I need new belts can not find any HELP! My belts are almost 30 years old been stored well. Read on another site about a tooth breaking off a belt causing a fall. He was 5 feet up showing his son how to use the climber and didn't have a harness on.

One tooth breaking off a belt should only cause the belt to slip about a quarter inch. Don't know how that would cause a fall. More likely, the climber didn't have the belt latch tight to the belt, which could pop open releasing the belt. That could also result in breaking a tooth as the belt is pulled free from the latch.

Regardless, did you check the Lone Wolf site? They've always offered replacement belts.

Lone wolf is no longer in business. It is now novix and they dont make the belts at this time.

Xop or Novix still sells them in the replacement section.

Sapper, Xop's website specifically says, "WILL NOT FIT LONE WOLF STANDS" but maybe that's a liability thing(?) and I didn't see any bands listed on the Novix website.

I have an XOP and a Lone Wolf climber, the belt will not interchange. Goes in but the cam will not lock on belt because groves are different..

That sucks

https://www.lonewolfcustomgear.com/collections/treestands

I'm certain that Lone Wolf did not manufacture their own traction belts so there is likely a source for replacement belt material out there somewhere?

or.....

https://www.bowhunterssupplystore.com/lone-wolf-replacement-traction-belt-rtb/?fullSite=1

Availability: Out of stock

They are out of stock everywhere.

Yeah I have had one since 1995. Change belts 3 times. No longer climb now in my 60's. It sits in my garage covered in cobwebs

Thumper, look into kevlar coated steel belted cogged synchronous belts. I started looking as I had a post on the big compound site, but like everything else in my life, personal stuff came up and ate up my time. Ugh!!!

Would these belts be categorized as polyurethane with steel reinforcement?

Possibly. I am making somewhat "edumacated" guesses at terminology. But for certain they are toothed synchronous belts.

It would be a whole lot easier if we could just get the name of Lone Wolf's supplier.

http://misbelt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Specialty- Synchronous-Belts.pdf

I was fortunate enough to order a set earlier this year form the help of another member here that seen them online for sale. I really like my lone wolf and it’s all I use. I’m not happy at all with the company and feel like it was an ignorant thing to do when they have all these loyal customers that paid a premium for their product.

As hard as it is to say....remember this when Novix is looking to sell yet another climber that parts will not be available for. Poor business model.....

Droptine your welcome. :) Glad you bought that extra set of traction belts.

Yellah Nocks: I agree with you. The Hand climber, and sit, and climb were around for a long time. I was lucky enough to get a brand new made in USA Alpha Hand Climber to replace a old stand. These were, and are a great, quiet, and good product--then poof--things went south with their production. It angers me that there is simply no more support for the existing customer who using their hard earned money supported them by buying their products, and now it's as if--sorry about your luck--don't care if you need parts, or not. It's going to be a cold day in "Heck" when I support them from here on out. I have one of their newer "Wolf- Pack" day packs that I love also, but it's simply terrible that there are so many of these stands out there, and you can't get belts, or any parts for them. I'm sure they'll have no problems trying to convince the public to buy their newer offerings. This kind of business model really stings when you basically can't get belts, or parts for one of the best treestands ever made.

Droptine X2.

Thanks to Nemo's tip I picked up 2xl traction belts awhile back.

I hope Lone Wolf will come back out with climbing stands again and replacement belts but at least I'll have a few spares that should keep me climbing safely for a long, long time.

This thread is bad news for me as I also am in need.

Hey, LW, Novix, or whatever you are called now, if you are reading this, how about responding. Check out the posts in this thread. How about replying to YOUR CUSTOMERS? And not that "we're planning on getting parts SOMEDAY in the future" stuff. Either man up and say, "you guys are on your own," or man up and give an actual DATE that YOUR CUSTOMERS can get replacements!!! Or, if you cannot or will not make replacement belts available, at the VERY LEAST, name your former supplier and the specs.

Anybody who knows that D'Aquisto guy, please direct him to this post.

And IF there is a reply, read it carefully, guys.

Sorry to be so direct, Mr. D, but you have dropped the ball big time.

We need to find out where the belt are made I am sure Novix or Lone Wolf at the time didn't make them.

They didn't. I tried but it is a tad bit technical. HAVE WE NO ENGINEERS ON THIS SITE?

It is possible that this problem has been caused by legal issues. Changes in ownership, new company start up under Novix, etc.

MP

James, I'm not to argue but timing are also used in very cold conditions. The torque a motor applies to them after they set for a week in sub zero temperature would be way more than us. That said, I don't know who supplied their belts. And it is a crappy deal as I have two of climbers also.

Maybe like lifetime outdoor wood warranty. The company is gone in ten years for liability reasons.

Replacements may be available next month

Fingers crossed for those owners.

Anybody got any updates on a source for these belts ?

Lotta silence so far....

I had one and sold it at DH this year. Ladder stands now for me. I have had more success from ladder stands anyway.

Eventually Lone Wolf will be obsolete without the bands

thanks, all; for heads up

Ok, I took the belt off from a first generation XOP stand (=lone wolf exact copy)

Here are the dimensions of the belt: Belt width:18.5mm =18mm Length: 1400mm (70 teeth@20mm) Pitch: 20mm Thickness: 10mm Depth of trapezoid teeth:5mm Overall depth: 10mm Steel cables: 9 (stainless steel I guess) Steel cable diameter: approx. 1.5mm

Based on this information and checking how this belt was cut, this was imho a closed belt to begin with which was cut open.

I think this is a Brecoflex AT20 belt in custom width and with extra thickness. AT20 comes standard 1 inch or wider. It is also 2mm thinner than the XOP belt. They had the belt custom made to fit within the square aluminum profile.

It could also be a Gates Belt.

None of these belts really is "stock" material, so an inquiry with the manufacturer is required.

I need to check my Lone Wolf Belt and see if this is identical or if this is a different belt series.

I must correct the previous, the profile should be a T20 not AT20.

I have a feeling tecum-tha is about to crack the nut on this puzzle!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/374296770217? mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357- 0&ssspo=GVuJkT- JTfa&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=baMs2bLHQyi&var=&wi dget_ver=artemis&media=SMS

I bought some here. I'm sure he can get more.

No more listings from the 9 he sold.

I inquired at brecoflex and see what they know.

I could not believe this but someone last week bought a used LW sit & Climb on flea-bay for $1,025 (not a typo....) with an extra $83 for shipping....what the heck!?!

He's going to be hating it when LW / Novix / XOP decide to start making climbers again!

Lone wolf is dead

Jack, all of your post need to be dead..!! Your an idiot..!!

Sorry, but if you can’t add something useful to a post than don’t contribute.

Not sure why his negative post are tolerated ..!

I bought my belts last season(as new still). I just use the seat part now for still hunting and blind hunting. But thinking about selling it because I can use other seat type products. What is a Lone Wolf stand worth these days with the lack of belts?

I am in contact with a belt manufacturer and try to find out some more technical data and also potential pricing and minimum order quantities and potential wait time for delivery. They can make the required profile and dimensions.

Lwcg probably has a new stand coming out and belts should be available next month

I thought lone wolf was a pretty strong company? What happened to them?

In the same vein- my favorite loc ons were gorilla tree stands. They followed the dodo bird. But why?

Yesterday there was 2 XL belts on Ebay. Brand new.

Byte mecArtie. I speak the truth you hater. You can not keep a company going if the parts are not going to be made. In fact I think they went out of business. Summit is still in business. I think all the parts guys are finding are parts that have already been made.Someone said XOP’s parts won’t fit Lone Wolf. Some say they will

And not all my posts are not negative. You haven’t been here long or you would know. I call a spade a spade. I guess I should have be more rosey and said I hope that alone Wold gets back in business. Lol. Sorry but I doubt it. I did see some belts for sale on Craigs list. Some one must have a supply of them

Lots of times company’s go out of bidness because of liability issues from lawsuits. Not at all suggesting that happened but most likely couldn’t compete with Summit and others. I sold the last ones I have at Denton Hill this year.

The new XOP climber belts will not fit the first generation XOP and the Lone Wolf Stands. The reason is, that XOP went to a more "stock available" belt profile. That "required" them to change their locking mechanism. If one creates a new locking lever for the Lone Wolf, that will fit the new XOP belt, then all these stands can be saved. The new XOP belt has a different pitch and I think an AT20 instead of the T20 profile. I think it has more teeth and is therefore heavier in weight. More teeth=more weight.

With a modified locking device like the new XOP stand has, Lone Wolf stands could also be retrofitted. The systems are overall very simple. Personally, I like the lone wolf locking system better than the new XOP system. Nothing to screw around with.

I need to take that Lone Wolf stand apart and take some measurements on that locking lever.

Standard belts come in 16 and 20mm. The Lone Wolf belts are 18mm wide. That would require a 2mm thick shim on the inside of the profile in the area where it is locked for no play sliding. The belts are 10.4mm thick, the standard belts are 8mm. That would require a 2.4mm deeper locking lever with the correct toot profile. The loss of strength from 18 to 16mm wide should be of no concern. Of concern may be the profile angle of AT20 vs T20 of 50 vs 40 degrees.

Sorry, but the Summit stands are engineering trash in comparison to the Lone Wolf. Even the new XOP stands are not closely as innovative as the Lone Wolf is. Modularity is the greatest feature of these stands, while the rest is just welded together noisy tubes made in China.

I am in contact with a belt manufacturer that could produce the profile required and asked for more technical data for our application. Belt pricing options will also be considered and of course there are minimum order quantities. It may be more economical to go to standard belt profiles and modify the stand with a few new parts.

The T20 profile is an older profile with fewer teeth. Sine these belts are produced for conveying or timing of machinery/motor components, they generally switched to more teeth which means a smaller pitch. T profiles where largely replaced with AT profiles. Most predominant T profile is now T10 and AT10.

Awesome job hunting that down! I felt from the start when I read your initial post that you have the smarts to make something happen. Please stay in touch as you progress. PM is fine, or open posting!

I do also very much enjoy the 2 lone wolf stands I have and would buy several sets of belts to keep them in operation. Thanks for doing the leg work to help some of this come to fruition. I know another fellow, non leather wallet that would likely buy some also.

maybe Tecum but it begs the question why the other two are still in bidness and LW isn't is all I am saying. I loved my lone wolf but don't use climbers anymore.

I think the family that owned the brand sold it, then there were legal issues. The legal issues,from what I understand, are not related to the superiority of the design.

I would suspect that some of the belts are possibly getting brittle with age. Keep that in mind when purchasing "new" used belts. My replacement belt had a date, but the date can't be read on my originals. Bought my stands after the first platform revision.

Also thanks for investigating work Tecum-tha

Tecum-tha- dont have one to look at but couldn't a machine shop just mill a replacement locking cam lever to match the teeth of an existing stock belt?

just replace the part for using existing belts?

Thanks for the info Hawkeye.

I bought the first hand climber model many, many years ago. The belt is flexible, soft and laced with stainless cable. Is that stainless cable in the "new" models? I have no idea.

I am also having a first model hand climber.

@Andy Man: This is correct. And that is what I am investigating also, but I need to check the tooth shear values I get from the manufacturer. The problem with a machine shop is, that they are expensive to produce a simple part. A good old hacksaw, a drill press and two files will produce the same result for a prototype much cheaper and faster.

I assume that the belts have stainless steel cable and the manufacturer is also offering that. But stainless steel and the additional thickness are custom options and not standard. I can see that the additional thickness is meant to "protect the steel", but other than that it is just a custom step away from non-standard.

I have asked for price difference between normal steel cable and stainless. They also have "hyperflex" steel options in normal and stainless and I need the technical specification for that. Tradnames are just that: trade names.

A 18mm wide standard belt has a 2178# breaking strength from this manufacturer. Factor of safety of 5:1 gives 440# safe working load.

Now, this does not address the tooth locking mechanism on both ends, that is the safe tension working load for the belt.

I will have to measure the hang angle of the arm and the platform lever and will have to do some calculations to see if there is a safe 350# load limit for different load cases.

@Pearl Drums: All the new ones will have the steel cable. Steel cable will give you a belt with "almost" no elongation. Other options like Kevlar and glas fibers will give too much elongation.

Bump

Took the cam out and ordered some material to make new cams. Does anyone have the new XOP belt, where they sell replacements and a digital caliper? All I need is the following dimensions of the belt: overall thickness of belt. Distance between right edge of adjacent teeth. Depth of teeth. Distance between teeth at base and width of teeth at top in millimeters. That will allow me to identify the profile designation.

The cams will be made solid. No weight saving cut outs. I may drill some weight saving holes, but no squarish cutouts. These are prone to stress issues.

I found belts on EBay however they do fit Lonewolf stands but are not LW made. Apparently someone is capitalizing on this but I’m not sure the quality. He is selling regular belts and XLong belts.

Nothing on ebay I can find. Some NOS probably.

This really angers me. I have an old made in Illinois Lone Wolf hand climber AND a sit-n-climb. There are no belts to be had on the open market. I payed A LOT of money for these climbers and all I need are belts. The belts on both are well over 15 years old and well used. They SHOULD be replaced.

I understand your frustration. I sold mine awhile ago but wish I hadn't. If tecum-tha does what I think he is, this should salvage your stand! I started this thread here and on the big compound site hoping that these excellent stands can be salvaged. Honestly I am a cheapo too and hope to rescue a lone wolf on bargain someplace and resurrect it so I can keep climbing.

I would think big companies may be afraid of the liability issues making knockoff belts. It’s the world be live in

If these belts will be sourced, you'll buy them as a timing belt. If you use them otherwise, it is on the user. If I can source them, I will prefer the closed belts. The potential user needs to cut them to use them and then voids any warranty and liability of the belt. Simple.

Exactly. I will pm you, tecumtha. The way the world is going most folks are going to HAVE to learn to make things work. This is an excellent example of that!

tecum-tha, that sounds like a good solution if steel reinforced belts with the correct cog measurements can be sourced.

Lone Wolf obviously sourced them through some manufacturer, they are out there somewhere. I guess they could have had them custom made to be proprietary?? I have two I could use new belts for.

Don't know who made this one but here is the one I got off ebay.

Tonight I looked at an ad for Lone Wolf Treestands on my smart phone. Some are right around one hundred dollars. Are these Chinese knockoffs, and what kind of quality? I mean, if this is the equivalent of a Samick Sage in treestands, it might be worth a go. Has anyone tried one?

That's the exact belt that came with my original lone wolf, printing and all.

A different belt design with different material and locking device maybe the direction to go. Think outside the box.

I got a response from the manufacturer I contacted with prices and minimum order quantities. One stand needs (2) 55" pieces which is 2.80 meters. I think the XL belts are 61" each and that equals 3.1 meters. The price quoted requires at least 300m minimum order and the price is $36 per meter in standard steel and $45 per meter in stainless steel. The regular steel has the higher tensile strength of about 20%. Both of these belts have the correct depth and width to fit the tube and teeth of tge locking mechanism. This company gave me the belt tensile strength, the elongation per meter and other technical data. Based on their data, I'll need to calculate the shear strength of the teeth which are engaged in the locking mechanism. I am off work this week to deer hunt and have a guest from overseas, so I really don't have much time to calculate these things. They also gave me pricing on a standard belt and that was about $32 to 29.50/meter depending on quantity. The standard bely is thinner and would require an altered cam. This belt would not require a minimum order quantity. Standard 18mm wide belt has the same tensile strength but only comes in standard steel cable. I'll keep you updated.

Thanks for all your involvement and time in this issue.

Tecum-tha, you rock!

Thanks,Tecum-tha for all your time and research, I will definitely be interested in purchasing several if it works out..!

Thanks, Jr.

I have a Lone Wolf sit n climb model. Still have the box. Probably only up a tree less than 12 times. I wonder if the belt is still good after 10 or more years? I’m 68 now, and really don’t want to fall.

https://timetogowild.com/products/amazon-B0060CYE2C-lone-wolf-treestands-lone- wolf-replacement-traction-belt-xl?avad=55097_a2ba3f655

These look to be in stock

@Droptine: Have you tried to buy one? Sends you straight to amazon with "currently unavailable". This is a lousy "click bait" site that gives you an old "amazon" affiliate link or links you to their "store" with "similar" products.

I didn’t try to but seen it and thought I’d pass it along. Sorry for the bad link

Thanks for trying, droptine. Its appreciated. But, I said earlier that tecum-tha would crack the nut, and it appears he has.

As long as the steel cable is fine, the belt has the required strength in tension. Of concern in this belt system is the aging of the polyurethane plastic teeth which provide the locking strength transfer between belt and locking mechanism. Now, we use these belts in a static manner and not moving on pulleys. I have the stress values for T20 and the newer AT20 profiles. And as an example, the base stress value is 47% higher using an AT20 belt than a T20. The original lone wolf is a T20 profile. Even though the majority of time we use it static, when we climb, we somehow use it dynamic. That's why everything lifting or rigging has a safety factor of 5. The maximum dynamic enhancement factor of undampened dynamic systems is 2.5 and the normal dafety factor is 2. Multiply the safety and enhancement factor gives you 5.

So, in simple terms, the AT20 stuff is better, right?

Only if it locks in correctly with a cam lock. It has different angles at the teeth.

Okay.

I ordered a set of the XOP replacement belts. Want to see how they look and what profile they use. Also want to make a new cam to see if they hold. According to XOP customer service they will have their climber back in stock second week in November. That means that XOP replacement belts should be available for a while. Question now is, what is the safer and more economical approach to get the LW stands back to climbing?

I think LW used the DR option (more rubber on the back of the belt for these reasons: It creates a stiffer belt? and it fits the aluminum square profile and makes the belt "custom". Drawback is, that the DR option is not standard, so it requires minimum order quantities in the area of $10,500.00. My preferred solution would be standard belts with a flat aluminum spacer to be able to use the regular cam. The standard belts have regular carbon steel but are 20% stronger than the stainless steel version which is 25% more expensive than the standard belt. The DR option adds another 20%. If the standard belt is sealed adequately at the cut cable ends, I don't see any issues. More to come if I have the time.

Seems, that the ebay gentleman from Illinios has some more. I bought one pair for my climber for this season, but there are several pairs still available for your immediate need. I assume these are NOS, because they have the print stamped on them.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225220056475? hash=item347029559b:g:szEAAOSwWldjOcs~&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsDn20 mm%2FGK32S5Il50M7F4uUZuqX%2BOyV%2BDpjcLYR6kjTMQf5NKJRDM2wtybpMJjQ 116UdHRFngdElL6yFDpDa%2BWLn0XD8NlbBKibojmITrm0GRh50FYw3liXIcQEahE Y0WOR9B1X0Ns%2FC3Q2t87d3iRCX%2B%2BMNr9gvs1gDjT6LwSj2m2MWFlb6SyRbV OyDV1lMgfI8GOxDxuSJAP6BSgtsoPBbXBoW0wFfZDqOwEBOeDE%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9 6m3LCBYQ

I don't know where he gets them from. He also has some XL for sale.

I know, that I can't source them for this price. The length for two standard belts are about 3 meters and would be around $95 from the supplier I inquired with. The exact dimension standard ones around $ 115, but have that large minimum order enough for about 105 tree stands.

Just ordered a set - thanks tecum-tha!

I assume these are original. Seem to be in great shape. Picked it up a few months ago.

Yes, the potential problem with these belts is the aging of the polyurethane plastic. The plastic teeth is what holds the belt in place with the cam lock. I have a belt which is 22 years old now, but have not tested it to failure. UV exposure is also a big thing with these plastics. The Treestand Manufacturer Association assumes that a stand is used for 10 years with 25 days annual usage. On a climbing stand, this makes about min. 10x25x(25x2)=12500 repetitious loadings with 600#=2 times the rated weight. Based on this and your usage of the stand, it makes sense to replace the belts at max. 5-10 year intervals based on how often it was used. On a stand that was bought used you really have no idea what the belts endured before. Generally, the belts will become somewhat harder and brittle over time like all plastics.

Thanks for that. These are very pliable but I will give them a good test when I use it. Maybe have to turn it into an strap-on. And I though I got a deal, oh well. Y'all be safe.

Bought a set, THANK YOU!

Just ordered a set off ebay, thanks so much!

I googled this the other day and got a hot on a forum I had never seen before, but the one guy had an email from Lone Wolf Custom Gear that stated they will have belts for sale starting on 2023, know that don't help this year. I don't have a tag so I can wait till then.

The ebay seller that tecum-tha posted sold all nine of the belt sets he had wihin three hours last night. That didn't take long!

There a set of XL on Ebay guy wants $145 last night $69 + shipping I'll wait.

The regular "standard belts" I discussed above from a manufacturer I contacted which need some modification to the depth of the interior square pipe, are available within 2 days in the correct width. All that is required is to put in a 4 to 5" long spacer shim to match the thickness. Could be easily blind riveted on before and after the cam location. The problem is, that 1/8" material thickness may be too thick, as I measured the belts to be 10.5mm thick. The standard belt is 8mm thick. The shim needs to be .708" wide or so. A 36" long 1/8"x3/4" flat bar should do the trick with plenty of extra. Can be easily ground to fit on a belt sander and thickness adjusted the same way if required. 4 holes for pop-rivets and the standard belt should work. Material is available for 7.50 to $11 for 3ft depending on alloy. For this application, the cheaper 6060-T5 should be fine, because we are not using the metal in tension, just as a compression shim. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

XOP belts will come in today so I'll be able to identify the belt profile they use now.

The current XOP belts are an AT20 belt profile, cut 18mm wide and have the correct thickness of 10.4mm to fit. The tooth profile is different and they will not work for a Lone Wolf climber unless fitted with a new cam. The cam needs to be checked it holds correctly. This is not a standard belt either, because of the added thickness. I assume some industry needs these belts and has them produced. These belts also require minimum order quantities. Designation would be 18-AT20-1400 DR (+2.5mm on back)

The AT-20 profile from the XOP belt is exactly the mirrored image of the T20 cam of the Lone Wolf Stand. This profile actually makes sense, because it has more plastic at the tooth base and has therefore a higher strength transmission. It is also slightly heavier than the other belt. I will weigh that tonight. But, based on this information, the cam lock should work with this profile as well, it just reverses the role of the metal in the cam and the rubber teeth in the belt. This just requires a different cam tooth design. The XOP dudes just use two pins for that on their stand, which I think is a lousy system, but I think another outfit may probably own the patent. Anyways, I already laid out a new cam and need to finalize drawings tomorrow.

I am impressed!

The drawing files are finished and I sent an inquiry to a local shop for the materials. They also have cutting equipment and I inquired for pricing to cut the cam profiles out. That would require only the drilling of 3 holes. One for the bolt and 2 others to relieve some "weight". Two different profiles for now. One for the current XOP belts and one for an AT20 standard thickness belt.

I have several belts that have never been used if anyone wants them. Not sure if they degrade over time but they have never been used. I even have a new climbing section that allows you to sit and climb. Never used

I have several belts that have never been used if anyone wants them. Not sure if they degrade over time but they have never been used. I even have a new climbing section that allows you to sit and climb. Never used

I wasn't paying attention when I ordered a set from the ebay guy and then realized it was being sold from a place a couple miles down the road in Champaign, IL. Came the next day. I've been in the place before because it is a combo archery shop and Hobby Store. I'm stopping in there this weekend and see what the deal is with the belts, maybe inquire about where he gets them.

I just saw a Lone Wolf sit & climb on Marketplace for $300 for whatever that's worth !!! Des

Got the quote for the cam cutting back from the shop and I will do the prototypes by hand. A little bit too much $$ for just playing around with.

On a side note, the AT20 profile of the XOP belt and the T-20 profile of the Lone Wold are not exactly a mirror profile. The tooth radius at the edge and at the base are different. Therefore they don't fit into each other correctly.

I weighed the LW belt and it weighs 9.7 oz for a 55" belt. The same length XOP belt weighs 11.6 oz. The XOP is about 20% heavier.

Burnsie. Keep us informed

I picked up the Aluminum during lunch break. 1/2" thick x2.5" wide x 12" long. $14. That should make 8 cams easily. One for the XOP and one for the standard T-20 belt. It's raining tomorrow, so I see what I can get knocked out. The supplier said, this part can be easily cut out on their waterjet cutter. These prototypes would have been too pricy to be watercut, about $265 for 2 different sets of 4. That is of course because of the low count and set up time of the cutter. Making a few hundreds of them is probably much cheaper a piece :-))

Update on belts from Ebay guy. So I stopped into the Archery/Hobby shop in Champaign and talked to the owner who I know from purchasing from him before. I told him about ordering a set of Lone Wolf belts off Ebay and then realizing it was from his place. He chuckled and then told me if I wanted more not to wait too long because when his inventory was gone, that would be it for him, he had got most of what was left after Lone Wolf, XOP, Novix and Lone Wolf Custom Gear went through their whole saga of lawsuits and rebranding....etc. He said the belts are the real deal, but he has to be careful how he words things on his Ebay posting so he doesn't get into any trademark/name trouble. He didn't give me an exact number, but he said he had quite a few sets, a lot more than what Ebay usually shows as being available. So this is a possible source for belts until he runs out. He gave me a brief rundown of the story behind all the lawsuits with Adrea D'Aquisto and the Weaver family from the Peoria, IL area, who originally purchased the company from D'Aquisto. It was a long messy story, so I won't bore you with that, but lets just say he isn't a big fan of Andrea D'Aquisto. He said the Weaver family are good people who made the mistake of not thoroughly understanding the fine print on the contract when they bought the company. I recall thinking it was pretty nice that Lone Wolf was just up the interstate about 1.5 hours when the Weavers first owned it. I called to order some extra carabiners and straps - they were super friendly and we got chatting about Illinois whitetail...etc. Got the product in a day or two. I think it wasn't long after that when all the problems started.

Burnsie, thank you for this update. This is what I thought. The set I got had the stamps and a number on it just like NOS Lone Wolf stuff. The new XOP replacements for theur different stand don't have any stamps but are painted yellow. That means the yellow is not supposed to be seen when in use. Did he get any information where Lone Wolf got these belts from?

On the XOP stuff, it is pretty clear their stuff is most likely from China, which is well known. Parent company is some Continental Corporation and has a very chinese sounding agent. (Iowa)

It appears, that Novix is the old Lone Wolf Stands (Jeff Weaver and Frank Lovich) which was sold to them by the senior D'Aquisto guy.(Illinois) The senior D'Aquisto guy now operates Lone Wolf Custom Gear. The Novix guys are the CEO and president of Oak Leaf Outdoors as well. So, XOP is the Chinese copycat, Novix is Lone Wolf Stands and the Lone Wolf Custom Gear is the overprized original company now machining their platform instead of casting it.

First cut out for the XOP belt cam. Need new saw blades for the rest. From there it is belt grinder, drum sander, powerfile and handfile. At the end, three holes will be drilled. 2 for weight relief and one for the cam bolt.

Here is the cam. Radius at the lever is not taken out yet. But I put it into my lone wolf sit and climb and tested it with the XOP replacement belt. Works just fine. Lock feeling is like with the lone wolf belt. No difference.

This is the wrong picture. No idea where this came from. I'll try again.

Now, the 6061-T6 Aluminum is a pain in the rear to work on with hand tools. Saws not so easy, files ok with the right file, drills ok. It will be easier on the 3rd and forth cam, because I will drill material wherever I can instead of sawing or filing. Need to do it in a drill vise, because that piece gets super hot beyond hand holding temp. I need to get a rough square file,too, that helps to make the cut-outs. Based on the prototype pricing, a cam was $32.50 to have it cut. I need to check with the machine shop how much a set of 4 would cost when I order let's say 200 total of them which would convert 50 stands. I need to check if they can anodize the parts as well. This cam allows the use of the XOP replacement belts, which are about $23 a piece. These belts are about 50% of what a belt would cost from the manufacturer I contacted. In addition, it is 50% stronger. Watching youtube, the new Lone Wolf Custom Gear climber will be $800-900 which was "leaked" at the ATA 2022. Haven't seen squat yet. Imho, it cant be that hard to bolt the climber assembly onto a platform... All that is needed is 4 bolts that put on a mounting rail to the platform and you can use the normal climber belt assembly.

800-900 for a climber? I thought lone wolf was out of business

800-900 for a climber? I thought lone wolf was out of business

This was from early 2022. https://youtu.be/XayypNxG3oI

Here are two new cams. I drilled all holes as close as possible. This will make it much easier to get to final shape. Lots of drill shavings...

I am checking with the local metal fabrication shop for a limited run of 100 or 200 of these lock cams. It will require 4 per stand. That would convert 25 or 50 stands to XOP replacement belts. These will be sold as letter weights to wallers only. As an alternative, I can distribute the .pdf drawing and one can cut out and glue onto stock and drill and do them yourself.

Next option is the use of a standard 18mm T-20 Brecoflex belt with a 10 gauge thick Aluminum sheet installed as a spacer into the climber tube. This will allow the use of the regular cam, but allows the use of standard belt which have no minimum order. Standard belt in 3m length will be around $95. You will need a riveter and a drill bit to install the spacers.

I got the pricing for limited runs back in this morning and at $22 a cam, this is simply too expensive. That would be $88 per stand because you need 4 cams. No difference in price between 100 and 200 pieces either. I inquired with a different local company who seems to be specialized in waterjet cutting metals.

If I had a favorite stand that I needed new belts I would think $100 one time upgrade would jump right on it. It’s a one time expense that makes your stand useable and you would also be able to get replacement parts. If a guy loves his LW stand it would seem like a fine solution!

I may have found a way to produce cams for under $12 a piece fitting XOP replacement belts. But it requires some quantity. I only have 2 stands, which requires 8 cams. For a first limited prototype production run, I would need min. of 48 cams. So, I would need 10 more interested parties for 4 cams each. These come deburred and black anodized in 6061-T6 aluminum. If you are interested, I need you to provide me in a PM your name, mailing address, e-mail address and phone number. I will then create an e-mail list. Since this is an advanced prototype run and I have no control about what lone wolf used over all the years when it comes to interior tolerances, some minor part fitting doable with a broadhead file may be required. I will check tonight for CAD/part fit again to make sure this probability is very low.

Cut out this morning with hacksaw after drilling yielded this. Needs to be cleaned up with files. Then drilling of bolt and weight relief holes. Black line needs to go. Test and compare to CAD drawing.

Pm Sent…thanks for your work on this Roland.

Jr.

you guys must love those stands. LOL

PM sent

The most noiseless, modular, very lightweight and fastest climber out there. Youtube video shows 2 min, but in reality all these methods are slightly slower in real hunting conditions. In addition, every owner spent a good amount of $$$ on them. The only comparable one is the current XOP, but it only comes as a sit and climb. What's not to like?

I sold mine and went to a lwcg .5 with 3-5 climbing sticks. It’s lighter then my assault climber was and actually more quiet. If I had to use to use a climber it would be a lonewolf but they are a pain to use around bedding areas with trees that have limbs. Neat to see the effort you’re putting into it though.

The lwcg is a costly piece of equipment. How thick is that thing anymore? 1/2" or even less? Of course it is lighter than a cast climber, but also a whole more spendy.

Me and a friend just tested my original lone wolf climber platform in my frontyard on a tree with 2 of the new cams shown above and one of the current XOP replacement belts. Combined, our weight was probably 540 lbs on the platform. Platform didn't budge and the cams were easy to disengage afterwards. A photo would have been pretty unsightly with two heavyset guys on the climber platform,lol. Anyways, concept proven. If you are interested in a set of 4 cams, please contact me. I still need commitment to 6 sets to keep the price under $50 for a set.

Do you just re-use the two small nylon bushing that are installed on either side of the original cams?

Yes, and depending on the model you need another nylon bushing to keep it tight. I used a washer and cut it down to the same dimensions. I'd include 4 nylon washers with the set. Odd thing is that cam is .554 to .556" wide. My homemade cam came in at .503, but this is without anodizing. I may have to look for matching bushings, but all the tubing has fairly loose tolerances when you look into the tables. It is important that the cam fits tight.

This is sounding more complicated. But I sure hope it works.

It is not complicated? It requires removing and reinstalling some cams, and likely cutting a nylon washer to dimension with a pair of scissors.

Procedure required 4 times: unscrewing a bolt from a nut, take the two existing bushings, put bolt through hole, put bushing on, put new cam on, put old bushing on bolt and get bolt through hole on other side and put nut back on and tighten? If there is too much play, remove nut, get bolt through one hole, take out one existing bushing, lay existing bushing on supplied washer, trace around, cut out, put old bushing and just cut bushing on bolt and get through hole and tighten nut? As an example: On the seat portion of my climber, the extra bushings were not needed, on the platform they were needed.

You deal with normal industrial tolerances of tubing, not with machinist tolerances:

https://www.onlinemetals.com/en/aluminum-tolerances

Look for sheet (cams) and square tubing for 6061-T6.

As an example: your tube can be +.023 in outside dimensions and your wall thickness can be -0.005 x2=0.010. now your cam can be -0.023, that means your gap can be up to 0.056". When they assembled these stands, they must have had different thickness bushings, too, to keep stuff tight. The anodizing of the part may make it slightly tighter, but with its own tolerance settings.

Exact replacement belts can be ordered but require $11k minimum quantity = enough for 300 stands. These belts are not standard. Not in width and not in thickness. Cost will be at least $120 a belt set + shipping without any profit. I am getting close to get the minimum of committed interested people to get parts for 12+ stands, which is the minimum to run this under $50. I will be able to salvage my stands and the one of a friend, I have no interest wasting my time on this much beyond this solution.

Tecumtha, well done. As it stands(no pun intended), I will never get to use the fruits of your labor, as my shoulders blew up last week. I wont be looking to buy a lone wolf. But it does look like my custom openshot is gonna get gone soon.

nice effort on your part

and I would have been interested

but gave my lone wolf climber away years ago when I went to the ground 100% (age & responsibilities)

Will order the cams next week and there will only be one small batch production run. If you are interested, this is the last chance to get on the list. PM with name, address, e-mail and how many sets you want.

I am in and will need 8. Michael Schwister, 608 352-8535. & village homes drive, waunakee WI 53597

If anyone wants a lone wolf climber pm me, I have one I’m going to sell. The belts are in great shape!

Small production batch of cams is ordered. Hope to have this little project finished before Christmas.

For anyone interested I see someone on Ebay is selling 55", and 61" belts for $69.00

Just bought a set - thanks for the post! Mine are still good but showing early stages of wear, as hard as these are to find i figured I better grab a set now before I end up hunting for one later.

I grabbed a few sets on eBay when I see them. I should be good for another 20yrs on belts.

I have new belts on my alpha 2. I got an extra set of standard and two sets of the longer. These are high quality direct replacements. I’m now set for the rest of my living days. I can’t imagine not have my Alpha hand climber. Best stand ever made for my hunting methods when I use a treestand.

Yikes! Poor support for a product that was premium in the field. But, liability, life changes, or whatever results in business changes.

Had a Lone Wolf strap on and a couple sets of climbing sticks that were stolen off the tree. May still have another set of sticks.

I have a new unused XL climber and stand in the box in my garage. It has the belts, plus I ordered a couple extra belts that are in the package. Maybe I should list them for sale in the classified section. I wonder if that is permitted. In my experience I have bought many bows there and have sold a few. No experience selling treestands or other hunting paraphernalia.

Because of age of the materials, I wonder about the safety of the never used belts. No UV damage or storage related issues.

Now not sure what to do…….

I would think the belts are fine.

The replacement cams are done. I installed some and they work fine. The deburring could have been better, but nothing a 400 grit won't fix.

Nice job Roland - a lot of effort put into that project. I was able to secure a couple new sets of original belts from the place here in Champaign, IL that has them on *bay. So I should be good until I'm out of the climbing game - at 60 I'm almost there now. I hope your new cams work out well for all those that got them. Now you just need to hope that XOP doesn't stop manufacturing climber or changes to a belt with a different profile?

Burnsie, I only made a small production run and only have a few sets left over. XOP is selling their climber right now, so they should supply belts for a few years. If not, we will switch to thinner standard belts with a different cam....at least I will.

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