RE: climbing sticks
 

Some have mentioned the screw in steps.I have never used any.I climb mostly hardwood trees and am curious as to how easy/hard they are to get into the tree when you can only use one hand cause your hanging on for dear life with the other. I would think that if you were to put them up before the season that taking alone a cordless drill and predrilling your holes might make some sense.Ron

RE: climbing sticks
 

nmaineron.... it's called a climbing belt(a.k.a. Linemans belt etc. you can hang there with both hands free to do your work. Secondly, if you're using screw in steps I'd HIGHLY recommend some sort of starting device. I sometimes use a cordless drill with a small bit to pre-drill holes. I also carry a step starter in my stand hanging/climbing gear bag. It's by API I believe, and nothing more than a heavy rubberized chunk of solid pipe with a sharp needle like point on one end. Just whack it into the tree and you have a predrilled hole. I drilled a hole through the back end and put a leather lanyard on it that I can wrap around my wrist so I don't drop it from 20 feet up. I also made one from an masons hammer by sharpening the pointed end. The flat end I use to scrape bark off the tree if it's really rough. When I have time I'll post pictures.

RE: climbing sticks
 

Pictures: Here's what my step starters look like. One good whack and you have a hole that allows for easier screwing in of steps.

RE: climbing sticks
 

I coat about half the threads of my screw in steps with vaseline. I have also found that the Cranford EZ steps have been the easiest to install.

RE: climbing sticks
 

Let me start by saying that this applies only if you have a year-round lease (or own your own hunting land) and can leave your stands/sticks up for long periods of time...

My brother has at least a dozen sets of the Strongbuilt sticks and has used them with great success. Also, at $50 for 20' and $40 for 15' they are a relative steal. We never use the rope that comes with them; we use ratchet straps or cam buckle straps. I'm sure the rope is fine, but as high as we like to hunt, the added comfort of ratchet straps is worth the $5 or so each...

I have a set of SB 15' and 20'. Since the stand I'm putting up this weekend will likely be about 30' up, I use the two as a single set. I also own about ten sets of Big Game 16' climbing sticks. I usually use two sets for one stand to get high. The BG sticks are very sturdy and I like the straps that come with them. However, we still put up a ratchet strap on the bottom stick and the next-to-top stick for added security. We've already put up five stands for bowhunting this fall. Gives the animals time to get used to them. I posted pics for each of the five stands in another thread (the one titled "Which type of Tree Stand") if anyone is interested. All the sticks in those pics are BG's.

RE: climbing sticks
 

I've been using the Lone wolf sticks for 4 years. Trully incredible. Light weight, fast to setup, quiet. I can't tell you many times I've setup in the afternoon only to watch deer say an hour later get up out of their beds not 30 yards away and walk right by my stand.

RE: climbing sticks
 

Thanks Dave,I have tools very similar that I could use as well as the drill.Sometimes you have your own answer without even realizing it! I'm sure I could improvise a linemans belt. Are there steps better than others?Ron

RE: climbing sticks
 

Lone Wolf sticks. Ultra quiet, very light and easy packing.

slayer

RE: climbing sticks
 

Lone wolf is simply the best. Just over 2 pounds each. they attach to the back of there stands also. I can set up 50 yards from the deers beding area quietly and fast. I watch deer rise from there beds often. I have taken 17 record class bucks and passed on quite a few also. Lone wolf is the olnly stick or stand for me! The only down fall is the price, but you pay for American made quality. Gorrilla actually copyed Lonewolfs stick, guese they found some way around the pattent or something. Gorrilla is made over sea's and marketed here for cheap. Some one mentioned that there steps goe both directions. Last time I looked, only Lonewolfs did. The gorrilla sticks had to be stagered left and right. therefore they had to be put up in a specific order.

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