By watching your channel, I was one-sticking last year with a maverick hitch in lieu of a lanyard, in the method in which you first showed (prior to using the garda). You are so correct: it is very awkward climbing an aider and one-stick while trying to minimize the slack between advances. (It should also be noted that aiders are very dangerous without a proper toe plant against the tree.) Your video title is also correct: the stick is really optional. I plan to keep mine for now, but only as a hunting platform that is lightweight and easy to attach. If this video gets the number of views that it deserves, the market might get ripe for used one-sticks...🤣
I agree with you 100%. I’m keeping my one stick for now as well. As i continue to practice srt/hitch climbing I’m not seeing a lot of need for a one stick. I too have found managing slack with the one stick to be very awkward and clumsy.
You just got a new subscriber. And it isn't just because you have the best and safest climbing system, it is because you are in Pennsylvania. 😂😂😂 Thank you for these videos, I am looking forward to learning your system of climbing. I am sick of the excessive slack I always end up with the way I have been climbing. I am always wanting to be as safe as possible. I am a true novice when it comes to saddle hunting, but I truly love it so far. I just want to make sure I am doing it the safest way possible.
@jayorsilentbob8334 thanks for checking in. There's been only upside to my hunting experience since I have been in a saddle in a no slack climbing setup. I have been safer, more mobile, and more successful. Look around the website, especially the safety page and playlist. jrbtreeclimbing.com/
Appreciate that. Just trying to get y'all thinking differently and make sure we're doing everything possible to avoid a once in a lifetime mishap from becoming a tragic situation. Get safe and then help your friends do the same. That's why I am doing all this. Cheers
John, first I want to thank you for the wealth of information that you put out on this channel for free! You’ve changed my whole mindset on how I climb and on climbing safety. I one sticked all last season, was very unsafe initially, didn’t even throw my lineman’s belt around the tree till I was standing on top of my platform (very stupid)….about halfway through I started using the JRB cinch and longhorn agile hitches, then learned how to tie the Maverick and stuck with that for my hitches, still wasn’t even close to managing slack properly…this season I’m committed to hitch climbing with the JRB system. I’ve done a few practice climbs and have really enjoyed it. Thanks again John, please keep putting out the great info!!
Thank you for all the work you do to help us stay safe. I will be implementing the JRB cinch on both ends of my rappel rope this year. I never liked the slack while one sticking.
I would like to know why you prefer the Cinch over the Maverick. Is it because of the ease of attachment? Because retrieval requires a little bit more effort.
I know John was being serious to help one-stick folks to be safe. However, I couldn’t stop laughing at this being a parody…should be titled “a JRB’er Trying to One-Stick…Nah, Waste of Time”. 😂 btw, I think John just convinced me to buy the Maverick Pole!
I was using trekking poles last year and they worked fine. The only issue was the ones i have can easily come apart as you telescope them out. I just bought the maverick pole and it’s so much better. It stays together and has a longer reach
Ha. The most difficult part of this video was coming up with a TITLE for it. I literally shot the video in one continuous take with no script and no rehearsal... and it was east to produce... but I how to scratch my head for quite a while to come up with a title. Next time, I am gonna ask YOU for some help! Cheers
This is my second year saddle hunting. I love it. I don't think I'd be comfortable one sticking or rope climbing yet. I feel better having 4 to 5 climbing sticks. Attached to the tree. It's like an escape route or something. Good vid though
@PJBASS8225 that is a popular perspective. I just encourage UA-cam evaluate your safety and remember that there's a difference between feeling safe and being safe. When we are laterally stable, we feel safe. But Being safe means we can't fall, no matter what happens to our footing. jrbtreeclimbing.com/content/evaluate-your-safety/
Greetings from Canada's west coast! John, just want to say that I appreciate all that you are putting into this, I am learning a lot, changing some of my own systems that are more "Bushcrafting" related but in some cases also in need safety considerations, and really enjoying your channel overall. Thanks, Mike.🙂👍
Excellent... I am sure we have a lot more in common than our forests do. I would love to see a picture of the woods where you live. Lotta pine? Is tree sap a problem for you?
Thanks for sharing the information, I’ve been one sticking for the last 3 deer seasons and I’m always looking for ways to to improve with safety being number 1. The slack while climbing the aider to the stick has always been a concern for me, I want to learn this system with the maverick hitch and foot loop , thanks again !
This is literally just SRT climbing with a foot ascender like a jet step and a pre-set paracord or using a throw ball which is usually more useful as almsot every tree has branches and are not telephone poles, if anyone wants to learn more about SRT NY saddle hunter had plenty of awesome videos on this subject of rope climbing, he was/is an arborist so it's straight from the source
@outdoorchaos8860 There's plenty of content on the channel about climbing on trees using methods that involve the use of a throwball. This video and type of climbing is for no slack climbing on trees where a throwball is not possible. And it works with or with a climbing stick. On trees where we can use a throwball or paracord preset installed with a throwball, SRT works, but DSRT has several advantages. See the pages for DSRT vs SRT. There's just no reason to be buying Mechanical Devices we don't need and there's no need to be tying knots at the tree. jrbtreeclimbing.com/
ive been doing this method for two years but i dont use the stick or the foot loop. its just too much movement and noise for me. i have to move my rope more but im ok with that. i have two ascender knots on both sides of my rope and i use both sides.
@RipWheelen cool. Some of the earlier content on the Hitch Climbing playlist used that technique. But I am curious to know what anchor you use on the trunk? When I don't use a pole with a Maverick, I prefer the Saddle Hunters Hitch.
@ I use a saddle hunters hitch for my final hitch at the top. On the way up I’m just using a quick hitch that I don’t know the name of. A gentleman shared it on your Facebook awhile back. It utilizes a loop on the rope end and a carabiner. I can email you a picture or video of it.
@RipWheelen yes a Pocono Hitch. Good choice. Would love to see your setup. If you are in my Facebook group, feel free to post it. We all learn from each other. Cheers
@ yep that’s the one, I love that hitch. I used to be on Facebook and a member of your group. I did away with all social media awhile back for my sanity. Loved your group and learned a lot. Cheers friend.
I love the maverick hitch. I will also never climb without being tethered in via my lifeline, and will always use a lifeline now thanks to your videos such as the ‘what to do when footing is lost’ type video you made which I shared with friends. I have a question. I’m unsure if you know who Dan infault is. If you look him up, a lot of his setups end up in brushy very small dia trees and quite low. I would like to see a video of how you with your system would go about getting into similar trees such as he uses in those setups as safely as you use it in larger dia trees. I’m thinking small diameter and relatively extreme brush up against the tree I’m trying to get into. I’m not sure of the best route to go with that situation with this rope based system. As I find myself in those situations often where I find my target bucks living.
Now that's a GREAT question and suggestion. You already know I can climb. What you don't know is that I have had many consistent years of success at tagging mature whitetail bucks. We'll get to that topic at a future point in time. Safety first. But as it pertains to your question, most hunters seem to spend most of their time hunting a tree that will work with their climbing system. That's not going to make us successful. We need to hunt where the deer are traveling, not where we want them to be. And the more cover, the better and that doesn't usually leave us the best choices of trees. I have just taken your suggestion and added it to my future list video topics. I can't give you a promise on when, but I'll get to it
Thank you. I will keep an eye out for it. I appreciate the content, voicing safety first, and since learning and utilizing many of the things you show for myself I very much enjoy climbing almost as much as hunting now. So thank you!
Do you have a solution using the maverick pole on a tree with branches in the way? I've been trying to figure out if I could use Beta Stick from rock climbing field with locking carabiner somehow. I'm not worried about using carabiner to girth hitch but getting around the tree at height remains an issue.
@smau990 short answer: a tree with A LOT of branches is going to be a hassle with a pole. It's better to use a throwball if the branch is live and viable. A tree with a few branches can be climbed with a pole, bypassing em one at a time, but I might need to demonstrate it.
John, in reference to my question (remote release) on the how to video of the Maverick hitch, I couldn’t see where you “clipped in” your release line on the tag end of the hitch. Is there any way in your upcoming videos you demonstrate the remote release in camera frame? I just want to be on the safe side. Thanks
That's a good point... i have a small rigging carabiner tied on the end of my retrieval line. And i clip that into the eye or JRB end loop on the end of my rope. ua-cam.com/video/0bParmSd8AA/v-deo.htmlsi=zFaXQrWbd9LS6MeB
It’s a great video but it’s really not applicable to western hunters. I’ve yet to find a tree I can hunt out of without a cluster of branches. Even if I did it’s not practical at all to bring yet another piece of equipment (a pole) and a foot climber to the setup. I really like how you’re climbing and minimizing slack but this seems only practical to folks climbing limbless trees and within short walking distance of your rig. We’re packing gear upwards of 5 miles to saddle hunt so keeping the gear/weight as minimal as possible is critical.
@highcountryoutdoor great input. I am certain you and I have a lot more in common than our trees do! What kinda trees do you have to deal with? Can you use a throwball in them? Yesterday, I found an active creek crossing where they cross to get from bedding to fields at dusk. But the only Tree in a good location looked more like a huge bush. It's a willow with a million branches. I shot a throwball right through it and i will go up on a rope the first time I hunt it. I will need to prune as I go through. I only use the pole as a last resort. My primary method of getting a rope in a tree is with a throw ball
@@jrbtc mostly large pine/spruce trees. Occasionally a lodgepole and those are great but sadly about every spot I’ve found so far a throw ball is useless. I’m curious what you mean by “shot” a throw ball..?!?? Is this just your term for good placement with a throw or another technique? I must admit I’m a complete rookie when it comes to saddle hunting and this is my first season using it to hunt elk in the mountains over water and wallows mostly. Next year I plan to be more mobile and hunt transition areas from bedding to water/feed but the trees are the same. Occasionally I’ll find an aspen but I don’t trust the limbs of an aspen regardless of how big they are. I came arises your videos and channel because I was very uncomfortable with the amount of slack I experience one-sticking up a giant pine with branches everywhere.
@highcountryoutdoor yes, i just threw the ball hard from the side so that it went right through the willow leaves and shot out the other side. You might be able to use a Houdini Maverick setup on some of your trees. ua-cam.com/video/7HOCRiuPGfU/v-deo.htmlsi=QepcpihT81-MPFrt
At this point I see the stick can be beneficial for standing stable to create that second hitch. But there are so many ropes in the way. No reason for the stick with that system.
@kevinvargason8835 We basically agree: if we want to climb safely, we don't need a stick. However, if anyone climbs with one or more sticks, of course they can, but they still should climb safely. In my book, and according to everything I have learned over the years, we gotta be tied in 100% of the time and managing slack. Most aren't doing so. And to be clear, there is only one rope in this system, but we use both ends of it. Two is a manageable number for me.
@@jrbtc yes only the one rope which I plan to employ this method this year. The rope for the stick is there and I can see potential for getting tangled when climbing in the dark. The maverick looks to be very simple to tie and with practice should be able to to tie this in the dark very simply.
@kevinvargason8835 Excellent. And FYI and consideration, this same basic method can be accomplished with the JRB Cinch instead of the Maverick hitch. The advantages that nothing needs to be tied. The disadvantage is that there is some metal in the setup and it's a bit more effort to retrieve. But some folks prefer it. I plan to demonstrate that in an upcoming video. There is a page dedicated to the JRB Cinch on my website
By watching your channel, I was one-sticking last year with a maverick hitch in lieu of a lanyard, in the method in which you first showed (prior to using the garda).
You are so correct: it is very awkward climbing an aider and one-stick while trying to minimize the slack between advances. (It should also be noted that aiders are very dangerous without a proper toe plant against the tree.)
Your video title is also correct: the stick is really optional. I plan to keep mine for now, but only as a hunting platform that is lightweight and easy to attach.
If this video gets the number of views that it deserves, the market might get ripe for used one-sticks...🤣
I agree with you 100%. I’m keeping my one stick for now as well. As i continue to practice srt/hitch climbing I’m not seeing a lot of need for a one stick. I too have found managing slack with the one stick to be very awkward and clumsy.
I just made a similar comment above, but coming up with a title for this video was the most difficult part for me.
You just got a new subscriber. And it isn't just because you have the best and safest climbing system, it is because you are in Pennsylvania. 😂😂😂 Thank you for these videos, I am looking forward to learning your system of climbing. I am sick of the excessive slack I always end up with the way I have been climbing. I am always wanting to be as safe as possible. I am a true novice when it comes to saddle hunting, but I truly love it so far. I just want to make sure I am doing it the safest way possible.
@jayorsilentbob8334 thanks for checking in. There's been only upside to my hunting experience since I have been in a saddle in a no slack climbing setup. I have been safer, more mobile, and more successful. Look around the website, especially the safety page and playlist.
jrbtreeclimbing.com/
That’s pretty slick. Best climbing video I’ve seen
Appreciate that. Just trying to get y'all thinking differently and make sure we're doing everything possible to avoid a once in a lifetime mishap from becoming a tragic situation. Get safe and then help your friends do the same. That's why I am doing all this. Cheers
So glad you’re not into gimmicks for views! The information is amazing and more than enough! Thank you!!!
Well... sorry... but I already decided... i am definitely getting some dancers!!!
@@jrbtc 😂As long as they can tie a munter!
Great video !!! This is so much safer than traditional “one sticking”. Thank you
@davidlane9724 i agree, and of course, it's meant to provoke thought. We don't need a stick to climb. It actually just complicates our safety
John, first I want to thank you for the wealth of information that you put out on this channel for free! You’ve changed my whole mindset on how I climb and on climbing safety. I one sticked all last season, was very unsafe initially, didn’t even throw my lineman’s belt around the tree till I was standing on top of my platform (very stupid)….about halfway through I started using the JRB cinch and longhorn agile hitches, then learned how to tie the Maverick and stuck with that for my hitches, still wasn’t even close to managing slack properly…this season I’m committed to hitch climbing with the JRB system. I’ve done a few practice climbs and have really enjoyed it. Thanks again John, please keep putting out the great info!!
Appreciate that. We can be lucky on a risky system for a long time. We're safe when we remove the luck.
Thank you for all the work you do to help us stay safe. I will be implementing the JRB cinch on both ends of my rappel rope this year. I never liked the slack while one sticking.
I would like to know why you prefer the Cinch over the Maverick. Is it because of the ease of attachment? Because retrieval requires a little bit more effort.
Excellent video! My new go-to video for people interested is safer climbing. Thank you John!
@gosnelljames thanks. Slack is a problem. Just say NO to slack.
I know John was being serious to help one-stick folks to be safe.
However, I couldn’t stop laughing at this being a parody…should be titled “a JRB’er Trying to One-Stick…Nah, Waste of Time”. 😂
btw, I think John just convinced me to buy the Maverick Pole!
I was using trekking poles last year and they worked fine. The only issue was the ones i have can easily come apart as you telescope them out. I just bought the maverick pole and it’s so much better. It stays together and has a longer reach
Ha. The most difficult part of this video was coming up with a TITLE for it. I literally shot the video in one continuous take with no script and no rehearsal... and it was east to produce... but I how to scratch my head for quite a while to come up with a title. Next time, I am gonna ask YOU for some help! Cheers
This is my second year saddle hunting. I love it. I don't think I'd be comfortable one sticking or rope climbing yet. I feel better having 4 to 5 climbing sticks. Attached to the tree. It's like an escape route or something. Good vid though
@PJBASS8225 that is a popular perspective. I just encourage UA-cam evaluate your safety and remember that there's a difference between feeling safe and being safe. When we are laterally stable, we feel safe. But Being safe means we can't fall, no matter what happens to our footing.
jrbtreeclimbing.com/content/evaluate-your-safety/
Greetings from Canada's west coast! John, just want to say that I appreciate all that you are putting into this, I am learning a lot, changing some of my own systems that are more "Bushcrafting" related but in some cases also in need safety considerations, and really enjoying your channel overall. Thanks, Mike.🙂👍
Excellent... I am sure we have a lot more in common than our forests do. I would love to see a picture of the woods where you live. Lotta pine? Is tree sap a problem for you?
Excellent video with lots of knowledge. I greatly appreciate it.
Glad it was helpful!
Great job...
Thanks Tim
Nice demonstration great points too
@jhuntley575 Thanks Jason.
Thanks for sharing the information, I’ve been one sticking for the last 3 deer seasons and I’m always looking for ways to to improve with safety being number 1. The slack while climbing the aider to the stick has always been a concern for me, I want to learn this system with the maverick hitch and foot loop , thanks again !
Appreciate that. If I am provoking thought, I consider that step in the right direction. Once we have a goal... we can set off to achieve it. Cheers
This is literally just SRT climbing with a foot ascender like a jet step and a pre-set paracord or using a throw ball which is usually more useful as almsot every tree has branches and are not telephone poles, if anyone wants to learn more about SRT NY saddle hunter had plenty of awesome videos on this subject of rope climbing, he was/is an arborist so it's straight from the source
@outdoorchaos8860 There's plenty of content on the channel about climbing on trees using methods that involve the use of a throwball. This video and type of climbing is for no slack climbing on trees where a throwball is not possible. And it works with or with a climbing stick. On trees where we can use a throwball or paracord preset installed with a throwball, SRT works, but DSRT has several advantages. See the pages for DSRT vs SRT. There's just no reason to be buying Mechanical Devices we don't need and there's no need to be tying knots at the tree.
jrbtreeclimbing.com/
ive been doing this method for two years but i dont use the stick or the foot loop. its just too much movement and noise for me. i have to move my rope more but im ok with that. i have two ascender knots on both sides of my rope and i use both sides.
@RipWheelen cool. Some of the earlier content on the Hitch Climbing playlist used that technique. But I am curious to know what anchor you use on the trunk? When I don't use a pole with a Maverick, I prefer the Saddle Hunters Hitch.
@ I use a saddle hunters hitch for my final hitch at the top. On the way up I’m just using a quick hitch that I don’t know the name of. A gentleman shared it on your Facebook awhile back. It utilizes a loop on the rope end and a carabiner. I can email you a picture or video of it.
@RipWheelen yes a Pocono Hitch. Good choice. Would love to see your setup. If you are in my Facebook group, feel free to post it. We all learn from each other. Cheers
@ yep that’s the one, I love that hitch. I used to be on Facebook and a member of your group. I did away with all social media awhile back for my sanity. Loved your group and learned a lot. Cheers friend.
I love the maverick hitch. I will also never climb without being tethered in via my lifeline, and will always use a lifeline now thanks to your videos such as the ‘what to do when footing is lost’ type video you made which I shared with friends. I have a question. I’m unsure if you know who Dan infault is. If you look him up, a lot of his setups end up in brushy very small dia trees and quite low. I would like to see a video of how you with your system would go about getting into similar trees such as he uses in those setups as safely as you use it in larger dia trees. I’m thinking small diameter and relatively extreme brush up against the tree I’m trying to get into. I’m not sure of the best route to go with that situation with this rope based system. As I find myself in those situations often where I find my target bucks living.
Now that's a GREAT question and suggestion. You already know I can climb. What you don't know is that I have had many consistent years of success at tagging mature whitetail bucks. We'll get to that topic at a future point in time. Safety first. But as it pertains to your question, most hunters seem to spend most of their time hunting a tree that will work with their climbing system. That's not going to make us successful. We need to hunt where the deer are traveling, not where we want them to be. And the more cover, the better and that doesn't usually leave us the best choices of trees. I have just taken your suggestion and added it to my future list video topics. I can't give you a promise on when, but I'll get to it
Thank you. I will keep an eye out for it. I appreciate the content, voicing safety first, and since learning and utilizing many of the things you show for myself I very much enjoy climbing almost as much as hunting now. So thank you!
I kept waiting for him to bust out a sham wow
No slack... no sham!😆
Do you have a solution using the maverick pole on a tree with branches in the way? I've been trying to figure out if I could use Beta Stick from rock climbing field with locking carabiner somehow. I'm not worried about using carabiner to girth hitch but getting around the tree at height remains an issue.
@smau990 short answer: a tree with A LOT of branches is going to be a hassle with a pole. It's better to use a throwball if the branch is live and viable. A tree with a few branches can be climbed with a pole, bypassing em one at a time, but I might need to demonstrate it.
Basically you just showed that stick climbing was a waste of time. Just rope climb
Training wheels aren't necessarily a waste of time. But we don't need to leave them on the bike forever.
John, in reference to my question (remote release) on the how to video of the Maverick hitch, I couldn’t see where you “clipped in” your release line on the tag end of the hitch. Is there any way in your upcoming videos you demonstrate the remote release in camera frame? I just want to be on the safe side. Thanks
That's a good point... i have a small rigging carabiner tied on the end of my retrieval line. And i clip that into the eye or JRB end loop on the end of my rope.
ua-cam.com/video/0bParmSd8AA/v-deo.htmlsi=zFaXQrWbd9LS6MeB
AMEN SAFETY FIRST APPROACH
@@joemorris414 hopefully, we will get some of our friends thinking.
It’s a great video but it’s really not applicable to western hunters. I’ve yet to find a tree I can hunt out of without a cluster of branches. Even if I did it’s not practical at all to bring yet another piece of equipment (a pole) and a foot climber to the setup. I really like how you’re climbing and minimizing slack but this seems only practical to folks climbing limbless trees and within short walking distance of your rig. We’re packing gear upwards of 5 miles to saddle hunt so keeping the gear/weight as minimal as possible is critical.
@highcountryoutdoor great input. I am certain you and I have a lot more in common than our trees do! What kinda trees do you have to deal with? Can you use a throwball in them? Yesterday, I found an active creek crossing where they cross to get from bedding to fields at dusk. But the only Tree in a good location looked more like a huge bush. It's a willow with a million branches. I shot a throwball right through it and i will go up on a rope the first time I hunt it. I will need to prune as I go through. I only use the pole as a last resort. My primary method of getting a rope in a tree is with a throw ball
@@jrbtc mostly large pine/spruce trees. Occasionally a lodgepole and those are great but sadly about every spot I’ve found so far a throw ball is useless. I’m curious what you mean by “shot” a throw ball..?!?? Is this just your term for good placement with a throw or another technique? I must admit I’m a complete rookie when it comes to saddle hunting and this is my first season using it to hunt elk in the mountains over water and wallows mostly. Next year I plan to be more mobile and hunt transition areas from bedding to water/feed but the trees are the same. Occasionally I’ll find an aspen but I don’t trust the limbs of an aspen regardless of how big they are. I came arises your videos and channel because I was very uncomfortable with the amount of slack I experience one-sticking up a giant pine with branches everywhere.
@highcountryoutdoor yes, i just threw the ball hard from the side so that it went right through the willow leaves and shot out the other side. You might be able to use a Houdini Maverick setup on some of your trees.
ua-cam.com/video/7HOCRiuPGfU/v-deo.htmlsi=QepcpihT81-MPFrt
At this point I see the stick can be beneficial for standing stable to create that second hitch. But there are so many ropes in the way.
No reason for the stick with that system.
@kevinvargason8835 We basically agree: if we want to climb safely, we don't need a stick. However, if anyone climbs with one or more sticks, of course they can, but they still should climb safely. In my book, and according to everything I have learned over the years, we gotta be tied in 100% of the time and managing slack. Most aren't doing so. And to be clear, there is only one rope in this system, but we use both ends of it. Two is a manageable number for me.
@@jrbtc yes only the one rope which I plan to employ this method this year. The rope for the stick is there and I can see potential for getting tangled when climbing in the dark.
The maverick looks to be very simple to tie and with practice should be able to to tie this in the dark very simply.
@kevinvargason8835 Excellent. And FYI and consideration, this same basic method can be accomplished with the JRB Cinch instead of the Maverick hitch. The advantages that nothing needs to be tied. The disadvantage is that there is some metal in the setup and it's a bit more effort to retrieve. But some folks prefer it. I plan to demonstrate that in an upcoming video. There is a page dedicated to the JRB Cinch on my website
EXCELLENT EXPLANATIONS JOHN
@@joemorris414 appreciate it.