2018 LBJ Grasslands

[Rich1201]

Anybody ever use a tree saddle? Thoughts?

Just got one Friday and hunted with it Sunday at LBJ. It was pretty uncomfortable to me. I heard it can take a while to dial it in. The weight savings is incredible so if I can get it to a semi comfortable place it'll be well worth it. If we're ever out there at the same time and you'd like to see/try it out in person let me know.

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[IkemanTX]

Anybody ever use a tree saddle? Thoughts?

I have run one exclusively for 3 years. And about 50/50 the year before that.

They are awesome for public land.


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[IkemanTX]

Just got one Friday and hunted with it Sunday at LBJ. It was pretty uncomfortable to me. I heard it can take a while to dial it in. The weight savings is incredible so if I can get it to a semi comfortable place it'll be well worth it. If we're ever out there at the same time and you'd like to see/try it out in person let me know.

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Which one did you get, rich?
Kestrel, kite, or Mantis?

The 2 biggest adjustments for comfort in a saddle are tether height and bridge length.
If your bridge is a fixed length, adjust tether height first.

Also, lots of guys try to sit all the way down in a saddle. That is the #1 way to get hip punch. I lean into my saddle instead. I only ever truly sit for 10-15 minutes at a time. My position is more like leaning on a low counter. Most of my weight is still on my feet, but the saddle allows me to easily adjust what muscles are supporting me, so they don’t get fatigued.

You kind of have to get into “Saddle shape” because a lot of those small muscles don’t get used day to day.

It is easy to go down the rabbit hole with saddle hunting. I have modified hawk helium sticks, Spurs, EZKut bolts, carbon fiber bolts, wild edge stepps..... if I really wanted to, I could get into the tree (at 20 feet) for a total of 6lbs plus my bow.


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[Rich1201]

Which one did you get, rich?
Kestrel, kite, or Mantis?

The 2 biggest adjustments for comfort in a saddle are tether height and bridge length.
If your bridge is a fixed length, adjust tether height first.

Also, lots of guys try to sit all the way down in a saddle. That is the #1 way to get hip punch. I lean into my saddle instead. I only ever truly sit for 10-15 minutes at a time. My position is more like leaning on a low counter. Most of my weight is still on my feet, but the saddle allows me to easily adjust what muscles are supporting me, so they don’t get fatigued.

You kind of have to get into “Saddle shape” because a lot of those small muscles don’t get used day to day.

It is easy to go down the rabbit hole with saddle hunting. I have modified hawk helium sticks, Spurs, EZKut bolts, carbon fiber bolts, wild edge stepps..... if I really wanted to, I could get into the tree (at 20 feet) for a total of 6lbs plus my bow.


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Mantis. I just stood on the top of my Muddy sticks. Would a platform help at all?

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[IkemanTX]

Mantis. I just stood on the top of my Muddy sticks. Would a platform help at all?

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A platform could help, depending on where your discomfort was and why.

Was your issue with hip pinch, foot fatigue, back pain, stomach gas.... lol

If you had bad foot pain, the platform would help out. Also, stiffer sole shoes make a huge difference on something like the top of a stick.

If it was hip pinch, slowly lower your tether height until you find a sweet spot. If you get the tether down to lip level and you still have hip pinch, you switch to a longer bridge.

If you are sitting down directly into the saddle like a swinging seat, I would also recommend trying a decent amount of leaning instead. I lean into my saddle almost the whole time. My legs are usually somewhat straight (though I never lock my knees), my tether is usually somewhere between my nose and my forehead, and I run about a 28” bridge. I am in a sit drag, so your rope placement/lengths would vary of course.


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[Rich1201]

A platform could help, depending on where your discomfort was and why.

Was your issue with hip pinch, foot fatigue, back pain, stomach gas.... lol

If you had bad foot pain, the platform would help out. Also, stiffer sole shoes make a huge difference on something like the top of a stick.

If it was hip pinch, slowly lower your tether height until you find a sweet spot. If you get the tether down to lip level and you still have hip pinch, you switch to a longer bridge.

If you are sitting down directly into the saddle like a swinging seat, I would also recommend trying a decent amount of leaning instead. I lean into my saddle almost the whole time. My legs are usually somewhat straight (though I never lock my knees), my tether is usually somewhere between my nose and my forehead, and I run about a 28” bridge. I am in a sit drag, so your rope placement/lengths would vary of course.


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It was hip pinch. I wasn't fully sitting but was still putting my knees into the tree. Definitely going to pick up knee pads. I think I'll try a longer bridge. Might use my linesmans belt as a bridge at ground level to see what length I prefer then pickup am amsteel one at that length. Thanks for the info.

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[IkemanTX]

It was hip pinch. I wasn't fully sitting but was still putting my knees into the tree. Definitely going to pick up knee pads. I think I'll try a longer bridge. Might use my linesmans belt as a bridge at ground level to see what length I prefer then pickup am amsteel one at that length. Thanks for the info.

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No problem. If you continue having comfort issues, just let me know. There are a few of us here on TBH that have several years in a saddle and can answer any questions you may have. (I only have 4, but the other two have over a decade each in them)

I takes a bit to get into the groove of things, but once you find that sweet spot you will be able to fall asleep in that mantis.

When you look at buying amsteel, don’t forget to look at how much extra rope you will need for the bury on the splices. There have to be 2 types of splices used now that your saddle is already assembled. The first is a fixed Brummell (what your current saddle has) and the second will be a stitched splice. (Since the first splice is attached to the saddle, it isn’t free to be used for another Brummell)

It sounds complicated, but amsteel is easy peasy to work with.


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[troy_w_7]

I'm mostly interested in them due to the weight savings. How much do they typically cost? Yall use some sort of safety harness? It looks like if you come unhooked with that rig, you're hitting the ground.

[Rich1201]

I'm mostly interested in them due to the weight savings. How much do they typically cost? Yall use some sort of safety harness? It looks like if you come unhooked with that rig, you're hitting the ground.

You can't really fall out. The saddle is your harness. I feel safer in it than my HSS harness. Mine was $200. Not cheap but if I can figure out how to get more comfortable I'd say it's worth it. You can go a DIY route for much cheaper if you want.

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[jnd1959]

I think he was asking more about tether failure than falling out. I have wondered about that as well. Not likely but a backup wouldn't be bad if it's not in the way.

[Rich1201]

I think he was asking more about tether failure than falling out. I have wondered about that as well. Not likely but a backup wouldn't be bad if it's not in the way.

I'd assume tether failure odds would be about the same for saddle vs. traditional harness. So unless he's wearing 2 harnesses now I wouldn't recommend wearing another device. But I'm no expert so I may be wrong. Everyone should do whatever makes them feel safe.

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[jnd1959]

I agree tether failure would be very unlikely. There are no fall or rappel stresses on the tether. I'm just used to multiple anchors except during rappel. I'm too big to do any of those any more but I am trying to figure out a secondary anchor. I wouldn't hesitate to use one without. It's just like a climber asking for a take from the belay. But I would feel better with a second anchor. Maybe a second tether wrapped around the first. I sure would like the lighter carry of a saddle.

I'm out on Lbj the 16-18 if anyone else is. I'm going to try to do some low impact observation sits in different units.

Edited cause, evidently, I'm still learning proper grammar.

[RShockley]

I have been contemplating a saddle for a while now and am finally going to pull the trigger on one. I plan on going with the mantis saddle, predator platform, and wildedge steps with aiders for climbing the tree. Going to be getting everything collected gradually so I probably won't be ready to use it until next season. I am really looking forward to that weight savings. Also coming from using a climbing stand having more trees that would be considered usable is also a great plus. Rich keep us posted on how the search for comfort goes. I hear it can be a bit of a task finding the perfect fit for you and your system. At the end of the day I don't really see a better public land option as long as you can find that comfortable setup.

[agwrestler]

Any of you want to split a 3 pack of Hawk Helium sticks to get a 4th one? I posted here because shipping would not be cheap and would prefer a FTF transaction.

[IkemanTX]

I agree tether failure would be very unlikely. There are no fall or rappel stresses on the tether. I'm just used to multiple anchors except during rappel. I'm too big to do any of those any more but I am trying to figure out a secondary anchor. I wouldn't hesitate to use one without. It's just like a climber asking for a take from the belay. But I would feel better with a second anchor. Maybe a second tether wrapped around the first. I sure would like the lighter carry of a saddle.

I'm out on Lbj the 16-18 if anyone else is. I'm going to try to do some low impact observation sits in different units.

Edited cause, evidently, I'm still learning proper grammar.

I will be out there either 16-18 or 15-17 sleeping in the truck... haven’t decided which. I am going surgical though, doing some invasive beast style bed hunts.


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