PETE WARD
"WELCOME TO MY OUTDOOR WORLD"
PETE WARD
"WELCOME TO MY OUTDOOR WORLD"
NORTH STAR HAS CLOSED SHOP
I have no contact information for them.
The Arrowstarr-FS climbing/folding treestand is a light weight welded aluminum frame stand that folds flat and straps together for easy packing. Assembly is fast and easy. Packing the stand is done with the shoulder straps that adjust like a knapsack for comfort. It stayed centered on my back even when I attached my quiver and pack to it. It did not dig in to me and was like using a pack frame .This stand comes with a ratchet strap for securing it to the tree when you are in position as well as a certified safety harness.
I have been using the "ArrowstarrFS" Climbing treestand for the past 3 weekends In northern Alberta while bear hunting and have found it to be a very easy stand to climb with. It goes up and down trees with little effort on your part. The sit to climb feature is simple and easy to master, there are no foot straps to get tangled up in or trip over. You no longer need to be an acrobat to use a climber with the unique design of the Arrowstarr.
By placing your toes under the aluminum braces like I show in the photo above the bottom section is easily lifted and lowered as you climb from your seated position. The stand comes with 2 adjustable nylon straps the secure the bottom of the stand to the top so that it can not be knocked down or dropped out of reach. The seat for climbing is a 2"wide nylon strap that buckles in position for climbing and it can be moved out of the way, under the folding seat while sitting on the stand. .
I found that the seat strap when buckled could have a tendency to loosen unless the tag end of the strap was looped back over and thru the buckle again to make it positively secure. When this was done the strap remained securely fastened in the same position without any slipping at all while climbing and descending. .
Fastening the stand to a tree is simple and fast. There is little noise during set-up if a bit of care is taken. To attach each section you remove the locking pin from one side and pull the spring steel biter rod from the stand and pass it around the tree. Then slip it back into the angled brace and insert the pin back into the brace above the stop block on the rod. This only takes a few seconds to do. This is a good time to test the section you installed to make sure the lock pin is properly positioned to stop the rod from being pulled out. .
The second section can be installed the same way as the first. Make sure now that you have both sections attached to the tree that they are pinned properly and the tie straps are attached to both the top and bottom to prevent a loss of the bottom section while climbing. Each section has a set of large claws that dig securely into the tree bark when weight is applied to the frames. The claws easily secured the stand for me when climbing both soft smooth and hard rough bark trees, or while waiting for a Bear to arrive. The stand did not have any tendency to tip or slip at any time. I felt safe and secure at all times. After reaching your desired position on the tree the quick ratchet strap is easily fixed to the stand and around the tree for added security. .
When using any stand always use a full body safety harness that is approved by TMA. or OHSA .Always follow the instructions for wearing your harness and test it out at home before leaving so that you will be able to properly wear it. A poorly adjusted or improperly worn harness gives no protection at all. The full body harness that comes with all Northstar stands is certified safe to use if worn properly. It can save your life in a fall. The harness is easy to put on and comes with a tether strap and shock absorber that should be placed around the tree as high as possible to limit the drop should you slip off your stand. Make sure that the buckles are fastened properly and will not slip before climbing by pulling on all straps to make sure that you are wearing the harness properly.
In the construction Industry where I work we wear harnesses every day and before each time we put one on we inspect them for wear and tear. This takes less that a minute to do and there is no reason not to do the same for a hunting harness. There is no one around you when you are hunting to see that you have fallen. Keep your tether as short as possible so that you can get back on the stand if you need to.
In closing I found the “ARROWSTARR-FS” to be a very good stand to hunt from. It has cork padding between the braces and the main frame to keep it quite and creak/squeak free. The stand climbs very well and is quiet when you are moving around on it. I did not hear any noises when I changed from sitting to standing, or when I was shifting my weight around to look beside and behind me. The folding padded seat does not make any noise when it is being folded up or down, or when you shift your weight on it. When folded and carried on your back the Arrowstar is light weight and easy to walk with. Below is a summary of the Arrowstarr features, copied from the Northstar web site.
standard Arrow Starr FSTM features:
