Yes, they are stable. They take some getting used to in order to cam them over correctly the first time.
I should have mentioned, order saddle with plenty of time before the season starts. It can take some getting used to before feeling comfortable hanging and shooting facing the tree or around it instead of with your back against it.
I am 100% in on the saddle this next season. Might not use it every hunt but I will use it a lot. Ill order it in the spring.
Thats the exact saddle I have and I love it! You could save money by not buying the whole kit. The ropes are easy to make your self. But with that kit you will have everything you need but a climbing method.
That is the latest version of the one I have. It will serve you well. Aerohunter is owned by New Tribe which is a company that has been making saddles for arborists for 35 years. They have been making hunting saddles for around 10 years. They have outstanding customer service and their equipment is incredibly well built. I will say that if you want to save some money, you could just order the saddle and not the whole kit. That is what I did. I used a cut down HSS Lifeline for my tether and lineman's belt. I have never felt the need to have a back band. My longest sit in a saddle has been 8 hours. Have you thought about what will use as a platform for your feet?
Been looking at different set ups. I may use a platform and then put in one step on the far side so I can pivot around. When I get the saddle I will do it many months in advance and will shoot a ton of shots out if it prior to the season.
I plan on doing the exact same. Let me know how your conversion goes. I have 4 LW alphas so I think I’m going to sell 2 of them to foot the bill.
If you guys are looking for a very minimalist setup, I did a video over the summer for our Wild Edge YouTube channel that shows my complete setup... less than 10 pounds for me to walk into the woods and hunt up to 22' high in any tree. I don't get on here much these days, but if you want to reach out with questions I'm always available in the Saddle Up! group on Facebook.
I only planned to use it on public or thicker areas, I have not hauled my climber out all year. I almost did, but went right back to the saddle. I have the predator and it is worth every penny, easy to setup and solid. I carry a few cranford steps to use on each side, kind of like forward pegs/controls on a harley; super comfy. Can't use them on some public land spots though. Depending on your height, you can use the top step of a stick in the same manner; overall, you will want something to put your foot on around the tree. This too, takes practice to figure out where you like them best. This is huge, I shot alot...like alot alot and still catch myself using bad form, it is super easy to drop your elbow rather than bend at the waist. I have found the way I sit/lean, I rarely need to stand or adjust to shoot. I've used the saddle to ground hunt as well, clear a spot, tie in and nut hug the tree. It has limitations, but it's a way to hunt and is still comfortable, obviously, you will need at least a 3-4" tree to tie into. Do not join FB saddle hunting groups, they are worse than cross fitters when it comes to bragging and telling climber'hang-on hunters they are dumb. Saddle hunters have become one of the most annoying groups of people I've encountered. I still believe there is going to be a shart-ton of saddles being sold during the off-season, this is not a way for everyone to hunt, it takes effort and learning/knowing/trusting your gear. It took me a while to get used to my life being in the hands of a prusik knot. Everything is easy at ground level, once you get 20ft up, you really need to know your equipment.
Well...anyone place a saddle order lately? Tethrd has a new saddle coming out, from the video there are not enough changes to make me shell out coin for a replacement, but it looks like they addressed a few complaints. I would like to see better leg strap attachments, other than that, I am 100% sold on the saddle. Onto the off season and finding new/creative/lightweight ways to climb trees. I think I spent about 10 days sitting all day ormost of the day, once you get them dialed in, the comfort is there. For your guys thinking getting into it, keep an eye on classifieds, I'm thinking there will be a bunch for sale soon.
I noticed that Hawk is now going to a offer a 22" version of the Helium sticks. Guys who are looking for a guy deal on climbing sticks should see a price drop on the full length heliums in the coming months as the shorter versions get released.
Sweet, maybe I can find a set I'd be willing to cut/modify. I was thinking of lone wolf, either way, I may cut my LW sticks, they are too long for packing through thick crap.
My only complaint about the Heliums is the length when packing. I don't think I will cut mine down, but I may buy another set someone else cut down. The release of the shorter Heliums should drive down the price on cut ones.
Should really just get some beast sticks. The price is high, but they are worth it. No mods needed. The only thing I did was wrap them and add a 1 step aider. I spent alot of money on different sticks over the years, wish these were out then. I would have saved money in the long run. I run 3 sticks and can easily get 20' to platform. If I need to go higher, then I 1 stick with the last one. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I think that is the biggest issue with most sticks, they are tall yet you kind of need them unless using aider steps. I finally used an extra step and made a huge difference in height, wouldn't have thought so but it got me where I wanted to be. They look awesome, but this time of the season, I'll find someone getting rid of their "old" stuff and use my time to modify. I'm not dropping another $250 on a few sticks. All I really need is to make an aider step and I should be just fine..until I figure out how to fly.
I made aiders off the bottom of each of my uncut Helium Sticks. I used climbing spec straps. I can get to 19+ feet easily with just three sticks. Then 20+ once I set my platform.
I’m assuming it’s these ones, I think they just put them on the site today, I had looked for them before and couldn’t find them. 2.8lbs a piece though.
