Lone wolf tried and true. might want to do a search for XOP stick failure. I cannot under good conscience recommend XOP.

The muddy pro sticks are 20" and are not light at all. pretty heavy actually. They were heavier than my lone wolf by a good pound each. they also start to develop a bit of slop in the geared steps.

I am actually thinking about ordering a set of helium sticks to try out.

 

Have only used Lone Wolf sticks for this purpose. They are light and stack well - I would bungy strap to stand. You need 4 of them to get to reasonable height.

 

I have the hawke sticks. They are very light and work great but they are noisy to set up in the dark because of the metal hook at the end of the strap.

The muddy sticks are a way better design. Easier to attach around the tree in the dark and quieter. Wish they were as light as the hawkes though.

 

I'm curious...what is the advantage of a single-hunt setup with sticks and a hang-on vs a climber? That you can get around branches? Seems so much cumbersome to carry and setup (probably more potential for noise IMO). Just curious. When I set up my hang-on stands it's hard to be quiet...which is why I usually don't hunt them for a few days. Of course I just use the cheap sticks from Dick's that link together and are steel. I can't imagine hiking a couple miles in with those and a stand on my back and hunting gear...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I can't speak for other people, but for me, if I'm doing an short sit, climber is the way I go, The climbing sticks are beat an climber if you are doing a long all day sit, if you need to get down once or twice, it is better than climbing down all the time. Also, if you plan on sitting in the evening, leave the stand up and come back for a morning hunt, it is already there, and you do not have to climb again.

those are the reason for climbing sticks for a hang and hunt over a climber at least in my perspective.

 

The muddy might weigh more, but they are quiet and I like the fact that they have steps on both sides instead of having to do the right, left, right, left...thing.

 

I have lone wolf sticks and with a set of 4 I can get about 17'. You can get roughly 4 feet per stick with the stick spacing and then 12-18" off of the ground to start. I have individual clips that go on either side of my stand that hold to sticks each. Really like the set up as weight with the added seat is 21lbs total.

 

Lone wolf with rope mods, and stick talons on stand for packing in

 

I'm new to this what are rope mods?

 

I ordered some hawks to try out. I am going to throw my XOP sticks in the garbage when I get home.

I was going to order Lonewolfs but I do like the double steps on the helium

 

I have the hawk helium sticks with a rope modification. Silent as can be, have steps on both sides (huge plus for me). The rope mod is lighter and makes no noise at all. I added a rope step off the bottom of the first one. I'll try and measure how high I can get with that and three steps next time I'm out.

 

I ordered 2 - 3 packs. That should get me as high as I will ever need to be

 

The muddy might weigh more, but they are quiet and I like the fact that they have steps on both sides instead of having to do the right, left, right, left...thing.

How high can you get with them, and how many do you use to reach the desired height?

 

What didn't you like about the XOP sticks?

 

I ordered some hawks to try out. I am going to throw my XOP sticks in the garbage when I get home.

I was going to order Lonewolfs but I do like the double steps on the helium

What didn't you like about the XOP sticks?

 

Read this for starters:

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5302899&p=1106320973#post1106320973


I have noticed the bark biters flex pretty significantly also along with the 1/4 turn lock thing is junk. I had several break pretty easily.

Other issues with XOP products -

I have had the climber top portion collapse on me and the stand had bad nylocks that backed out and the sit bar detached...fun times...

I have also had the straps on my XOP silvers slip which was quite scary... I also sold a Vanish XT I never even used. I deemed the platform to small for me. All I did was paint it to take the shininess off. The poor guy that bought it from me had the platform break on him the first time he set it up. I am grateful he did not get hurt or worse. I felt terrible selling a product like that. I would of cut it up and put in the dumpster if I knew that was going to happen

I aggressively recommend against anything XOP.

Even though they do have decent customer service and replaced the faulty products. They cant sustain that business model forever and I fear someone is going to get killed when one of these failures occurs.

 

Have both. The muddy are too short and that makes them difficult to gap far apart. The hawks can be cheated further apart much easier thus you can get higher much easier. My Hawks have a coating on the hooks and are not loud. The lone wolf do not have dual steps on both sides. Which really stinks while hanging your stand. Other than that they are solid but the step issue was a deal breaker for me. If I were to buy another set it would certainly be the hawks. I can get 17 to 18 ft with 3 hawk steps.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

How high can you get with the muddy pro sticks?

 

Probably close to that with 4. I would say more realistically 15 ft probably

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

I use the muddy sticks and love them. I have two sets of those and a set of the Hawk Heliums. I haven't had to use the Hawks yet so I don't have any info on them.

The muddy are awesome, though. They nest into my Muddy Bloodsport stands fairly easily and are light. I can get up above 20-25' with mine, but I gap them quite a ways and I'm very tall. I haven't found any sticks out there that I like better than these for speed and ease of getting in the tree fast.

 

I stack my LW sticks together and started using the 12" Nite Ize gear ties to attach them to my XOP Vanish. Holds them tight (meaning quietly). I think stand location and terrain dictate how high you need to get. I used to go 20-24' every hunt and most of the time, I don't feel like I need to do that any more. I have a few places where the trees aren't very big and just getting 4-8' off the ground and into some cover in the tree is all it takes.

 

If I could go back I would have bought lonewolf sticks instead of xop. Or hawk heliems modded with versa buttons. Idk, after that thread it makes me a little nervous using them even though I'm well under the weight limit. Plus lonewolfs weigh less

I can get 20-21 ft with my 4 xop sticks with a aider on the first stick.

 

I do like my vanish xt though.

 

I have had the Muddy Pro, XOP, and LW. The Muddy Pro were ok but they heavy and they had steps break at one time (China). I like the XOP with the big steps but a few others have claimed breakage but I'm not sure if all of the reports are credible. I would think if there was a problem there would be more than two or three reporting about them. I am with enkriss, with quality issues with some of the XOP products I can no longer recomend them. I was looking at there new climber but scrapped that idea.
The LW are light and reliable but I have big feet and the steps seem small.
I sold my LW to buy the XOP sticks but I'm very close to ordering a new set of LW sticks. I keep watching for deals on them.
I have never heard any bad reports on LW sticks and they have been around a long time, confidence is a big deal for me.
If I get them I will surely do the rope mod. I think the LW sticks are about the lightest also. I done the rope mod on my XOP sticks and it's the only way to go.

 

I think I've had every stick put into production. And some that have not made it to production. I personally like the Hawk Helium modified. The beauty of these sticks you can take off steps on each stick. Per stick you can have. 6, 4, or 3 steps. Take off one bottom step and one top step and leave the middle two for standing hanging your next stick up. The tree brackett also gets you farther away than LW. Versa button and 8mm and all good to go.

 

Here is one that a lot of hunters like. It is lightweight, easy to install and has plenty of room between the tree and our boots.
Designed by Wayne Prejean produced now by Ameristep.
http://www.ameristep.com/tree-stands/aluminum-rapid-rails.html

 

Oh! I may add I just seen in of all places Wal-Mart had Hawk Helium on sale for $70 per set of 3. Thought I'd just throw that out there. Actually couldn't believe they even was there.

 

was this in a store on on their website?

 

Get 4 LW sticks and a LW assault. It's the ultimate hang/hunt setup, IMO. I've had the sticks for 10 years, but just got the assault this year. I have had an Alpha for 10 years, but I didn't use it once this year. In fact, I didn't use my treewalker, my XOP hand climber, my millenium microlite or any of my other stands this year either. I have some muddy sticks but found the 2 steps really aren't necessary once you have a good system in place for hanging your stand.

 

4 lw sticks and assault if you run and gun, no all day sits. Alpha with footrest for that.

Use a lineman's rope to hang sticks and stand and having just one step on each side isn't a big deal.

 

I have used several brands and styles, but I would say Lone Wolf, Gorilla and Hawk Helium are the three that stand out as best to me of the ones I have used. These days I take these Heliums on all my hunts. https://www.hawkhunting.com/collections/climbing-sticks/products/helium-3pk-climbing-stick