thing, it's awesome having confidence in your setup. Confidence breeds success....but man, it is what he uses or nothing.

BUT, like Greg said...unless the trees are going into furniture, you aren't harming them with screw in steps, as long as you don't leave them there forever....even then the tree often just grows around them.

HCH, we just aren't used to the Cranfords obviously. I too LOATHE screw in steps, they are a freakin bear to get in, take forever, make you sweat profusely...and the cheap ones you get 2-3 trees out of before they are duller than a blunt hammer. I use them for presetup sites, and that is it. Even then, if I have a stick ladder at my disposal, it is going up instead. easier to setup, faster to setup, safer to climb IMO. Downside is weight packing in, but who CAN'T pack in 25 lbs once a year? I also found that the preconceived notion that screw in steps are the cheaper alternative is badly mistaken. I can get a 20' stick ladder for $35 bucks. That gets you 3' off the ground with LW, probably 10-12 feet with screw ins.....by far the cheapest way to go....maybe not the best, but by far the cheapest.