Well i bought 2 new gorilla king kong xls hang ons yesterday- basspro had a good deal goin on- but i didnt buy a ladder or screw in steps yet and im still debating. ive only used a 15 foot regular ladder stand prior to this so i dont know whether to go with the steps or the ladder. What do you guys prefer. i want to go somewhere around 25 foot up. Im leaning towards the screw in steps just because of the price but i also dont want to fall out of a tree and im not sure how durable the steps are after a while. if i do end up going with the steps, how far apart do i screw them. im just getting an idea of how much its gonna be so i can weigh the difference in price. Any inputs would help. thanks

Tom

We use ladder sticks, but Dad builds them. They can be bought from Cabelas and such, but you are limited to usually 12 to 15 ft. What Dad does is use a 20ft. stick of 1" square tubing as the spine. He cuts more tubing into 6" pieces for the steps. He welds them to the sides of the stick to make the ladder. He then bends some flat stock to make the brackets that will go against the tree. He drills holes in the brackets for double headed nails. To get the extra 5 to 10 ft. to the stand, we'll use available branches or screw in steps.

This is really no cheaper, but some people just like to homebrew as much as possible....lol

I'll try to take a pic next time we hit the woods and show 'em to you.

The solid screw in steps are not a bad choice. I would recommend getting the drill attachment (bark biter) unless you enjoy an arm workout. As far as placement, that will be determined by your comfort level. Don't place them too far apart. You may be climbing them in winter with more or thicker clothing and you'll find yourself straining to get to the top.

Check wallmart. They have the ladder sticks for 9.99 ea. You should be able to get close to 25' with 4 of them

Ruler of thumb on the spacing between strps is from finger tips to elbow and thats what I use most of the time and I use screw in's on most of my setups GOOD LUCK AND GOD Bless

You can get 20' Loggy Bayou sticks from Cabelas for $50, and they are great. The only limitation to sticks as compared to screw in steps is that your tree must be pretty much straight. If it leans any within that 20', you'll have a tough time. Also, if the tree has any bulges so that you can't get the sticks right up to the tree, it can be hard to get all the straps tight.

Bottom line is, if you have a tree (or trees) that are straight up to 20-25', you can't beat sticks. I completely converted to sticks this year, too many stories of guys getting hurt by falling off of and on to the screw in steps.

Screw in steps will get shorter the longer you leave them in the tree. Seems like the tree keeps growing. My buddy and I have some that have been in the tree for years and they only show about an inch of the step anymore. You can also snag a pant leg or really rip up your leg going down if you slip.
I'd go with the ladder sticks for a hang on. Buy a couple if you want to go higher than the 16 feet most of them come with. You'll always get more hang on stands as you continue your hunting years and you can use the second set to extend any new ladder sticks you buy.
Ladder stands are getting more use as we grow older for ease of use.

Thanks for the inputs guys. i think im leaning toward the steps then because i havent picked a tree yet and im not sure how straight its gonna be. i figure 40-50 steps should be good for two 25ft stands.

40 50 steps for two stands is way enough, at 2 foot apart 14 each is plenty.
I used screw in steps many years in the past never had any fail or pull out of the tree. Beware of old trees with thick bark and screw them in as far as possiable.
I mostly hunt from a climber becauce of the comfort compaired to the old Loc-on stand I have, but when I do set a loc-on I like the latter sticks now.
Just remember alway wear your safty harness/belt while setting up, sitting, and climbing down a tree.

xx

Had a good friend fall and shatter his ankle by using screw in steps, I don't use them anymore.... his snapped in half..

well i was in a pinch friday night. i was leaving for up north at 8pm and got to my local gander mountain at 7 and all they had were 15 steps left of the ameristeps(the ones i was going for) so just went ahead and bought two 20 foot ladders. got the stands hung yesterday and it was my first time with a hang on. i learned a lot when hanging them and i was amazed at how much farther 20 foot feels compared to 12-15. these gorilla hang ons are soo comfortable, i was real impressed. Well i sat in the stand last night and this morning but didnt plan on seeing anything since me and my cousin were hanging stands and messing around in the woods all day but i had a doe and 2 fawns come in last night just before dark so that made my weekend right there. boy i cant wait for 2 more weeks to come