I did a post on these a while back and have come up with a new way to make them, 1 ratchet strap(Harbour Freight $3) Two hockey Pucks(Dicks $1 a piece)- 2 cable clamps(Lowes .55)- 3/8ths. plastic tubing(.09 for 6"s)- 22"s of 5/16ths. coated cable($1) for a total of $7.20. for the guys who have these stands they will know how to make them up. I put up over 20 of theses brackets this past week and I am very impressed with the Chippewa Stand. Great product and great people. Shawn

Good plans.  What made you decide to go with ratchet straps instead of chain?

Come on Shawn. How about some pics before and after for those of us,(o.k. just me), that are challenged.

Here's an EXTREMELY cost effective, lightweight and most importantly, SAFE alternative to the above suggestion. For climbing applications, ounce for ounce, there are few things more durable and reliable than quality rappelling rope (I buy mine at REI, but quality rope from any hardware store will work just as well). Here's what you do:


1.  Guestimate the diameter of the tree you plan to hunt from.

2.  Add 18" to the guesstimate in #1 above.

3.  Multiply the answer in #2 by 3.14. This will give you the length of rope you'll need- plus a little extra for tying a few knots- to get around the circumference of the tree.

4.  Slide a 12" piece of garden hose over this length of rope. Tie a half-hitch knot in the rope at both ends of the hose. This will prevent the hose from sliding.

5.  Create a loop at one end of the rope using a standard bowline knot.

6.  Place the rope around the tree passing the end through the loop. Pull snug, BUT NOT TIGHT and secure in place with two half-hitch knots.

NOTE: no spacers are necessary and this rigg will SAFELY anchor your climbing sticks and/or tree stand to the tree as well as ANY chain or cable rigg- but at a fraction of the cost and weight. It is also much quicker to secure to the tree.

Cost? About $2!

Huckleberry, what diameter of rope are you using?  I tip the scales at 225 lbs.

Stik,

I use 9 mill which will support an elephant. But if you desire to support an elephant plus 225#s, for piece of mind, try something of larger diameter.

Huck

Will the "wedge" on the Chippewa stand fit over the garden hose?

It will but it may be noisy. I recently tried above method and it worked but it does require spacers for the wedge lock as it will roll down the tree. Ya can use it but I still like my method a lot better. Shawn

I own a couple Chippewa stands, the "Chief" and the "Quest". I also use the Chippewa climbing stick (at $100 a piece, you better believe I use them!) with the rigging I have described above. The knots that are tied in the rope on each side of the garden hose serve as my "spacers" and I have personally never experienced any slippage whatsoever once gravity does its' thing and cements the stand or climbing sticks to the tree. With regard to noise, there is none- that's the beauty of using rope and rubber! Certainly less noise than carrying chains/cables and other hardware into the woods.

If you really want to do this CHEAP, go into your garage, barn, basement etc. - wherever it is that you store your stash of 25 seasons of safety harness belts (the stash that we all seem to accumulate by the annual phenomenon of misplacing/replacing or belts) and use these to secure your Chippewa stands or climbing sticks to the tree. They work as well as anything.

Labs

Labs,

I would have to agree with you on one point, as an arborist who trusts his life to ropes??? I would trust a bowline over any clamps, that is a for sure!
BD  

I have used 9 mil to lower 2000 pound limbs to the ground..it will hold 225 pounds!  

They're ya have it. Never debate the BIG DOG (especially when you weigh 170#s soaking wet!).

If you really must know my strategy for ascending to 20', I use a chain- a BIG, FAT, NOISY CHAIN- to secure my stand to the tree. I leave these chains, complete with hockey puck size spacers secured to various trees for the duration of the hunting season at my desired hunting height. And then to minimize noise and weight, I use rope or belts to secure my climbing sticks to the tree to climb to my stand.

My problem is I leave them in the tree all season and I do not know why but they do not weather as well and the animals seem to like the ropes. I agree, the strength is not an issue. Shawn

I agree, leaving a rope in a tree is bad news if you intend it to stay all season...critters love to chew it up and make nests from it!

BD

I am also way over 225 with all my stuff on. I just weighed myself at the vet and was 223 and I wear at least 15 pounds of stuff. Shawn

I'm with ya about NOT leaving rope in a tree for the season. Unless of course you plan to let a politician hunt out of that particular stand.

Quote
I just weighed myself at the vet

You trying to save on health insurance or something?!  Go to a doctor man!  Sheesh!  
 :D    

If I'm leaving a stand in the woods for any length of time, it's got a chain or a cable on it!  The treerats out here seem to like the straps as much as the ropes.

How many stand locations do you have this year buddy?

A couple of questions on cable clamps: 1 Do they require a special tool to install? 2 Can they be safely installed by a novice?  3  Would it not be a good idea to install 2 clamps instead of 1 on a loop just for insurance?

Can anyone help me with some questions on cable clamps: 1 Do they require a special tool to install? 2 Can they be safely installed by a novice?

for you "first timers" playing with cable clamps, please remember the "rule":

"YOU DON'T SADDLE A DEAD HORSE"

The saddle of the clamp should NOT be on the dead end od the cable.....

Lets be safe folks.