I'm 48 and just made the switch to saddle. IMO, If your healthy enough to lug a 20lb climber 2 miles each way then you are most definately healthy enough to saddle hunt.
For comfort, switching from climber to hang-on was painful. I couldn't find one as comfortable as the seat with back support as on my climber. My lower back was taking a beating but I continued to use hang-on for years because it was a little easier to haul. Last year I bought a millennium (M100u?) that is by far the most comfortable set I have ever used but now, including climbing sticks, I was back to climbing stand weight....
In comes the saddle. I bought the Kestrel with backband beginning of this year. I've been practicing with it and playing with the saddle adjustments, tether height, bridge length, and footrest options (top of stick vs platform). The more I fiddle with it's becoming noticeably more comfortable. Actually even more than the m100 in some cases. Maybe a little hard to explain but I don't have to sit crooked if setup in an awkwardly shaped tree.
The most challenging thing for me right now is deciding climbing method. As of now my only option is climbing sticks. For me, the more minamalist I try to be the more difficult. I.E. trying to save weight by reducing number of climbing sticks and offset with aiders. I tried 2ft stick with a 2 step aider (1.5 ft spacing) and wasn't comfortable with the amount of dexterity I needed to use balancing both feet just on the aiders with only one hand on the stick and the other tending the lineman rope. I tried my 2ft stick with a single step aider (2ft spacing) and was way to cumbersome for me to step up to my bottom step. No problem stepping up from bottom step to top step though. What I'm trying to get at is above 2 options were so tedious for me that I was sweating within no time, and this is in 20deg temp!!! I think my best bet is 4 2ft sticks with 1.5ft aiders.
Wow, sorry for the long winded novel but hope this helps.
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