This will be my only post on the ESS, which did arrive today, and I just spent the better part of an hour and a half with. My repect for John Eberhart is way up there. I have no intention of getting into a "pick it to pieces" discussion about his creation. It's a great saddle and it will not be showing up on the classifieds. All politics aside, although I'm not happy its made in China, it obviously wasn't a deal breaker for me buying it. I don't care what your opinion on this is as I guarantee every person on this forum has invested in China more times than you can count.
That said, here is the 1 1/2 hour lessons learned.
Pros:
- Very comfortable, just as comfortable as the Method, which has won consistently with me in all the other comparisons, and absolutely turned me into a two-panel saddle lover.
- Everybody wondering about, or if there is a D-ring advantage; Because both panels are adjoined and slip thru the D-ring, it is extremely easy to adjust the panel positions, either one very smoothly. (Someone mentioned the D-ring may be hollow, its not) That may not be John's purpose for it but that def. hit a high note with me.
- Obviously very light.
- The web bridge really gives you a slick mating surface with the carabiner, to turn in the saddle, in a static position, very smooth, which we all understand is a benefit of webbing vs rope, whether you like them or not. I do.
- The belt is also minimal and easy to adjust.
- Very well constructed and sewn
Cons:
- The leg straps being attached to the D-ring is probably the biggest negative for me. It makes you fit them too loose, so as not to inhibit leg movement when walking, or, when tightening them up, it creates a bad angle and does inhibit leg movement. So this is probably something I just need more time with to figure out, so don't take my word for this one. It could well be me. And on the flip side, I don't think they are necessary anyways, although I'm reluctant to cut them off (yet).
- The bridge web is thin, i wish it were more robust, but that again is just me and my fear of heights talking. So only a con with me, not necessarily a con at all in reality.
If I had to make a choice right now,
the Latitude Method wins by a thin hair. But again, I have to spend more time with the ESS. Since I'm actually pretty easy to please, I'm not looking for every little thing to critique about the ESS or any of the five Ive tried now. They all have their own pros and cons, and that was the first thing I realized tonight as I was switching back and forth with the Method. Its not perfect either, and I'm convinced there is no perfect saddle. (I admire they guys making their own in that quest).
I can see me cutting the leg straps off and not looking back at some point, and that will go a long way toward the ESS gaining points. The Method does not have leg straps and I'm more included to think no saddle really needs them.
In the end, the real winner is still my 20 year old Suede Leather Trophy line that I have nick-named the Lazy Boy. Its heavy, and you can't hunt it in the rain, but oh man, if you want to hang from an hour before daylight til dark, this is the KING. So there's that. LOL.
As you begin to rip into this, let's just remember the guy that designed this saddle is
the best Whitetail hunter on the planet, and the guy that wrote this could care less about petty details and criticism of his post. Use what you like, if this helped you make a choice, great.