DIY: Camouflage Hawk Helium Climbing Sticks

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As part of building my mobile setup for my drawn hunt at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, I wanted to make sure my Hawk Helium Climbing Sticks didn’t stand out so much when attached to the tree.

This is the approach I took for breaking up my sticks. The method produces a similar result to Kryptek-style camo.

Materials Needed

• Hawk Helium Climbing Sticks
• Automotive Cargo Net
• Rustoleum Flat Black Spray Paint
• Rustoleum Camoflage Khaki Spray Paint
• Rustoleum Camoflage Drab Spray Paint

Step 1: Lay Down A Base Coat

The Hawk Helium Sticks already have a nice darker gray color which saves you a step of putting a dark base coat.

If your sticks are a lighter color, start by giving them a darker base coat of drab green, black or gray. This dark base coat will be the foundation for the netting pattern that helps to break up the sticks outline.

Step 2: Spray Contrasting Diagonal Stripes

Depending on your base coat color, paint some diagonal stripes across the sticks. Stick with irregular diagonals to help hide the 90 degree angles that make up the sticks. I painted some diagonal black stripes across my gray base coat.

Step 3: Drape the Cargo Netting Over the Sticks and Add Highlights

The cargo netting works to block paint from getting on the sticks. Drape the netting over the sticks ensuring it stretches tightly across the surface.

With your highlight color (khaki in my case), spray the sticks through the netting in an irregular pattern. You’ll notice the dark base coat will take the form of the netting giving a camo pattern.

Step 4: Shift the Cargo Netting While Changing Colors

Continue to shift the netting around to get different patterns always spraying dark on the highlight color and the highlight on the dark color. Continue this until you are happy with the pattern.

Step 5: Touchup As Needed

Before finishing I like to lightly hi the highlights with the drab green to tone down the khaki (it’s pretty bright). A dusting of drab knocks it down a bit.