There are various attachment methods of sticks. All of the methods come with their benefits and drawbacks. There is no end all be all, it’s all preference. So, we will look at the pros and cons of each option to choose your best option.
Old Cam Buckle
Pros
- It is the sturdiest of all options
- Bigger in width compared to other options
- One of the benefits of cam buckle is that it is very durable
- Heavy duty material is used in manufacturing
- Very efficient and saves time
Cons
- Less in length and needs extensions for thick trees
- Very Inefficient
- Creates noise by metal-on-metal contact
Rope mode
Pros
- Light weight so it can be thrown around
- No noise
- Abrasion resistant
- Cheap
- Heavier than amp steel which makes it easier for getting momentums
- No fraying
- 220 ponds capacity
- Easy to work with
- Shedding weight for mobile hunters
- Customable length
- No noise
- No metal buckles
- Ease of hanging
- Speed of hanging
- No cam locks
- No metal-on-metal contact
- Cinch this on versa button (Like Chinese finger trip)
Cons
- Absorbent material and thus hold scent
- Not available in a lot of colors
- The cord does not have high tensile hence not static enough and stretches a bit from its original position.
- Rolls down more -not stretching
- In rope if you fall between loops you are going to have couple more inches where the stick pulls down before it bites it hard but with a strap you can twist it up a little bit to hit the right loop perfectly lock down nice and tight
Heat-Resistant Friction Hitch Cord
There is an alternate for this that is a heat-resistant friction hitch cord. The heat resistant friction hitch cord is high tensile, advanced fibers in these cords stand up better to the heat generated during descents, high resistance to moisture, low stretch, and high strength! It is spliced by the professionals has abrasion-resistance, durability. It is simple while yet powerful. Excellent heat resistance for your friction hitch. On the other side It is a bit expensive though.
Buckle-less method on strap
There is a new model in market that gives the option of buckle less strap. The buckle-less strap gives a flat surface for sticks to hold on. This helps the strap to not roll over and even stretch a bit this is actually the cause of misposition of sticks.
Daisy chain
There are few other options like the strap that comes with loops sewn in for you to wrap around the button of stick.
- It saves time in setting up the gear and is user-friendly.
- Very light
- Packable
- Extremely large
- A lot of length not a lot of weight
- Durability and Sturdy
- Usage versality method climbing stick attachment method in the universe
- You can pick the loop size according to your sticks and likings
Cons
- Not for platform saddle hunting (ratchet strap for that as tight as it could get)
- if it’s set & just not quite tight enough you can get the stick to get jostled vertically & not be set. But you don’t notice that until the way down.
Instructions
- Daisy Chains are adjustable length tie-offs that are only intended to sustain body weight. Use them as part of your belay or protection system only if absolutely necessary.
- They are not intended to withstand falls. The Daisy will not extend in the case of a fall, causing a significant shock load to you, the anchor, and all other gear in the system. This can lead you to become injured, as well as cause your gear or anchor to fail.
- Clipping in short is another very real and extremely deadly issue with daisy chains. It might be dangerous if you clip it short to a daisy improperly. It’s terrible. When clipping in short with a daisy, remember to use a second carabiner to make it shorter.
- The stitching between loops on daisy chains is very low strength.
Carabiner with Too Many Knots. This is problematic because:
- If the blue rope is weighted, removing the green rope will be impossible.
- If the climber’s attachment point is the green rope, and you open the gate to remove the blue rope, the climber will be attached solely by an open carabiner, which is extremely dangerous.
- Use a different screw gate for each knot if you need to secure more than one to an anchor.
Versa straps
Pros
- These straps are green/brown reversible
- Strap locks in and does not move around much
- Available in 6′ & 8′ lengths
- These can be used to secure your climbing sticks, your platform, or used as a gear hanger or aider.
- Usual stitching after 2 and half inches so you can cinch it down tight and never have the issue of being caught between loop openings.
- Quick and simple
- Sturdy
- Versa Lite strap and Amsteel daisy chain both offer quicker and easier attachment than a typical rope mod
Cons
- versa straps are not as user friendly
Some tips for attaching climbing sticks
Conclusion
The standard cam buckle straps that come with climbing sticks work totally fine, but there are better options in my opinion for mobile, run-and-gun hunters. There are newer options to discuss as well. In particular, the Versa Lite strap and amsteel daisy chain both offer quicker and easier attachment than a typical rope mod. From a weight perspective, the amsteel daisy chain is the clear winner at less than an ounce, but all methods have some pros and cons that are discussed above.
