Your Mobile Setup for the 2016 Season

[BA-IV]

So now that the season has been over and green up has started for most around the country. I usually focus in on my gear and see what I need to change or modify. So what was your BEAST STYLE go-to setup this year, and are you making any changes? If so, what are they going to be?

I started the season off with an XOP Air Raid and helium sticks. I got aggravated and ended up getting an XOP Enforcer Climber and using it. I hunt in the South, mostly pineywoods, so straight trees are in abundance, but I still felt like in the end I hunted trees when I got to the really good spots and was always outta the game, and even more so on my OOS Illinois hunt. My plans this year, is to get the Muddy M7 microlite for my early season hunts and the Hawk Helium Kickback for my Midwest rut hunts. I'm a creature of comfort, and the all day sits are pure torture on a stand like the M7 or Air Raid. I fidget and that kills my confidence. Easy fix. I haven't decided on a stick selection yet, but it will be modified out for ropes for sure!

My biggest deal last year was I was more concentrated on quantity of hours in the stand then quality time in a stand. I was worried about how long set up was taking me, how slow I was getting to some of my blind spots, and so on. Beast Style is one big learning experience all year is all I can say. Hopefully I can stay confident this year in my setup and worry about the quiet approach and quality time in a stand.

[Tufrthnails]

LW alpha and sticks. First season with it. In my neck of the woods it is awesome. I love being able to climb dang near anything. And a lot quicker to be quiet then my climber. I can book it up a tree in no time flat in the climber, but quietly is a different ball game. I bought a second alpha a couple weeks ago so my brother can tag team with me and see if we can't work together to get some better deer. Got a couple spots in mind where having someone just off but still on the exit would be killer.

[matt1336]

Alpha and LW sticks. Same as the last dozen years or so. I'd like to add some of cigbear's stick holder things and a fifth stick. The previous two posts mention something about getting set up quick. In my experience- trying to set up quickly has not ended well
For me in too many occurrences. I take my time and stay quiet. IMO it's not a huge deal
If I take another 10 minutes than what I planned to set up. I'm most concerned about the last half hour of the hunt anyway in the afternoon. I try to get there in the morning early so I have time

[BA-IV]

You guys using the lone wolf sticks, they have single steps, so you have to set em up right. Have yall had any desire or see the need to go to the double step sticks?

[Tufrthnails]

You guys using the lone wolf sticks, they have single steps, so you have to set em up right. Have yall had any desire or see the need to go to the double step sticks?

No not really. Maybe the top step, but that would really just be for ease of setting stand up in a weird setup. I've only been using for one season so I'm sure I haven't seen every possible scenario where a double step would be better, but single step works just fine for me.

Alpha and LW sticks. Same as the last dozen years or so. I'd like to add some of cigbear's stick holder things and a fifth stick. The previous two posts mention something about getting set up quick. In my experience- trying to set up quickly has not ended well
For me in too many occurrences. I take my time and stay quiet. IMO it's not a huge deal
If I take another 10 minutes than what I planned to set up. I'm most concerned about the last half hour of the hunt anyway in the afternoon. I try to get there in the morning early so I have time

Yep that's why I'm running the LW. Climber might be faster but quiet is much more important now. And although I did get pretty good at getting up quiet with the climber it was quite a long ordeal.

[Nelson87]

In an attempt to become more mobile, I sold my climber and bought a muddy vantage and muddy sticks. I've used it 3 seasons now. This off season my goal was to modify and fine tune it a bit, and to that end I ditched the super mount bracket for a lone wolf batwing, eliminated some extra straps on the molle pack straps, wrapped the seat post, installed stick talons, and am working on wrapping the outside rail with paracord.

I only tried the stick talons once so far. I need to work on not clanging the stick on the platform when I pop it out, but otherwise they work great. I have the 20 inch sticks so the stick talons are close together. Longer sticks would possibly be easier to remove, but I like the rope system and dual steps on the muddys. I hang my bottom step high and use an aider to gain a couple more feet.

[tbunao]

LW assault, 4 sticks and a muddy pro. Most of my sets going into this year will be 3lw sticks and the muddy. There are a few (one I'm really excited about) that I need to get up where the crows fly.

Like you mentioned about the double step, I found that when hanging the stand, having both feet on the bottom steps of the muddy and my legs between the top steps and the tree make hanging a breeze.

The more and more you practice the easier it gets. I've prepped 23 new trees this year. That's 23 practice runs with setting up. That first sit of the year used to be frustrating as you try and remember what your doing, most of the time that first sit of the year you are in a spot with high confidence. No need ruining it by lack of preparation IMO.

Oh and everything from the buckles to the steps are stealth stripped and talons are used for that one trip up a tree setup.

[BA-IV]

In an attempt to become more mobile, I sold my climber and bought a muddy vantage and muddy sticks. I've used it 3 seasons now. This off season my goal was to modify and fine tune it a bit, and to that end I ditched the super mount bracket for a lone wolf batwing, eliminated some extra straps on the molle pack straps, wrapped the seat post, installed stick talons, and am working on wrapping the outside rail with paracord.

I only tried the stick talons once so far. I need to work on not clanging the stick on the platform when I pop it out, but otherwise they work great. I have the 20 inch sticks so the stick talons are close together. Longer sticks would possibly be easier to remove, but I like the rope system and dual steps on the muddys. I hang my bottom step high and use an aider to gain a couple more feet.

How many muddy pro sticks are you packing in, and how high are you getting on average?

[UofLbowhunter]

In an attempt to become more mobile, I sold my climber and bought a muddy vantage and muddy sticks. I've used it 3 seasons now. This off season my goal was to modify and fine tune it a bit, and to that end I ditched the super mount bracket for a lone wolf batwing, eliminated some extra straps on the molle pack straps, wrapped the seat post, installed stick talons, and am working on wrapping the outside rail with paracord.

I only tried the stick talons once so far. I need to work on not clanging the stick on the platform when I pop it out, but otherwise they work great. I have the 20 inch sticks so the stick talons are close together. Longer sticks would possibly be easier to remove, but I like the rope system and dual steps on the muddys. I hang my bottom step high and use an aider to gain a couple more feet.

this is the excact same setup i got, even the batwing but thats recently added. have you had much prolem with the batwing? i havent got any practice with my batwing yet, but plan to soon. i like the use of the muddy sticks,the rope cams make it simple to use. but i think im gonna break down and go with the lonewolf sticks,to take out some of the extra work of handing a extra two sticks, to make me faster and a lil more lighter. i think id like those stick talens as well,may try some. i made some plastic foam covers for my sticks to set in, that made my sticks alot quieter and easier to remove from the stand.
so maybe my final setup will end being a muddy advantage with batwing and 3 lw sticks and maybe 1 or 2 muddy sticks for extra hieght or get a awakward place and need a smaller step. either that or wait for dans new setup to hit the market

[IkemanTx]

2016 setup...

Homemade saddle, homemade platform from the seat of my lone wolf, and Hawk Helium sticks modified with the verses button and rope as well as 3 2-step aiders to go with them.
Saddle

Stick and aider

Platform



For 2017 I have finished my Sit Drag saddle, removed all prussic knots for my setup in lue of Ropeman 1 ascenders, added woodpecker bolts to my climbing methods, and the greatest of all changes will be my tree spurs. Almost every property I hunt allows Spurs, so they will probably be my Go-To with my platform (slightly modified to improve it this year).

[tgreeno]

Same set-up for me as the last 3 1/2 years, Hawk Helium XL & Leverage sticks. I did remove the paracord from the stand and completely stealth strip it after the season last year. If it ain't broke don't fix it! I will be adding a Ropeman Accender 1 to my lineman's belt this year. I did get a new fanny pack for Christmas also.

[thwack16]

Went into last year with a sit drag to use as a saddle and a set of muddy sticks. Had 0 idea what I was doing with it. Ended up hunting the first month with it and then going back to my climber until I forced myself to get back in the saddle the last month.

I absolutely love the mobility, weight and comfort of a saddle. The platform is to me the hardest part, and I'm hoping the XOP seat modded into a platform solves that.

Also thinking I'll pick up some Jim Stepps and Aider combo to get up trees this season and may use one or two to walk around the tree along with my platform.

[Clink]

So how should I form my decision on buying sticks? Seems like everyone has their favorite and its XOP, Lone wolf, and Muddy.

[mag1]

Same setup since 2006. Ok, some mods, but I like my 06 LW alpha assault best, have tweaked it over the years, repainted this winter, added my third hand archery bow holder in a custom mount, re-para-corded it, new molle shoulder straps, modified the seat tube to allow base adjustments like the newer ones. in most of the areas I go, 2 sticks work, with an aider on one. but I have 2 more if needed. rock climbing harness. About it.


about the sticks. Can you see them all at one time? if you could, I would look at how your boot would size up with the step (width wise) how much do they weigh, how easy each is to hang. I only have experience with the LW. A stick with a step on each side would be nice. I have found my one leg will get tired when hanging a stand, but I can live with that.

[Dewey]

My main mobile set up is four LW sticks, LW Alpha with Hunt Comfort seat, 3rd Hand Archery bow holder, Claw Straps, Molle waist belt and Stick Talons. Both stand and sticks covered in Stealth Strips and buckles silenced with YakGrips.

I occasionaly use my LW Hand Climber/Sit & Climb when I know the exact tree I will be sitting in for comfort on longer sits and to lighten the load some packing in and out.

Also going to experiment this year again with a saddle for those real long hikes where packing a stand in just isn't real practical.