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Horrible day.. and I hate the mantis

Arieleagle said:
went out today to an area I was drawn by lottery to hunt. I planned to go up in a tree. first it took me forever to find a spot Bc the place I wanted to go was occupied by another once I selected a tree it took me an hour to even get my saddle on and my sticks (hawk) on the tree. I made an aider- that didnt work so I threw it in the trash. The mantis saddle was not designed to fit women. the straps are wimpy and are about 50 feet too long (exaggeration) so I have to wrap them around my waist so they don’t hang to my knees.. the saddle fits like a diaper.. after several attempts the last year in trying to making it work I have decided that I hate it. I think I want to cut It into pieces and throwing it in the River. I think this saddle design is for men..
back to the drawing board..
anyone want to buy a tethrd mantis for $25? It’s a total pos.
winds were high today and I think it kept deer from moving. not sure what tactic to take tmrw. there are 3 days left in this hunt.
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I mean, I will pay you $35 to make it worth your shipping LOL.....

I just got into saddle hunting this year. I am not sure where you are at, but maybe you could get ahold of some people in your area and try some different saddles? I did some research and pulled the trigger on the Tethrd Menace. When I first got the saddle, I went into the yard and played with it. Placed myself in different scenarios, adjusted it up, down, side to side.....to me, the menace had said it had more of a "cup" for the "more junk in the trunk".....not saying I have junk in the trunk, but I felt maybe it would provide more support. Longest sit so far has been 5 hours, and have had no issues (using the recliner off and on).

Stick with it and keep your head up! I was very nervous about transitioning, but now that I have got the concept down.....I won't go back to a climber. This site is amazing, and you will get great knowledge and guidance.
 
Arieleagle said:
Lol on the commentary of relieving my burden of the mantis.. sorry guys the $25 comment I made was more tongue in cheek... if I sell it now then I have no saddle. The mantis is better than nothing at this point and I’m trying my best to make it work. I also have a lone wolf hand climber and am attempting to use the seat as a platform in order to ascend a tree without sticks. I added a strap to the platform to put my feet under. In order for me to climb the tree with the platform I need to have a shorter bridge. The amsteel bridge that is on the mantis is too long. I need to shorten it or make an adjustable bridge in order to make climbing possible.
the second issue I have with the mantis is the waist belt. wimpy one inch webbing. I watched a mod where a battle belt is sewn on the belt to add durability. ?? Would that work?? The belt on my mantis is weighed down by the dump pouches I have on each side that contain my linesmans, ropeman 1, tether rope and the carabiners that go with them. This causes the waist belt to fold in and the buckle loosens so I am having to tighten it often. A one inch strap for the waist belt doesnt cut it and also makes the mantis look weak. I think the mantis was made for one who has the body of a mantis..-stick straight w no curves. That is definitely not me. I wish I thought of that before I bought it.
just two years later there are so many other saddle makers available
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I have a short bridge for redundancy and rappelling. I like the long amsteel bridge for turning my hips. Don’t be afraid to have a second short bridge. Make one and girth hitch one side and use a carabiner on the other end. When not in use, you can remove it, but I just clip the carabiner to the loop the girth hitch is on.
Regardless, don’t give up, better days will come!
 
If I were you I would try again. I have solved comfort issues in both a Kestrel and a Phantom by getting the panel further under butt. I also use a back band which I adjust all the time. Getting the saddle lower off your back makes it much much more comfortable for my anatomy.

Now based on my hunting season, I have nearly thrown all my other gear in the river- just not the saddle. Don't give up!
 
I started with a Hawk - I've heard it was a very economical copy of the Mantis. I was miserable. I moved to a Cruzr XC and now I actually see why people like saddle hunting.
 
Dont bother upgrading to a phantom either. Shot yourself in the foot with the $25 offer. Coulda got at least $100 on here. Aerohunter makes a great saddle. If you can find an old kestrel its hard to beat in my opinion. Im sure the new ones are nice too. Not as lightweight but ive never been so comfortable in a tree. THey really build them great. you can tell its American made. My OG kestrel looks brand new and i beat the crap out of everything i own. You should see my fishing rod graveyard lol... St. Croix pieces everywhere
 
PEEJAY said:
Dont bother upgrading to a phantom either. Shot yourself in the foot with the $25 offer. Coulda got at least $100 on here. Aerohunter makes a great saddle. If you can find an old kestrel its hard to beat in my opinion. Im sure the new ones are nice too. Not as lightweight but ive never been so comfortable in a tree. THey really build them great. you can tell its American made. My OG kestrel looks brand new and i beat the crap out of everything i own. You should see my fishing rod graveyard lol... St. Croix pieces everywhere
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Sorry I just kidding on the$25 offer- I was speaking out of clear extreme frustration.. my first intention was to cut the mantis up into many pieces in the woods and throw it in the lake.. but that would be littering.. that hunt is now over and I didn’t see any other deer- they moved to a different area and or went nocturnal.. but my season is not over
 
I would think there is someone near you to try out a saddle or two. I have no experience with the mantis but used the phantom. I liked to just fine. I then tried a TX5 Reaper and Overwatch Transformer. I find both more comfortable with more leg support. Good luck!
 
I know you said you bought a large. If it’s too big, it will wrap around you and make for an uncomfortable sit .

If it’s sized right , do as one of the others said about pushing the saddle further under your butt, it will make a big difference in comfort as well.

Some of the basics as well:
-Adjust tether height (forehead is most comfortable to me)
- Change up from leaning to sitting throughout your sit.
- straddle the tree or sit sideways to the tree while sitting.
- Loosen belt strap and leg straps when you’re at hunting height.

Although there has been better saddles made since the mantis, I could still hunt from my mantis if needed. It just takes a lot of tinkering to get a system worked out.

Good luck.


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