Talking about one of my favorite bowhunting products.
Back in 2004 I was preparing for my first feral hog hunt, see Into the Sunny Black. I’d been on time-demanding sea duty for two years and didn’t feel the string and cables on my old round-wheel Hoyt Spectra Fast Flite were quite up to snuff primarily due to a lack of love on my part. After a lot of research Vapor Trail Archery replacements were decided upon. From that day forward, with one silly short-term exception, my bows have worn Vapor Trail strings and cables. That Spectra Fast Flite in particular has seen lots of abuse as my primary bowfishing bow since 2005. Recently, the Berger button nut on this cast riser bow simply fell out, but amidst heat, freezing temperatures, water, ice, slime and blood those strings and cables are still going strong.
Above: I’m pictured with Vapor Trail’s Steve Fondie at the recent 2012 Archery Trade Association show.
When you call Vapor Trail in Ham Lake, MN you talk to a person. I like that. You are likely to be referred to Steve or Jarrod Fondie, president and vice-president respectively, for technical or business questions. Orders are shipped fast for a reasonable price. I can’t remember it taking more than 2-3 days to receive a new set. Who wouldn’t like that? Even when I’ve screwed up my own order, thanks to a manufacturer’s technical listing, VTA got me strings and cables so quickly, twice, that I was able to change them out between weekly league shoots. I have used more expensive strings with far less customer service support, but with no better performance results.
Above: Available in a wide-variety of color combinations VTA strings look as good as they function.
To my knowledge VTA doesn’t advertise what their strings are made. However, whatever it is they are made well and, apparently, pre-stretched. Thought goes into their construction. For example I’ve received VTA strings that had serving at the string stopper location where the original manufacturer’s strings did not. That is a good feature for this wear-prone location. Thread is inserted into the middle of the string near where your peep should go to make installation easier. In my experience they are usually set within about ten shots. I can count on no further peep rotation after that point. This also makes tuning, a necessary process I hate, quicker.
dv’s Time Out Corner: If at all possible I do not subject my bow and, by inclusion, strings/cables to the extreme internal temperatures of a hot vehicle for long periods of time. Again, once in a great while, if unavoidable, they will get left in the truck under full sun, but overall through many years of hunting trips and 3D shoots it is the rare occasion that they experience this. I feel that over time this practice has had positive results where I see others complain about good quality strings/cables over-rotating and stretching who are less cautious with their equipment.
It is true that I was selected for VTA’s pro-staff in 2011 and have been renewed for 2012. However, I used their products for six years before joining and would use and recommend their strings and cables even if I were not on their pro-staff today. VTA strings and cables are what I trust on dustyvarmint’s everyday ordinary bowhunting adventures.
happy hunting, dv
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Copyright © Jerry E Long, 2009-2012
Above: The Oxy Elim-A-Scent Pro with AC and DC cords. 
