Any way to quiet down Rapid Rails

[TRAP]

Just bought a set of aluminum rapid rails.  Very solid, easy to use but very noisy.  Anybody have any advice to make them quieter.  Seems I've read somewhere you can fill them with expandable foam.  Does it work?  

Thanks, Trap

[LB_hntr]

I don't have rapid rails but on my sticks I have tried everything.
Foam just held water and made them heavy.
Drilled holes.. didn't work.  Put bolts thru areas...didn't work.
Best I found was to out rubber tire inner tube over different parts to work like string silencers. Works OK but drirot and scrape off on trees.
Now I just deal with it.
Kept wanting to try hockey tape but never did.

[Ray Hammond]

Fill the legs with spray foam insulation

[Kevin Dill]

Have tried several remedies on Rapid Rails and they still are far too noisy for me. I have gotten to where I just plain dislike them for their noise. I will never buy another set.

[kenn1320]

I tried foam in a ladder stand, did nothing but make a mess. Get some lone wolf sticks.

[TRAP]

Thanks but I asked a question about rapid rails, Ive had lone wolf sticks and muddy sticks, and Id rather have screw in steps.

Trap

[Ray Hammond]

My experience was much better - I put duct tape over the end of the rails and shoot the foam in a small hole I poked in the taped ends.   When done put tape over the punctures and set them aside to cure

I then took some pieces of dense closed cell foam and wrapped it around each leg in the middle outside of the legs to avoid the individual rails from clanging together when stacked and unstacked

The foam inside stops them from ringing like a bell with black rubber furniture leg covers tape wrapped to the ends, or alternatively dipping each end in plastic dip like u use for tool handles completes the package

[LB_hntr]

Ray....i might have to try your tape, then foam, and the close off way you did to my sticks i use.
good idea.

[Gatekeeper]

I have the Buck Steps, made by Summit Tree Stands, and they sound like a bell when they hit something. I filled the vertical part between the steps with expandable foam, which didn't do that much to quiet them down because all the noise emits from the step part on the ends. So the next thing I tried was spraying the whole step with a 3M Professional Grade Rubberized Undercoating. While not perfectly quiet, the rubberized coating did help deaden the ringing noise when the steps hit against something. The biggest drawback to covering the steps with this product at this time of year is the smell. This type of alteration needs to be done in the off-season so the rubber has time to cure.

[Stickbow98]

Hi Daryl,

Hockey tape can help make them quieter, (a LOT of it) but I found that using rubber crutch tips on the ends of each rail makes them quieter by separating them when they are stacked. Works well against the trees too. ;-)
Wrap the straps/ropes (on older models) individually on each rail, then bind them together tightly with either bungees or a lone wolf type carry strap.

Good hunting,
Ron

[KSdan]

Lone wolf.  A little self adhesive felt and zero noise. . .   and I put up/take down every sit.  

[MCS]

I use rapid rails mostly and I find them to be very quiet. I make sure I set them in pretty hard.

[jonsimoneau]

Hey Daryl, there is a product called stealth strips that works wonders. I put some on my Lone Wolf sticks and it made a major difference. Just google stealth strips, or you can also buy it from 3rivers.

[Keith Zimmerman]

MCS X2

[akaboomer]

X2 on the crutch tips. Thats what I have been doing for years. Wayne Prejean, the guy that designed them originaly gave me crutch ends when I bought mine. When they wear out or crack replace them. I recommend the black ones they are harder and last longer.

Chris

[TRAP]

Thanks for the advice guys.  

I love Tradgang, seems like no matter what the topic is, someone has already "been there, done that".

Trap