Coincidence or what?

[halltrail]

Looking at my results/notes going back to last year when I bought the new tribe, Im not having much success in it...could be coincidence but of the 17 deer I took last year and so far this year (we have unlimited doe tags and 4 buck tags). Ive only gotten 2 when using the Newtribe. Most were taken while in the guidos web, climber (summit viper), or hang on (muddy bloodsport). I have used the Aero evolution a lot this year so far...and I haven't seen any deer while using it... I have seen and passed up on a few in the web, climber and hang on...as well as the 3 deer ive taken so far. This year i have take 2 from the climber and one from hang on.

Its driving me nuts because I love the simple process of setting up and using the Evo; however, I feel like Im constantly changing my position to stay comfortable. Either my knees are bothering me (I do wear knee pads) or my feet hurt. I am using steel shank insoles in lacross boots and cranford screw ins as platforms. Im using a back pad with the Evo to help and I have tried different heights with the tether. The crazy thing is that the evo is comfortable to me on my body...it just seems to be my feet and knees. I really want this thing to work...because I love everything about...except my feet and knees are sore. Maybe I got old this year...last year, I was taking naps in the evo. lol

Just for FYI, Im 6'1" 205lbs. In great shape...mountain bike 4 days a week except during hunting season. I do have bad knees...no surgery, but Ive played competitive Volleyball since college (25 years of high impact jumping i suppose) I had to quit playing VB about 4 years ago because of my knees.. My knees are shot...and occasionally do get cortisone shots but only once or twice a year. I have had ankle surgeries and too many sprains to even count.

So maybe the evo wont work for me because of these reasons. I just wanted to be fair and point those things out...because I love the damn thing....If I could eliminate the foot and knee pain..id be good. I guess I dont get that with the web because of the whale tail. Im not giving up yet...but will probably use the GW over the newtribe the next couple of weeks.

Looking for suggestions or things to try.

 

[g2outdoors]

I think your knees may really be effecting you. I have no issues with my knees but they still get sore from sitting with my Tree Saddle. I would imagine that would be amplified if I already had bad knees.

I don't have a solution for you. I wish I did. 17 DEER??? Good lord!

 

[d_rek]

I have noticed that the sandal hunting it is generally not a single major point of discomfort it can be a lot of little things that add up to a large amount of discomfort. For example I have noticed that if I do not set my tree stops and a relatively level position and have them spaced evenly I can have a lot of foot discomfort.

There are also little things like the angle of the tree which way it is leaning, how high or how low you strap in the length of your bridge or drape wearing kneepads or not how tight you set the stir ups or waste buckle. This is my second season hunting from a saddle and I am still dialing in comfort. Every tree is different in with each different tree comes a slightly different set up that must be adjusted for comfort I have found.

I do agree that already having bad knees and ankles probably isn't going to help with your comfort anytime soon.

The only thing I can really think of that would probably help you in your situation would be wide tree stops or a platform to stand on. Screw in steps like Ameristeps place a lot of pressure and very specific points in your foot. This can get really uncomfortable if your weight is being supported by your standing. You may want to adjust your saddle until you are in more of a sitting position


-Sent from d_mobile

 

[swampsnyper]

Like everyone else said, I agree your knees and ankles are the issue. Especially if you are better off in the web. There are little things like wider platforms or maybe a pad strapped around the tree for extra support on your knees. Lots of little tips all over this site you can try. I don't even use knee pads with my evo. I find discomfort on them sometimes depending on the tree but can usually wiggle around to get comfortable. The web may just be better for your situation. Find the system that works best for you and become proficient with it. Wish I could be more help. Best of luck.

 

[halltrail]

I was thinking last night that I should try and lower the butt straps some and see if I can put more weight in the seat and less on my feet to see if that helps. I really do like the evo...it is a great setup. Im determined to make it work...even if I just use it for shorter hunts early in the season or on the longest walks. Last night I was in the web, and had a spike chasing a nice mature doe around. Rut almost here....

Thanks for the suggestions....oh and on the number of deer...last few seasons, i had permission for a 200 acre farm. Farmer made it clear though that I wasnt there to just trophy hunt...I was there to help control the deer and minimize crop damage. He was pretty clear when he said "if i see you pass on anything brown, your gone" lol. I leaned quickly how to butcher my own deer.

 

[g2outdoors]

He was pretty clear when he said "if i see you pass on anything brown, your gone" lol. I leaned quickly how to butcher my own deer.

I like that farmer!

 

[essdub]

Sounds like a farmer I need to know.
I have had 7 knee surgeries in my life. All my ligaments in one knee and ACL in the other have been replaced. I'm 40 years old this year. I said that because I can relate to the foot pain. Strange, I guess that I don't get knee pain even though I don't use knee pads on tree. I guess I have learned to compensate by standing in ways that reduce my knee discomfort without consciously thinking about it. But man, my feet hurt after three or four hours standing on ameristeps strap on step platform or screw in platform. I find that just "hugging the tree" with my arms and legs allows me to sit longer.
I have often wondered if even that little bit of movement every hour or so is too much, but this year I've taken two deer on my five acre mini farm and last year I only got one. I still have the rut and the whole rest of 2015 left to hunt. So I can't blame slow days on my saddle.


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[redsquirrel]

I would start with 2 things to see if it helps. Try using a smaller platform or wider steps and see if that helps with your foot pain. Also try shortening up your tree strap so that the spot where the bridge connects to it is a little higher. This will take more pressure off your knees and feet and put it on your butt. It may help to adjust the aero hunter butt strap strap so that it cups your butt cheeks. This may work but it will also limit how far you can move around the tree.

 

[halltrail]

Redsquirrel, I am looking at making up a small platform. I think that would definitely help my feet. Last year, I think I kept my tree strap high above me and dont remember having trouble with my knees. I only got a little sore in the waist and butt area after 5-6 hours. This year, I have been putting it at eye height. So im wondering if that is causing more pressure on my knees I was playing with the saddle last night and when I put the tree strap back up high above my head...i felt like that took pressure off my knees...but I only had time to play for a few mins. But looks like you are suggesting the opposite? Was my change flawed? I know I need to probably go with what feels better.

I need a geometry lesson. lol. I wonder from a structural stand point what happens to the stress on a triangle when the hypotenuse length is increased and the length of the opposite side stays the same. Hypotenuse length being the tree strap length, the opposite being the distance between tree and hunter, and the other side being the tree? In other words, in theory should a longer tree strap length reduce pressure on the knees or increase it. I would think the shorter the strap length is the more pressure you are going to have on your knees...and the longer it is the less. But Ive only had one cup of coffee so far and Im not an engineer.

 

[redsquirrel]

Redsquirrel, I am looking at making up a small platform. I think that would definitely help my feet. Last year, I think I kept my tree strap high above me and dont remember having trouble with my knees. I only got a little sore in the waist and butt area after 5-6 hours. This year, I have been putting it at eye height. So im wondering if that is causing more pressure on my knees I was playing with the saddle last night and when I put the tree strap back up high above my head...i felt like that took pressure off my knees...but I only had time to play for a few mins. But looks like you are suggesting the opposite? Was my change flawed? I know I need to probably go with what feels better.

I need a geometry lesson. lol. I wonder from a structural stand point what happens to the stress on a triangle when the hypotenuse length is increased and the length of the opposite side stays the same. Hypotenuse length being the tree strap length, the opposite being the distance between tree and hunter, and the other side being the tree? In other words, in theory should a longer tree strap length reduce pressure on the knees or increase it. I would think the shorter the strap length is the more pressure you are going to have on your knees...and the longer it is the less. But Ive only had one cup of coffee so far and Im not an engineer.

I think that putting your tree strap up higher should help with your problem too because it going to put more force in the vertical direction. If you think of that hypotenuse that you are talking about, you can break it up into an X and Y component. Basically when you raise the strap up the tree you are shifting force from the X component which is putting more stress on your knees by pulling you more into the tree to the Y component which is pulling you more "up" the tree.

That being said, that isn't what I meant, although it is a similar idea. What I meant was if you kept your tree strap at eye level, just adjust the point of contact where your bridge is onto your tree strap. Think of it as taking your knees from 90 degrees like you are sitting in a chair to now you are at 120 degrees like you are leaning your butt on the edge of the table with your legs straighter than when you are sitting. The idea is the same, to get more support in the Y direction to take the pressure off your knees.

 

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: Coincidence or what?

"It may help to adjust the aero hunter butt strap strap so that it cups your butt cheeks. This may work but it will also limit how far you can move around the tree.[/quote]
,
,


No matter how I adjust my aero, there is a lot of room in the butt part. The part where the waist and lumbar parts meet is in my opinion the least comfortable part of the aero. I tried loosening every adjustment and working each one individually but it still sags in the rump. I personally would like it if I could get the butt part sewn into the lumbar part with maybe an inch overlap. That would make the butt part fit without having the belt section and the "paws" halfway up my chest. Maybe I'll look into that

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[halltrail]

Redsquirrel, I am looking at making up a small platform. I think that would definitely help my feet. Last year, I think I kept my tree strap high above me and dont remember having trouble with my knees. I only got a little sore in the waist and butt area after 5-6 hours. This year, I have been putting it at eye height. So im wondering if that is causing more pressure on my knees I was playing with the saddle last night and when I put the tree strap back up high above my head...i felt like that took pressure off my knees...but I only had time to play for a few mins. But looks like you are suggesting the opposite? Was my change flawed? I know I need to probably go with what feels better.

I need a geometry lesson. lol. I wonder from a structural stand point what happens to the stress on a triangle when the hypotenuse length is increased and the length of the opposite side stays the same. Hypotenuse length being the tree strap length, the opposite being the distance between tree and hunter, and the other side being the tree? In other words, in theory should a longer tree strap length reduce pressure on the knees or increase it. I would think the shorter the strap length is the more pressure you are going to have on your knees...and the longer it is the less. But Ive only had one cup of coffee so far and Im not an engineer.

I think that putting your tree strap up higher should help with your problem too because it going to put more force in the vertical direction. If you think of that hypotenuse that you are talking about, you can break it up into an X and Y component. Basically when you raise the strap up the tree you are shifting force from the X component which is putting more stress on your knees by pulling you more into the tree to the Y component which is pulling you more "up" the tree.

That being said, that isn't what I meant, although it is a similar idea. What I meant was if you kept your tree strap at eye level, just adjust the point of contact where your bridge is onto your tree strap. Think of it as taking your knees from 90 degrees like you are sitting in a chair to now you are at 120 degrees like you are leaning your butt on the edge of the table with your legs straighter than when you are sitting. The idea is the same, to get more support in the Y direction to take the pressure off your knees.

ok, yeah now I see what you were saying. I have tried that, moving me knees to about 120 degrees, that does help your knees...but puts more pressure on your feet. Lol. So I would end up moving it up and down every hour or so. Next hunt, I will try it again with the tree strap up high...and see how that goes. I hope it works.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I appreciate the feedback.

 

[redsquirrel]

Re: RE: Re: Coincidence or what?

"It may help to adjust the aero hunter butt strap strap so that it cups your butt cheeks. This may work but it will also limit how far you can move around the tree.

,
,


No matter how I adjust my aero, there is a lot of room in the butt part. The part where the waist and lumbar parts meet is in my opinion the least comfortable part of the aero. I tried loosening every adjustment and working each one individually but it still sags in the rump. I personally would like it if I could get the butt part sewn into the lumbar part with maybe an inch overlap. That would make the butt part fit without having the belt section and the "paws" halfway up my chest. Maybe I'll look into that

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk[/quote]

Yea, I have mine set with about 1/2 inch of clearance between the 2.

 

[redsquirrel]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I appreciate the feedback.

No problem and good luck. Maybe with your legs angled at 120 and a small platform for your feet you would be set?

 

[redsquirrel]

Also what size trees are you sitting in? In general I find smaller trees and easier on the knees.

 

[halltrail]

Redsquirrel, I use all kinds of tree sizes...but I have been leaning towards skinnier trees lately, Just an update, I hunted for 3 hours the other eve. I put the tree strap up high and it seemed to be better for my knees.

 

[redsquirrel]

Redsquirrel, I use all kinds of tree sizes...but I have been leaning towards skinnier trees lately, Just an update, I hunted for 3 hours the other eve. I put the tree strap up high and it seemed to be better for my knees.

Ok good. Keep at it and keep us updated