First hunt in the guidos...

[Vtbow]

So, i know rhe guidos is old, and this has probablt been beat ti death, but...

I sat in the guidos today for the first time for a full hunt. 27 degrees, blowing 30-40mph. Slight rain, slight snow, pretty much crappy out. 4hours.

First impressions:
-this thing is super comfortable and warm.
-extremely well made and designed
-carries well and packs pretty easily

But,...
-this thing sucks to climb with, period. I was climbing a preset with bolts 24" apart. I had to redrill some holes, could barely reach 20" with my feet, I'm 6'4"
-its heavy and a little bulky. The pockets designed for the lineman's and tethwr barely fit them, the center pack pocket is ok, but inaccessible when on stand, so....?
-I strapped a fanny pack to the whale tale which worked good, but it just seems super bulky to me with all the straps and such.
-I bought it for cold weather...it was pretty cold today, but not horrid. I was warm and comfy, but, I got that dreaded feeling when it was time to pack up and climb down tha t I used to with my climber...the "man this is a pita" like packing sticks when it's dark, you've bee sitttg for 8 hours, you can't feel your hands, and you didn't see a damn thing...
-straps seem in the way, even for gun hunting for me when sitting down. I can't imagine shooting long bow from it...

Well, there it is, not sure my next move. I want to love it, but I'm really not sure. I hate wearing knee pads so the standoff is nice. But my treesuit has a standoff and is somewhat comporable comfort. It climbs better and packs better and is simplier...

Feedback and thoughts appreciated!

 

[TNSTAAFL]

Old or new Guidos?

On my to buy list (new) for same purpose (gun season). Respect your evaluation though.

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[Letemgrowitllshow]

I feel the exact same way you do. Luckily I knew a guy who let me try his out before I purchased one. That sucker is super comfy but is a pita to climb with. More cons than Pros but that's just my opinion

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[Vtbow]

Old guidos. All stock ( though it has an am steel bridge setup). I like to get 100% comfortable with things before middling or using the not exactly as designed.

 

[DaveH]

I think your analysis is spot-on, Vtbow. My GW was the old type, too. I could have gotten used to the climbing issues (and I liked using the whaletail feature) but the GW just wasn't nearly as flexible to shoot my recurve from in comparison to my old TrophyLine saddle. IMO, your photo more or less depicts its best use...gun hunting, especially late season. A more conventional saddle works far better for my purposes so I got rid of my GW and went to the Kestrel.

 

[Vtbow]

I think your analysis is spot-on, Vtbow. My GW was the old type, too. I could have gotten used to the climbing issues (and I liked using the whaletail feature) but the GW just wasn't nearly as flexible to shoot my recurve from in comparison to my old TrophyLine saddle. IMO, your photo more or less depicts its best use...gun hunting, especially late season. A more conventional saddle works far better for my purposes so I got rid of my GW and went to the Kestrel.

That's what I bought it for....cold season hunting, but given the fact the majority of my hunting has been done in a rch for rhe last 15 years, everything about this is restrictive to me. Hell, I was climbing bolts, I almost said screw it and free climbed with it just on my back... im not giving up on it, but probably will be in my greens, or treesuit tomorrow morning, but we'll see.

 

[BigAl]

The new guidos is slightly better. Keeping everything loose....straps top and bottom helps some.

 

[BigAl]

The new guidos is slightly better. Keeping everything loose....straps top and bottom helps some.

At least for me.....

 

[Ontariofarmer]

Really I think the hybrid or new guidos is much better than the old guido. I don't need the shoulder straps to shoot if I push back and stand. I can climb easier and it carries easier and it packs stuff better. Standing and pushing back or leaning back makes shooting easier. If you sit with no lean on the guidos in an upright way and do not stand to shoot and push back it does restrict shooting. If you look at the videos on the hybrid you may get an idea of how to effectively shoot in a guidos.

When you have the web in more of a lazy boy position you can shoot easier and if you stand and push back from the tree shooting it is easier.

Despite that... the kestrel or mantis is easier to climb with although the hybrid is just fine for me but the smaller saddles do provide less restrictions.

I always used the guidos for ground turkey hunts and likely 20 percent of my deer hunts... usually all day gun hunts.

The hybrid does overcome some of the negatives you mentioned. The hybrid really is not nearly as restrictive IMO>

I do use a cross bow which may work better but I am not sure.

 

[sojourner]

I have old Guidos. Climbing with it was difficult for me. I wear it over my RCH with LB loops. I use the RCH to climb and set sticks. When at height, I drop the seat and hook it up. My belay loop on RCH becomes backup connection for tether rope.

Sometimes, if not too warm and not too pressed for time, I set everything up with RCH, climb down, cool off ad climb back up with GW.

It is comfortable for cold weather gun hunting. I do not use it early season. I will also use it late season crossbow. Early season is SD with RCH for me.

I’ll be getting the GW out in the next few weeks when I can take the smoke pole out.

I Really am drooling over the new JX3 Hybrid and will get one as soon as funds become available.

 

[Apex7]

Never had a problem shooting my compound out of it. Climbing up the tree never had a problem, climbing down sometimes the whale tail would catch my rubber boot. I like the profile of the old GW compared to the new one. I should make my whale tail moveable. I have used it for years and do like it. It's great for all day sits. I have a longbow but never tried to shoot it out of it. If you use the original strap that came with it you should hook the left strap to the right side and the right strap to the left side that does give you some more room to shoot. I haven't use my Treesuit in years . One of these days I have to bring it out and take it on a hunt.

 

[BigRed]

I have the 1.0 Gw. I usually have the back pack straps tight and use a aider with muddy sticks. I have no problem climbing. Although I only use the back pockets to store the aider and field dressing supply's. I bought two military dump pouches to hold my linemans belt, adjustable bridge and my tether. I removed the stock bridge and tether and replaced it with Predator rope mod.

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[pilgrimhunter]

So, i know rhe guidos is old, and this has probablt been beat ti death, but...

I sat in the guidos today for the first time for a full hunt. 27 degrees, blowing 30-40mph. Slight rain, slight snow, pretty much crappy out. 4hours.

First impressions:
-this thing is super comfortable and warm.
-extremely well made and designed
-carries well and packs pretty easily

But,...
-this thing sucks to climb with, period. I was climbing a preset with bolts 24" apart. I had to redrill some holes, could barely reach 20" with my feet, I'm 6'4"
-its heavy and a little bulky. The pockets designed for the lineman's and tethwr barely fit them, the center pack pocket is ok, but inaccessible when on stand, so....?
-I strapped a fanny pack to the whale tale which worked good, but it just seems super bulky to me with all the straps and such.
-I bought it for cold weather...it was pretty cold today, but not horrid. I was warm and comfy, but, I got that dreaded feeling when it was time to pack up and climb down tha t I used to with my climber...the "man this is a pita" like packing sticks when it's dark, you've bee sitttg for 8 hours, you can't feel your hands, and you didn't see a damn thing...
-straps seem in the way, even for gun hunting for me when sitting down. I can't imagine shooting long bow from it...

Well, there it is, not sure my next move. I want to love it, but I'm really not sure. I hate wearing knee pads so the standoff is nice. But my treesuit has a standoff and is somewhat comporable comfort. It climbs better and packs better and is simplier...

Feedback and thoughts appreciated!View attachment 7645

Funny. I hunted out of my guidos for the first time the other day. I had the same thoughts. Was nice once I was up in the tree but getting there was rough. Am still trying to decide if I am selling it or giving it another chance. Definitely think it is better suited for gun than bow. Thinking it may be worth the effort if I was doing a long sit late season but if it is just a couple hours I am definitely going for my Mantis.

Hopefully someone can chime in here with some more good pointers on climbing.

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[ekelsey15]

Never used one but it looks like it would be hard to bow hunt from. Can anyone speak to that?

 

[tradesmen 4]

I've been bowhunting with it for 8 years. It is not great for run and gun hunting. I preset most of my spots. I shoot a 60" recurve and have no problem except for shoots that are real close, which I don't like anyway for the narrow margin for double lung. I also bowhunt of the ground with it. I changed to predator bridge and teather. Lots more freedom to shoot. Also taking the shoulder off or loosing them up makes a big differents. Climbing is just a matter of slowing down. I can,t grasp why everybody has got to set a speed record to get in the tree. We are suppose to try and relax and enjoy the hunt. Hope this helps Greg

 

[mejer]

I have hunted out of my Guidos web for 13 years now. I used bolts for my tree asending method up until last year and the I switched to WE stepps. When I climb I pull out the LB and Tether straps and climb the tree with the seat part still hooked up in the walking position. Then when I am up on my platform of WE stepps with my LB still attached to the tree I reach behind my shoulders and release the buckles for the seat and it folds down into position. I climb back down with the seat folded in the down position due to not being able to hook the buckles back up.

I had the original tether that came with the web but when Butch came out with the tether that had the small bridge built into it I upgraded to it.
Up until this year I hunted with my bow which is a Strother wrath. this year I switched to a crossbow.

I didn't have any problems shooting my bow out of the web except to my weak side which is problematic with any saddle in my opinion. I always try to keep my shots 15 yards to 30 yards because I don't want to only get a single lung shot. In my opinion you have to learn to trust the tether and bridge of any saddle and lean using the saddle if not taking a shot sitting down.

 

[Vtbow]

Thanks everyone @mejer me jim going to try climbing like that, it's a good idea, I honestly thiugh aboutnit, and didn't know if the lb would be supportive enoigh, great to hear it is!

I've been bowhunting with it for 8 years. It is not great for run and gun hunting. I preset most of my spots. I shoot a 60" recurve and have no problem except for shoots that are real close, which I don't like anyway for the narrow margin for double lung. I also bowhunt of the ground with it. I changed to predator bridge and teather. Lots more freedom to shoot. Also taking the shoulder off or loosing them up makes a big differents. Climbing is just a matter of slowing down. I can,t grasp why everybody has got to set a speed record to get in the tree. We are suppose to try and relax and enjoy the hunt. Hope this helps Greg

Thanks greg. It was less speed in the climbing. And more restrictions from the whale tale hitting the tree or my leg when I tried to raise my leg to put it on a bolt. Again, maybe my frame is just long enough, but I'm defininitely going to make the whales tale slideable like @cedar paul . I think this would make a world of difference. The other thing was, this was a preset i drilled with my anderson, not restrictive at all!!!

 

[cedar paul]

With my variation on the one stick method and an adjustable rope bridge my Guidos is not difficult to climb with. Place the Muddy stick with 5 step aider attached climb, attach my ascending/descending line rappell down to where I can reach the step . Move step up and repeat until desired height(usually 3 or 4 times I am up close to 20'+. Set platform pull bow up and when done lower bow, rappell down take off platform and stick, pull climbing line out of tree . Minimal effort always connected and never have to look for steps on way down. I have tried all kinds of climbing techniques but keep coming back and refining this. The Guido in my opinion is a well thought out concept that does an excellent job at safety combined with ultimate comfort and adjustability.

 

[Apex7]

So, i know rhe guidos is old, and this has probablt been beat ti death, but...

I sat in the guidos today for the first time for a full hunt. 27 degrees, blowing 30-40mph. Slight rain, slight snow, pretty much crappy out. 4hours.

First impressions:
-this thing is super comfortable and warm.
-extremely well made and designed
-carries well and packs pretty easily

But,...
-this thing sucks to climb with, period. I was climbing a preset with bolts 24" apart. I had to redrill some holes, could barely reach 20" with my feet, I'm 6'4"
-its heavy and a little bulky. The pockets designed for the lineman's and tethwr barely fit them, the center pack pocket is ok, but inaccessible when on stand, so....?
-I strapped a fanny pack to the whale tale which worked good, but it just seems super bulky to me with all the straps and such.
-I bought it for cold weather...it was pretty cold today, but not horrid. I was warm and comfy, but, I got that dreaded feeling when it was time to pack up and climb down tha t I used to with my climber...the "man this is a pita" like packing sticks when it's dark, you've bee sitttg for 8 hours, you can't feel your hands, and you didn't see a damn thing...
-straps seem in the way, even for gun hunting for me when sitting down. I can't imagine shooting long bow from it...

Well, there it is, not sure my next move. I want to love it, but I'm really not sure. I hate wearing knee pads so the standoff is nice. But my treesuit has a standoff and is somewhat comporable comfort. It climbs better and packs better and is simplier...

Feedback and thoughts appreciated!View attachment 7645

Do you have the original straps or th bridge that Butch made ?

 

[Vtbow]

Do you have the original straps or th bridge that Butch made ?

believe it's original strap,but also have an amsteel bridge spliced on on one side, and can use a biner on the other.