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.

[nemesispmi]

Good information, nice video. Thank you

[christianpaul]

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.

[lhb]

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

[HighHunting]

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

[davidrussell]

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.

[kennyanstey]

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.

[richarddean]

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.

[zackgrogg]

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

[gant]

You missed the knaider swaider combo the best one

[TerryKetterer]

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.