• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Sitdrag vs Kestral

A

Andrew Reimus

New Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Messages
10
So I ordered a kestrel @ the beginning of October and it doesn’t look like I will get it in time for the rut. Thinks no of cancelling and just ordering a sit drag. I have hunted from a TL for years and wanted something less bulky and cumbersome to put on. Already have a rock climbing harness for back up. Would like some input on sit drags please. Thanks
 
I can't recommend the SD enough. I have 4 of them in my garage and have given 3 or 4 away.

Here's how I set them up. Adding a belt, molle loops, Amsteel bridge, and sewing the loops is completely necessary to make it work.
 
It’s the only thing I have used for a year and a half. I have a webbing bridge and haven’t done anything else to it. You can’t go much lighter.
 
How does it compare comfort wise to a mesh TL saddle? I just cancelled the kestrel order and ordered a sit drag Thanks for the replies
 
Andrew Reimus said:
How does it compare comfort wise to a mesh TL saddle? I just cancelled the kestrel order and ordered a sit drag Thanks for the replies
Click to expand...

I can’t reference it to another saddle, I have only used the sit drag and one other homemade saddle. But, I spent over 7 straight hours in my sit drag on Saturday using the top step of my hawk helium’s for my platform. Could have shot a nice 2.5yr old out of the setup too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Sit/drag is a good place to start IMO, but I do not own a Kestrel so I have no opinion on comparison between the two.
 
I’m sure I will try a really short sit in a Kestrel during saddlepalooza. But, unless it is just absolutely the cat’s meow I will probably stick with my Sit Drag.

I haven’t had any comfort issue with it. Heck, 3.5 hours was the max I could sit in my Lone Wolf Alpha II. I have more than doubled that in just a few sits this year with the sit drag.

I used it post season last year to prep some trees and get comfortable. But didn’t put any real duration sits into it until last week. I purposefully sat from noon until dark to get an idea of how I could handle it.
I quickly learned how to stealthily switch from position to position so my feet don’t get fatigued.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I had an aerohunter evolution, then made a sitdrag copy and sold my evo. Just got my Kestrel in today and it isn’t as compact as my sitdrag, it’s heavier, I don’t like the heavy buckles but I’ll get use to them or change them. I started in my sitdrag with a rock climbing harness as back up but it was bulky and defeated the purpose of why I went from the evo to the sitdrag. So I eventually ditched the rock harness and just used the sitdrag. Went to the kestrel for the safety factor and that only. That’s the only benefit i see IMO over the sitdrag. I’ll give it some long sits the next few days for a good testing.
 
There won't be a huge difference in physical comfort in a sit drag and the kestrel (I own both and have a year of sit drag, and about 25 hours or so in the kestrel. The safety factor is a big difference. I will say, I am pretty dynamic in a tree, and I feel much safer in the kestrel swinging around like a monkey.

I don't know that I would've canceled. You can probably sell it here for a few bucks less than you bought it for, and it would've given you the opportunity to try it out.

It's a great tool for the tool box for sure. So is the sit drag!
 
I figured I could always get reorder a kestrel after the craziness is over. Sit drag is a minimal Investment. How does it work over the shoulder/chest for dragging out deer?
 
swampsnyper said:
I had an aerohunter evolution, then made a sitdrag copy and sold my evo. Just got my Kestrel in today and it isn’t as compact as my sitdrag, it’s heavier, I don’t like the heavy buckles but I’ll get use to them or change them. I started in my sitdrag with a rock climbing harness as back up but it was bulky and defeated the purpose of why I went from the evo to the sitdrag. So I eventually ditched the rock harness and just used the sitdrag. Went to the kestrel for the safety factor and that only. That’s the only benefit i see IMO over the sitdrag. I’ll give it some long sits the next few days for a good testing.
Click to expand...
Everybody talks about how heavy the buckles are they don't seem heavy to me there's only three of them. How much could they weigh it's certainly a lot better than carrying Lone Wolf sit and climb. I have hunted out of trophy lines ,Treesuit , Guido's web and the Kestrel and the Kestrel seems to be the lightest. I like the comfort and the lightweight that's just my opinion.
 
Apex7 said:
Everybody talks about how heavy the buckles are they don't seem heavy to me there's only three of them. How much could they weigh it's certainly a lot better than carrying Lone Wolf sit and climb. I have hunted out of trophy lines ,Treesuit , Guido's web and the Kestrel and the Kestrel seems to be the lightest. I like the comfort and the lightweight that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...

Agree. It is obviously heavier than picking up a piece of cloth without any metal, but I put it on at the truck and it's like the saddle isn't even there.
 
Apex7 said:
Everybody talks about how heavy the buckles are they don't seem heavy to me there's only three of them. How much could they weigh it's certainly a lot better than carrying Lone Wolf sit and climb. I have hunted out of trophy lines ,Treesuit , Guido's web and the Kestrel and the Kestrel seems to be the lightest. I like the comfort and the lightweight that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...

It’s just heavy coming from a sitdrag. It’s part of the safety factor and that’s why I got the kestrel.
 
Apex7 said:
Everybody talks about how heavy the buckles are they don't seem heavy to me there's only three of them. How much could they weigh it's certainly a lot better than carrying Lone Wolf sit and climb. I have hunted out of trophy lines ,Treesuit , Guido's web and the Kestrel and the Kestrel seems to be the lightest. I like the comfort and the lightweight that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...
A G2Outdoors Sitdrag isn't on your list. :)

Sent from my Galaxy S8.
 
I ditched my evo, ordered the sitdrag and was gonna order the kestrel but started loving the sitdrag so I figured why bother. I do always use a harness under mine though.
 
Yes unless you have picked up a sit drag the weight is not noticeable. I’ve got a couple sit drags I use together. When I unboxed the kestrel first thing through my mind was minimalist my rear. It was huge and several times the weight of my sit drag. I vowed to give it a chance and am happy with it. When things slip a little in the tree I’m going to die isn’t the first thing to come to mind anymore. Now it’s just this is going to hurt.
 
how do you guys compare the sit drag to the Anderson tree sling? I have both and a TL , but haven't messed with the sit drag yet.
 
cutty said:
how do you guys compare the sit drag to the Anderson tree sling? I have both and a TL , but haven't messed with the sit drag yet.
Click to expand...
I hate the sit and drag and love the anderson sling. The anderson sling has so much adjustability with the 2 pieces, sit and drag has zero.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top