Tree Saddle Hunting - Best New Climbing Aiders

A climbing aider is a device that you use in conjunction with a stick that helps you gain more height per stick, but at the addition of very little weight to the stick setup. An aider can provide one or two more steps per each stick section, thereby greatly increasing height potential when needed and allowing you to carry fewer total sticks to gain a specific height.
Example: If you have a stick with two rungs of steps 15-inches apart, such as Trophyline’s new Mini Sticks, and then you add a two-step aider with 15-inch spacing per step, instead of that stick getting you 30-inches off the ground (assuming you use safe, highly-recommended equidistant spacing), you now get 60 inches or 5 feet high per stick, doubling your achievable height per stick for mere ounces in weight. Aiders or etriers used in the climbing world with more than two steps require cat-like agility and skinny shoes to work well, and they’re not worth the risk in my opinion. Almost anyone can use a one-step aider with practice, and the well-braced and wider versions of two-step aiders can be mastered with practice.
The three common types of aiders for sticks include:
1. Carry As You Go aiders that you carry and move up and down successively on each stick, most being homemade from ½-inch tubular climbing webbing tied or sewn to your specific step spacing.
2. Semi-Automatic Wearable Aiders that remove themselves off your stick Versa Button as you climb via an adjustable elastic string (you must remove them by hand as you climb down), like the stick-specific Versa Aider and Multi-Step Aider from www.backwoodsm... and the unique, stick-adaptable Daisy Aider from www.customamst....
3. Fixed Aiders, typically of Amsteel rope, such as the many models from www.customamst..., or models from tubular climbing-rated webbing, and the newest models of folding, plastic-coated cable wire like those from Lone Wolf Custom Gear (www.lonewolfcu...) and Eastern Woods Outdoors (doublesteps.com/). All styles of Fixed Aiders permanently install and live on your stick. Each aider type has pros and cons, but they are all wonderfully empowering and weight saving.

[@christianpaul3303]

Slow, purposeful, and practice in the dark - SOLID advice. I've gotten so used to some of my methods I have to force myself to go slow and think about each move. Repetition sometimes makes you complacent. I'm too damn old to fall more than a few feet - I don't bounce anymore.

[@richarddean3154]

Thank you for your recent flurry of videos regarding saddles, climbing aids, etc. As I age, carrying a stand and 4 climbing sticks becomes less palatable, so thank you for detailing our options.

[@HighHunting38]

Great info, keep the Saddle Hunting vids coming. It’s one thing to see the products online but watching a quick demo is better.

[@kennyanstey44]

I am very pleased with the aiders I’ve purchased from BackWoods Mobile Gear. The 3 step aider is my favorite for both stick and wild edge steps.

[@davidrussell631]

I probably like the fixed cable aiders the best, and the ones left to dangle the worst. Not only are they no fun to get your feet in or out of, they can also move in the breeze and possibly spook a deer.

[@mikecarney1449]

Hey David! I've heard the comment before about spooking deer with them swaying, I've just never experienced it, but it only takes once to be an issue. Thanks for the comments.

[@lhb4031]

Great video, thanks for clearing the one i will be using on my Hawks.

[@zackgrogg6733]

Great info, keep on shooting straight and telling us straight.

[@nemesispmi]

Good information, nice video. Thank you

[@gant8408]

You missed the knaider swaider combo the best one

[@TerryKetterer76]

How come every one of these "my climbing method is better" videos shows a perfectly straight, telphone pole looking tree? I wanna see you do it with a leaning tree full of limbs. Because if I'm hunting an area with telephone pole trees NOTHING will ever be faster or easier than my Lone Wolf hand climber.

[@mikecarney1449]

Hey Terry. This is not intended to be a "my climbing method is better" video, as the video nomenclature defines. It's a review climbing aiders. The reason most/all of these videos are shot on a straight tree with no limbs is so the viewer can actually see what is going on in the placement and process of climbing. But your comment is interesting and we will do a vid on that challenge and process. Nearly every tree I use a saddle on has limbs in the way, and funky twists and leans to one degree or another. I agree on your LW comment; I have one myself and love it, but it is HEAVIER and BULKIER than my current saddle rig, and it requires an almost perfect tree to use it in, no smaller than 6" and no larger than 19" diameter. That can be pretty limiting my friend, depending the part of the country your in. However, I use both over the course of the season. And you can, too. Enjoy the versatility and good luck this season!

[@BlackCobra331]

DONT FALL