I just bought a Tree Saddle and gave it a test drive in my backyard. Mine's the TS-9 model with the reinforced neoprene seat. I've got to say, I'm very impressed with the quality and strength of materials used. All the straps and buckles and everything are really, really heavy duty. This gives me an extraordinary piece of mind when I'm hanging off the ground.
First I climbed a big oak tree at the end of my yard. It's about 18" at the base and 15" higher up. This seems to be near the maximum size tree the suit will allow with the strap lengths. I used strap-on steps to climb. The first thing I noticed is that while the Saddle has pouches for the climbing belt and main tether, there are none for climbing steps. I had to awkwardly drape the steps around my neck as I climbed. The next thing I noticed is the neoprene seat is hot, which was a concern of mine. Placing the steps and climbing with the Saddle was pretty similar to using any other climbing belt arrangement.
At the top, I placed two steps to hold myself against. I set the tether, released the climbing belt, and leaned back. The Saddle was very comfortable. No jimmy pinch or pressure points. I hauled my bow and a quiver stuffed with arrows up with me. I spent half an hour in the tree, turning, pivoting, and taking an occassional shot at 3-D target about 15 yds away. I felt absoutely safe, much more so than in a treestand.
I had reservations that shooting from the Saddle would be an awkward affair, and that it might not allow for a stable shot. For shots off to my left, though, I was pleasantly wrong. Since the tether strap comes up from your chest, I did have to initiate my draw with my drawing hand higher than I liked, but hitting and releasing from full draw was about like on the ground. All of my 18 or so arrows were in the kill.
I also noticed the purported 360 shooting coverage wasn't working for me. It seemed more like 180 to 220 degrees, about like a treestand. Alot of the periferal shooting couldn't be done with my feet on the steps, but rather, I had to turn and set my thigh against the tree while hanging free, while rotating my hips in the seat. Took a little getting used to. I suspect this coverage would improve greatly if I had been in a smaller tree. Still, if someting comes in quick directly off to my right side, I don't think I'd be able to quickly and "quietly" flip around for a shot. Another trouble with turning is that my boots squeaked on the metal steps whenever I pivoted, unless I bent my ankles out, which seemed a little dicey on those steps. I did take two shots at a leaf on the limit of that 220 degrees range, which hit just off the leaf.
I then moved to a cherry tree. First I set up in a fork. The shooting characteristics weren't much different in than the vertical oak tree. My foot would get stuck in the fork and I'd make all kinds of noise and movements to shoot off the back side.
But alas, I stepped out on a nearly horizontal limb and threw the tether up over the limb above. I sat down in the seat and realized immediately that this is where the Saddle will shine. 360 degrees no problem. As long as I kept a good bit of weight on the Saddle, instead of trying to stand wholely on the limb, stability was great. Fortunuately, I had a specific tree in mind when I bought this. It's a big branchy thing right on a fenceline that isn't condusive to treestands. I've tried to hunt out of it in the past with just a safety harness, but it never went very well. The Saddle will be just the ticket.
For anyone who has used or seen the neoprene model and the lighter mesh model, do the strap components have the same arrangement and are they as heavy duty as with the neoprene model? Is the mesh quiet? Rugged? And have you got any tips on how to get that 360 degree coverage in a vertical tree?
Topic: Tree Saddle Impressions & Comments (Read 387 times)
