Single stick climbing

[Creamer]

I resisted trying this for a while. Today was the day I broke down and gave it a go. I'm currently carrying three full size Lone Wolf sticks on my pack for getting to hunting height for my saddle setup. It definitely was not as difficult as I thought it would be. The tree I tried was not a good first try. I had multiple limbs (two off the back you can't see in the pic) to navigate around and it had a decent lean being a forked base tree. This was my view down after two stick moves and hanging the platform.

I'm going to practice with it a few more times this week. I think on relatively straight trees without a lot of limbs to work around, it would be much easier than it was for me today. I also was going slow and getting a feel for it. If I go this route, it will knock around 5ish pounds off my pack weight and actually allow me to get as high as I want to go. I see the benefits, and I also didn't die (this time). Knee pads were a must, I spent a lot of time hanging on the tree with my knees into the trunk. I just reversed the process to get down, I'm not ready to try the rappelling route down.

Anybody else given this a shot?

 

[bowhunter1023]

Nope. Always seemed like more work than it's worth. I see it as a fix for a problem I don't have.

 

[Creamer]

Nope. Always seemed like more work than it's worth. I see it as a fix for a problem I don't have.

It may well not be a problem you have. My interest in it was to drop some more weight on those long hikes in on public. Packing all the gear 1.5 miles in, those pounds add up. If I can cut 5 off the load, I'll probably do it.

 

[bowhunter1023]

We definitely have different styles and approaches, and it's the routine nature of our respective approaches, that creates the need. I might hunt mobile 6 times in a year, or I might do it once, or I might do it a dozen times, it just depends on the year. My walks are usually in the .75-1-mile range, so I'm not too worried about 5#s in the scheme of things. I was simply addressing the question as someone who has investigated it, but ultimately decided it wasn't for me.

 

[Mike]

Double hell no for me.

 

[Creamer]

We definitely have different styles and approaches, and it's the routine nature of our respective approaches, that creates the need. I might hunt mobile 6 times in a year, or I might do it once, or I might do it a dozen times, it just depends on the year. My walks are usually in the .75-1-mile range, so I'm not too worried about 5#s in the scheme of things. I was simply addressing the question as someone who has investigated it, but ultimately decided it wasn't for me.

I know, I wasn't offended. I may work in Athens, but I'm a little harder to piss off than that.

 

[Creamer]

It looks something like this.

 

[giles]

If shaken up real bad, I could see it becoming and issue coming down. A bad phone call or a 30 pointer would have my mind not on the task.

 

[jagermeister]

To each their own. If it works for ya, I say go for it.

Me personally… I’ll pass. I hunt mobile a lot and walk a lot. But I just don’t see that extra hassle being worth shaving just 5 pounds. I’m rather “old school” when it comes to mobile hunting though I guess. I still don’t have any desire to try a saddle setup. If something requires knee pads, chances are it ain’t for me. I’m sticking with my 3-4 lone wolf sticks and an Alpha hang-on. There are certainly lighter and more mobile-friendly options out there these days, but I just haven’t convinced myself the high price tags are worth changing from my current system.

 

[TinyTucky]

Have been considering the single stick method as I’ve just started saddle hunting this season but am not new to the mobile game. I am currently running 4 30” Hawk Helium sticks and a TreeHopper Tree Suit platform. It works well for me and can get 20’+ without issue, but shedding some weight would definitely be nice. Not sure if ditching a stick or two and adding aiders is the solution, single sticking or selling my current sticks and getting something lighter (Beast gear, xop, etc). Keep me posted on how it goes for you, maybe I’ll play with it in the back yard….

 

[Jackalope]

My personal opinion. Mobile sticks are dangerous enough as it is without screwing around putting them on and off multiple times going up and down a tree. I carry 5 and the most I would consider is eliminating the first one in favor of the rope cheater. That would shave 2.5 lbs. You want to shave another 2.5 lbs. By the time you factor in the knee pads and other stuff required you may net a reduction of an additional 2 lbs. Then factor in the work. Is it really less work to jockey sticks around in the side of a tree up and down than just carrying that extra stick to the tree. Factor in the risk and it doesn't make sense to me at all. Add a cheater rope loop to the first stick to eliminate 1 stick and 2.5lbs and be happy imo.

 

[Creamer]

My personal opinion. Mobile sticks are dangerous enough as it is without screwing around putting them on and off multiple times going up and down a tree. I carry 5 and the most I would consider is eliminating the first one in favor of the rope cheater. That would shave 2.5 lbs. You want to shave another 2.5 lbs. By the time you factor in the knee pads and other stuff required you may net a reduction of an additional 2 lbs. Then factor in the work. Is it really less work to jockey sticks around in the side of a tree up and down than just carrying that extra stick to the tree. Factor in the risk and it doesn't make sense to me at all. Add a cheater rope loop to the first stick to eliminate 1 stick and 2.5lbs and be happy imo.

It's surprisingly not really extra work, from my whole 30 minutes of experience yesterday. It surprised me. You're basically taking advantage of the tree saddle and how it connects you to the tree. You're just as safe as you would be using a lineman's belt climbing the tree or sitting in your saddle at hunting height. Whenever I had to remove the tree tether and move it above a limb, I used the lineman's belt on my saddle to keep me secure, so I was never not attached to the tree. The "shit's creek" scenario would be dropping the climbing stick. That would mean squirreling down the tree. The knee pads are something I carry with me saddle hunting anyway, and they weigh next to nothing (cheapies from Lowe's, chunk of foam and velcro straps).

 

[Boarhead]

 

[Creamer]

 

[cotty16]

If shaken up real bad, I could see it becoming and issue coming down. A bad phone call or a 30 pointer would have my mind not on the task.

Or if you gotta take a shit... like real quick!

 

[Geezer II]

It's surprisingly not really extra work, from my whole 30 minutes of experience yesterday. It surprised me. You're basically taking advantage of the tree saddle and how it connects you to the tree. You're just as safe as you would be using a lineman's belt climbing the tree or sitting in your saddle at hunting height. Whenever I had to remove the tree tether and move it above a limb, I used the lineman's belt on my saddle to keep me secure, so I was never not attached to the tree. The "shit's creek" scenario would be dropping the climbing stick. That would mean squirreling down the tree. The knee pads are something I carry with me saddle hunting anyway, and they weigh next to nothing (cheapies from Lowe's, chunk of foam and velcro straps).

How long does it take to get up the tree and ready to shoot? I used a climber stand and went in when it was still dark and could set up very fast.

 

[Creamer]

I practiced it a few times, I came to this conclusion for now: I'm sticking with 3 sticks. The main reason was a reminder a few hunts back that I drop shit out of the stand. A lot. I think last year I dropped arrows maybe 5-6 times. A couple sits ago I dropped a call. If I need to shoot down the tree to retrieve something, single sticking would be a royal pain. For now, I'm staying the course.

 

[Bowhunter57]

I switched to a Cruzr XC tree saddle this year and love it. Tried the "one stick" method and gave rappelling a thought. Then I remembered.... I'm going to be doing all of this in the dark, at one point or another. PASS! Hard Pass!
I carry 3 full length (old style - 32") Muddy Pro climbing sticks and I'm very content in doing so. It gets me to the height I need and the weight of everything certainly beats my hang-on stand, plus the sticks.

Bowhunter57

 

[Creamer]

Reason #27 for not single sticking

This was a first for me. On Saturday, I was set in my tree, ready to pull up my bow. I start pulling the strap up and the bow was a little hung on some brush. Somehow, the plastic snap got turned on the string just right and came off. I had to climb down and re-hook it. I've never seen or heard of one of those plastic snap hooks coming loose. That would have been fun, climbing back down with one stick to re-hook the bow.

 

[triple_duece]

I’m fixing to get a saddle and a set of triangle steps w an aider. The reason was this last trip to the Midwest. Hardly any trees for a climber and not many more for a lokon unless it was adjustable. My boy could hunt any and every tree that was standing, leaning or double leaning w trash, vines or anything growing out the tree.
We got back to my camp from the trip and I told the boys to show me. He said pick a tree, any tree. I wasn’t about how difficult of tree I could find, I wanted to see the setup and process. With the 3 triangle steps and a aider he reached 20+ effortlessly. The steps weigh a pound a piece and he carried 5.
As you get older, hunting in the cold, you will develop cramps anywhere, anytime, any muscle and for no reason at all. So I was skeptical of the thought of doing this type of climbing. After watching it done, I’m sold on it. No I don’t think one sticking is for me for obvious reasons. I haven’t done the climb w a saddle but after watching it, there is no reason I shouldn’t do it. I will update once my stuff comes it.