DIY Retractable Skeletor Aiders!! 

Great addition to my sticks. I found using a US 6 (4mm) knitting needle to bore out the line and some copper jewelry wire (bent in half to pinch the taper) to pull it through was easier than the larger bore fid shown in the video. Also found a lot of knitting needles are solid and not hollow. ;)

Thanks for coming up with these. Awesome idea. Took some time to splice but once I got the hang of it, it was easy! Keep it up!

Absolutely clean, I love it. Great video, appreciate the detail! Just found my next project! Thanks man!

Now THIS is how you do an instructional video! This is great! Thank you!

Very well thought out and implemented!

End products looks great. Well done!!

Slick! Nice vid and great explanation and demonstration!

Great instruction!

Amazing how-to video! I really like this idea. Thanks!

I absolutely could not get the rope to fit over the #10. I found using the looper for the bury worked perfectly. I threaded the looper at the end of the bury (7 inch mark) through the rope where it came out next to the knot. Then hooked in the tapered end and it buried really easily.

As someone who’s done very little climbing (I’ve been up some poles and trees as an electrician) I found this video great! I enjoy rope splicing and knitting needles were a great idea! I will say a 1/4-20 bolt isn’t a #20, it has 20 threads per inch. There is also a fine thread 1/4-28. If I were you I’d be buying grade 8 hardware, since you are really putting your life on it. Also Nyloc locking nuts so you know they won’t back off. Really professional build tho, man! Thanks for posting 👍

Wish you had done this about a week ago. Made my amsteel aiders and ran them off the bottom foot peg hole near the bolt. Possibility that I might change it. Awesome idea.

Wow you are a handy fella, awesome ideas

Pretty sweet mod, nice job walking out how to build them 🤙🏼

Worked great! I ordered a set from therealamsteelguy and it took me about 30mins to do my very first. I have never worked with amsteel before i might add. Ill be installing my other 3 this wkend. Thanks for the awesome video!

You should consider addding keepers down low to reduce friction on your line. Having the line go around that edge will eventually wear a spot in the line

Tip for others doing this: I couldn't get the fid to work at step 15:50. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get enough of the rope to slide over the fid. So I used a piece of copper craft wire. It worked really well and was much easier. Just finished and I'm loving these aiders! So slick!

Thank you so much! Excited to do this myself!

That is the most genius aider idea that I have ever seen.

That is slick as bull snot. Well done!

Very cool!!

This is absolutely genius. I just ordered a set of skeletors and was looking for DIY aider ideas for them when I stumbled upon your video. Definitely going this route, thanks for the idea. I have a feeling once this gets out this will be an extremely popular aider method for these sticks. Awesome video! -Zach

After seeing this I'm doing it too. Thanks.

This dude is a genius. 🤯🔥

I did this mod to mine this weekend. Worked out great and is nice and clean! My only complaint is the #10 needle and trying to feed it through the amsteel. It was nearly impossible to get it to push through. I ended up using a #6 (4.25mm) which was a solid needle in my case. I drilled out the end about 1/2", cut it on a 45 degree and it worked perfectly. Took me a minute or so to feed it through. Thank you for the video!

I saved this one!! Being a trapper as well as a hunter, I got a ton of cable that I use for cable stakes! I know you used Amsteel, but I definitely got some ideas for cable and I can dye it to take the shine off. Great video!!!

Thanks, this is a great idea. Just installed these on my Skeletors. I had the same problem with it being too close to the tree on the way down. I use little bungee cords to keep them away from the tree.

I like the idea of the retractable aider; however, because of the position on the standoff, it is not very far off the tree. It basically hangs right next to the tree and makes it very hard to get you foot in on the way down. Going up wasn't an issue, but trying to get my foot in while coming down was a real pain. I ended up converting mine to regular aiders coming off the step. This brought it off the tree and easier to get into. It stows actually pretty well and just as neat as the retractable design.

I just finished doing this to my sticks and love it so far! I followed your video to a T. The step is a little close to the tree and tough to get your foot in sometimes, but I still like it a lot. I’m probably going to do a video on this aider system and link your video in the description to give you the credit you deserve. So you may get a little more traffic on this video soon. Thanks a lot for idea!

Did this mod and it is super slick! I’ve hunted half a dozen times with them and typically only use the bottom 2 steps with the aiders. Gets my platform to roughly 16-17 feet. Getting down is typically a bit tricky. Found easiest way if can’t get foot in is to squat down use hand to help foot get into aider not always an issue but if having trouble it’s not difficult. 10/10 would recommend. Difficulty I would say is 5/10 once you get into a rhythm it’s not bad

Thanks for the vid

Great idea, wondering about putting the top loop of amsteel over top of v-bracket rather than than adding the bolts.

If you want the step part to be shorter when stored you could put another set of the table bolts farther down the sticks. Then after you pull the aider up got over the top table bolts and back down to the second set. It would pull the loose, "floppy" part of the aider closer to the bottom of the stick.

Have you considered using a cap nut in the front with loctite on your bolts to make a cleaner finish?

I agree with John Taylor below. While this is an excellent idea and a great instructional video, the aiders just hang too close to the tree to make for a secure trip down. You can't get your toe deep enough into the loop to get a proper foothold which leaves you dangling with one leg on the stick and the other fighting to get inside the loop. You'll have to angle your toe down and wiggle the sides of the aider until your foot makes it in. It's a pretty uncomfortable and precarious situation but if you have the athleticism and lengthen your linemans rope enough it can be done. That being said, this system is still extremely slick and I'm going to stick with it this season. For just around $40 it is worth it to at least give it a try and see if you can pull off the move yourself. Curious to see if Covering Ground has a workaround and appreciate the innovative content!

Great video and explanation/tutorial! Having a hard time finding the "Cap bolt/connecting bolt" that you are using. Do you have a link for that and the nuts? Thanks!

Can you do a follow up video on these? Curious how they are working out for you. I like the design. I have some skeletors on the way and considering this mod. Thanks for the video.

What diameter coated cable did you use? I want to use the cable because of the stiffness.

Skelator sticks have allot of sharp edges. Have you noticed and chafing of the Amsteel? That is a great idea.

You need to patent that if you haven't. Really nice video.

I am thinking about getting these sticks and saw you great idea for an aider. It seems like the best place to attach to add maximum clearance from the tree is the outermost holes in the lower step. For storage the rope would run up the front of the post. It looks like this would stop the lower steps from fully sliding into the groove between the back and front plate. Would this cause problems for stacking the sticks?

Is it possible to just run a square knot at the bottom and slide the hose overtop? Just an idea, instead of trying to splice. Or is splicing a better option?

What was the size of the needle used to splice?

Great video! Just ordered everything and can’t wait to get it started! How high up were you able to get?

Any idea of the bend radius of amsteel? This looks like a great idea i just worry about the hard edges.

@9:16 in the video - Why not run the aider through the two circular holes next to the triangular holes you use? Seems that would place the aider slightly further from the tree and wider. Does it matter? Thanks!

I have been trying to feed this #10 through the line and just can't get it to expand enough to get the needle more than 5 to 6 inches. What a beotch

Very nice. Can you link the tools you used?

Definitely having problems feeding the needle back through the amsteel. Seems like I can get 2” fed and then it just stops. Hopefully trying a smaller needle will help. Any ideas please let me know.

Where did you get the Amsteel having a hard time finding that size in small amounts

what are the climbing sticks and where do you get them? Thanks

So I think you mentioned this being a 19 inch step once everything is done. I assume if I wanted to do an 18 inch step I would cut the Amsteel at 66 instead of 68?

Saw comment about aider hanging too close to the tree to allow safe and effective usage. What has been your experience?

Did you end up splicing in a pull up loop? If so do you have any instructions for that?

Maybe I missed it but how long was the rubber hose you used for your step?

do you have the link for the amdteel i can not find small spools that i whould need for this mod

I can't find the bolts anywhere in Western New York. Any suggestions for alternatives?

How high up were you able to get doing this?

Hi I live in Norway and the amsteel guy doesn’t sell to Europe. Can you help me with the parts I need to do this dyi build…?

How much weight did it add per stick?

Just use a versa aider. Done.

Dude, what will you charge to do that for me??!! Lol 😁 😆 🤣 😂... 👍

Can I pay you to do these to my skeletors lol

What is it

I'm pretty sure he means 58 not 68 what is extremely upsetting because amsteel is very expensive so this is a very informational video however the length of the am still is absolutely incorrect

??????? ?