...is there some kinda trophy we get if we've read ALL 62 pages?!!!
I have a Dryad Drey LL, a Transformer, and the JX3. The Drey gets the nod for "quick," 3-4 hour sits in early season, when I'm going to public land close to home. I love the Drey-for me, it's the most comfortable soft saddle I've found. For longer & all day sits, it's the JX3 for me. The Transformer is basically still around as a backup, & in case my son decides to try saddle hunting-I'll be able to let him use it & work with him to help him "learn the ropes"
. He's sold on a climber, but for good reason-we both have Treewalker climbers, & with a couple of accessories from Third hand Archery, those things are basically a Lazy Boy in a tree! My Treewalker hangs in my basement...maybe I'll use it again someday, maybe not!
I have sticks and WE Stepps, but I prefer using the stepps. Throw a bag of 'em in between the seat & back, cinch it down, & go!
The only "mods" that I did to the JX3 was I added one of those tactical hydration bladder packs to contain my small stuff-1st aid kit, binos, calls, water, snack, etc. For late season outer layers, I use 2 accessory straps threaded thru the metal "ground feet" on the bottom of the seat to hold whatever sized drybag I need to hold the layers. It stays secured across the bottom of the JX3 that way for the trips in & out, & nothing gets caught on any thorns or briars-it's all in the dry bag. When I get to the tree, I do take the JX3 off to remove the dry bag, but that doesn't bother me at all. I ain't ever in a hurry to get up a tree-it always takes as long as it takes! It then gets attached to my pull up line along with my bow.
I decided to learn how to rappel right after the season closed-ordered a rappel kit from EWO, & in the few practice sessions I've had so far, I realize that I will be coming down from the tree this way from now on! I have 10 stepps set up on one of the trees out front, with a platform up top-every other day or so, I strap on the Drey, climb up & rappel down. Once I get comfortable with that I'll start doing it with the JX3. I also got a 3 step aider, & am playing with that as well to see if I can reduce the number of stepps I take in from 10 to maybe 5 or 6. I really like using the WE Perch clamped to a stepp as a platform, with a stepp on each side of the tree when I use the JX3.