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Getting comfortable ..

N

Nadornati

New Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2021
Messages
5
Hey guys. Looking for some input.

I probably have close to 10 sits in my Cruzr xc saddle. I am running 3 beast sticks with aiders and cheap hawk platform. Love how light and packable the system is (kuiu venture 2300). Coming from a lone wolf assault hand climber, so I am liking how I no longer looking for a “tree that works”.

Here’s been my issue: I find myself moving a lot. I’m not sure if I just can’t get comfortable , or if it’s just because it’s so easy to move. I run my tether about chin height. And there is some serious pressure on my knees when I am “sitting”. I am using just some harbor freight knee pads, but knee pressure is a lot (even for a couple hour sit). “Leaning” on a platform is blah - you are so far away from the tree I will undoubtly get picked.

I ordered the Cranford saddle scaffold. Going to get ring of steps a shot, should arrive in the mail tomorrow. I’m hoping that helps.

anyone run into this comfort/ moving issue with your set up? And if so how did you fix it? TIA
 
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Nadornati said:
Hey guys. Looking for some input.

I probably have close to 10 sits in my Cruzr xc saddle. I am running 3 beast sticks with aiders and cheap hawk platform. Love how light and packable the system is (kuiu venture 2300). Coming from a lone wolf assault hand climber, so I am liking how I no longer looking for a “tree that works”.

Here’s been my issue: I find myself moving a lot. I’m not sure if I just can’t get comfortable , or if it’s just because it’s so easy to move. I run my tether about chin height. And there is some serious pressure on my knees when I am “sitting”. I am using just some harbor freight knee pads, but knee pressure is a lot (even for a couple hour sit). “Leaning” on a platform is blah - you are so far away from the tree I will undoubtly get picked.

I ordered the Cranford saddle scaffold. Going to get ring of steps a shot, should arrive in the mail tomorrow. I’m hoping that helps.

anyone run into this comfort/ moving issue with your set up? And if so how did you fix it? TIA
Click to expand...
I never have fixed it. If I can sit 2 hrs, that's a record for me. The only way I can sit for hrs is in a Summit
 
I lengthen my tether by an inch or sometimes more when I want to sit for an extended period and that takes the pressure off of my old “Airborne” knees. When it comes to leaning, my tether height is right around my chin height and I have about 18-20” of bridge length. Leaning should be like leaning against the kitchen counter, not leaning back at a 45-degree angle or anywhere near that extreme. I also angle my platform down probably 10-degrees or so and takes some pressure off the feet. I can sit for at least 5-6 hours before start to get uncomfortable. I’m using a Latitude Method 2 saddle. Also Latitudes knee pads are (insert expletive) amazing!

It’s easy to move around in the saddle just because you can but the above mentioned tips keep my movement to a minimum. In a treestand I’m constantly moving because I can never get comfortable in a sitting position and generally spend hours upon hours standing and then my feet are killing me. So plus one for the saddle.
 
Thanks for the tips. Going to give the ring of steps a shot and see if saddling the tree helps at all
 
I sit all day in my Cruzr and a Predator platform (similar to your Hawk). I set my tether high (above my head), set up on the lowside of the tree so the lean naturally takes pressure off your knees and sometimes I'll sit sideways with my left or right hip against the tree.
A ring of steps as you said will help too.
 
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Nadornati said:
Hey guys. Looking for some input.

I probably have close to 10 sits in my Cruzr xc saddle. I am running 3 beast sticks with aiders and cheap hawk platform. Love how light and packable the system is (kuiu venture 2300). Coming from a lone wolf assault hand climber, so I am liking how I no longer looking for a “tree that works”.

Here’s been my issue: I find myself moving a lot. I’m not sure if I just can’t get comfortable , or if it’s just because it’s so easy to move. I run my tether about chin height. And there is some serious pressure on my knees when I am “sitting”. I am using just some harbor freight knee pads, but knee pressure is a lot (even for a couple hour sit). “Leaning” on a platform is blah - you are so far away from the tree I will undoubtly get picked.

I ordered the Cranford saddle scaffold. Going to get ring of steps a shot, should arrive in the mail tomorrow. I’m hoping that helps.

anyone run into this comfort/ moving issue with your set up? And if so how did you fix it? TIA
Click to expand...
Def. give some stuff a try to figure it all out. Been here long enough to see some guys transition back to stands in some fashion maybe for the same reason you are describing. But like Kyler said the option of trying the JX3 could be a good solution if all else fails.
 
Hall17 said:
trying the JX3 could be a good solution if all else fails.
Click to expand...

Only argument from me is that the more money/time one invests in trying to get comfortable, the more likely they are to convince themselves that the hybrid is too expensive, heavy, bulky, confusing, etc. we have a way of confirming our line of reasoning.

I’d argue to start with the hybrid, if it doesn’t work for you, sell it and try all the goofy stuff we’ve come up with.
 
Hall17 said:
Def. give some stuff a try to figure it all out. Been here long enough to see some guys transition back to stands in some fashion maybe for the same reason you are describing. But like Kyler said the option of trying the JX3 could be a good solution if all else fails.
Click to expand...

More or less my journey. Tried two different soft saddles and different platforms. Not as much as others. Knee pain caused me to fidget. Didn’t like leaning for hours. So it’s a hang on or JX3 for me.
 
When your Scaffold steps come in, put two of them on an OCB strap and try this:

How many one stickers also hunt from the one stick vs. carry a platform/ROS?

Like the title says, those of you that one stick up the tree - how many of you also hunt from the top of that stick, and how many also carry a separate platform/ring of steps to hunt from? (and as a followup, if you DO carry a separate platform, does your one stick have a platform or a step, or...
saddlehunter.com

This has improved comfort in the tree for me 10 fold. No more junk smashing, chaffing, knee strain, etc. I like to run a short tether about head height, short bridge, and kind of stand one leg up, Captain Morgan style. One foot on the platform, one foot on the tree step, with most of my weight in the saddle. It's like half sitting, half leaning.
 
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I started doing this with the plastic Treehopper steps simply because that's what I had at the time. I have since switched to two Scaffold steps wrapped in camo hockey tape because they fold up and are more compact.

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Screenshot_20221028-125432-114.png
 
Will set up my tether higher tomorrow and see how that works out. Looking forward to getting the ring of steps, I hope that helps a bit as well, as it would position my feet more around the tree than directly off the tree like a platform does.
 
Eberhart shows the platform vs steps demonstration pretty well in that video, hoping i experience the comfort he describes going from platform to ring of steps

 
Adding steps to my platform helped. With just the ROS I found it really matters where you have the steps located. I did a sit recently with just the ROS and I got the spacing wrong and I couldn't stand comfortable enough to adjust my bridge to the length I liked. It was a learning experience for sure!

But two to three steps added to the platform, and now you can straddle the tree if you want, and walk around the tree better too.
 
when you sit, try your thighs at a 45 to the tree....that spreads load to butt, knees, feet

thighs perpendicular tree is not good (for me at least) and this also causes extreme lean away from the tree when standing

thighs at 45 is fine when leaning

you won't get picked off if you are still and have a good location

you should be sure you are out of your climber mentality (exposed on limbless trees so gotta be high up).....if you are in good trees and have a decent idea where the deer will be, then you'll be fine

try this and you need to figure out why you keep moving....no one can help you if you don't know if it is discomfort or mental fidgets

if it is just a mental fidget thing (kid on a tire swing effect).....then just exercise self control and when you start doing it tell yourself to stop and then actually stop
 
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From my experience, I have found that the advice that John Eberhart gives is spot on for comfort. I use a ring of steps and have never used a platform. I have 7 Bullman Pioneer steps on an OCB strap from Eastern Woods Outdoors. The Saddle Scaffold you have coming should be a good option as well. It should have more foot room and be able to be ratcheted down tighter than what I am using so you should be good to go. My set up gets plenty tight, though.

I set my tether about top of my head high when standing on the ring. My bridge is about 16 inches. The one main difference is that I am running a 2-panel saddle, a Treehopper Recon. The Cruzr XC is a great saddle, though. I had one and liked it but decided I was a 2-panel guy after using both for a while.

The ring of steps allows you to be so much closer to the tree which lets your body hang more weight in the seat of your pants than leveraging our weight into your knees. Also, good knee pads are a must. That is a high return on money spent if you ask me.

I sit 95% or more and I can sit comfortably for hours without fidgeting. Most of the time I just lean my body into the tether and rest. Sometimes it's hard not to take a nap.

Pictured below is my sit from yesterday evening. I am about 28 feet up to my ring of steps on a fairly large tree. It was a nice sit.
 

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