How to silence a tree stand, climbing sticks, and buckles… Instead of blindly adding silencing material to a tree stand system, try to replicate noise as it could occur during use to find and eliminate the root cause. I use Stealth Strips, a product by stealth outdoors, rubber bicycle tubing, and have used felt and camo cloth tape in the past. Part of the video is a tutorial on installing stealth strips onto climbing sticks, and silencing buckles with bicycle tubing. Someone asked me in the Youtube comments what to do about fixing squeaks… If the tree stand happens to develop a squeak, I just rub on a little WD-40 on the problem area. I’m not too worried about its scent because past experience has led me to believe it’s not a huge deal. Plus I always spray my gear and body with a scent killer spray before entering the woods.
Another thing to consider is whether or not to go buckle free on your climbing sticks or tree stand. Below are three ArcheryTalk links related to Lone Wolf tree stand strap modifications. In the first, someone added cleats to that he could use a rope similar to the Muddy climbing stick attachment. In the second, someone just uses a rope tied with a couple half hitches. In the third, someone actually manufactured “constrictors” so that you could have an adjustable rope with a loop on each end. I’ve yet to try any of these, but they look intriguing. I imagine they might be a bit more difficult to swing around the backside of a large tree.
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1941366
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1825660http://
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=664190&highlight=constrictors
In the video, you might have noticed my climbing stick extensions… the webbing “stirrups”. Here’s a link on how I made those:
DIY Climbing Stick Modification “Webbing Stirrups”
And here’s a link on how to hang a tree stand in 5 minutes, using 4 climbing sticks and one trip up the tree:
How to Hang a Tree Stand in 5 Minutes