My review of Ken's sling/saddle

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: My review of Ken's sling/saddle

Dave I think auto correct got you again, I cant understand what you posted.

Shaun I will be curious what you come up with, cause I dont understand how you can move the loop and not change the way it works.

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to try to fold the existing loops backward and sew the back side of them down against the webbing to make them closer to hips or add a piece of webbing all the way around over the top of the center piece of webbing and make bigger loops out of the new piece a couple inches behind existing loops. Probably the second idea because the existing loops are somewhat small. We'll see what I can come up with

Shaun

 

[g2outdoors]

I haven't hunted out of a my Sitdrag yet, but I haven't felt any bunching during my testing. Maybe it would happen after an hour or two - that I don't know.

 

[kenn1320]

I haven't hunted out of a my Sitdrag yet, but I haven't felt any bunching during my testing. Maybe it would happen after an hour or two - that I don't know.

Ive never used a sit-drag, only going by pictures and assumptions when I say it would bunch. You end up with 2 pressure points(each belt) and the material in the middle isnt supporting anything.

Look at cbigbears pics, this is what I mean by bunching up. All the "pinching" is now being done by 2 belts due to a U pulling to a V. Also look at where his loops end up, much further out than mine(on me anyway). I agree the loops could be folded to form an obvious thin loop for ease of hookup, but Im not seeing how I can reduce their length much without affecting comfort. I also believe if you use the Flingin X lineman hook up, the length of the loops is irrelevant. Looking at the screen shot on this sites home page, the bridge hook ups are WAY out front. Im not being argumentative on this guys, just trying to get my head around the ideas/changes. Ill have to get outside and take a couple pics of me in this, might help show why its the size it is.

http://saddlehunter.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1236

 

[g2outdoors]

Yeah, it kind of makes sense that it could bunch...I follow your logic. In practice I'm not sure that it actually will to any degree that will matter. Like I said, I've only tested it in the garage. Maybe a Sitdrag user that has hunted from it can let us know if it bunches up or not at the loops?

 

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: My review of Ken's sling/saddle

I haven't hunted out of a my Sitdrag yet, but I haven't felt any bunching during my testing. Maybe it would happen after an hour or two - that I don't know.

Ive never used a sit-drag, only going by pictures and assumptions when I say it would bunch. You end up with 2 pressure points(each belt) and the material in the middle isnt supporting anything.

Look at cbigbears pics, this is what I mean by bunching up. All the "pinching" is now being done by 2 belts due to a U pulling to a V. Also look at where his loops end up, much further out than mine(on me anyway). I agree the loops could be folded to form an obvious thin loop for ease of hookup, but Im not seeing how I can reduce their length much without affecting comfort. I also believe if you use the Flingin X lineman hook up, the length of the loops is irrelevant. Looking at the screen shot on this sites home page, the bridge hook ups are WAY out front. Im not being argumentative on this guys, just trying to get my head around the ideas/changes. Ill have to get outside and take a couple pics of me in this, might help show why its the size it is.

http://saddlehunter.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1236

I don't think you're being argumentative at all. And I don't know if what I want to do would work for anybody else. But here's what I've experienced: sit drag has loops that are way long and caused me to feel a lot of pinch. The aero evolution had those rigging plates that pulled way inside and caused me some pinch, but when I used only the top belt portion and hooked up lineman and bridge at the side accessory loops (which I reinforced by sewing additional webbing strap and making loops that overlap the existing loops) I felt zero pinch and increased my ability to pivot comfortably. So I'm thinking that by adding loops closer to my hips on the Ken sling, it would behave in a similar way. The part that worries me is that, if for whatever reason my mod doesn't perform the same way on this saddle, I may decrease the already superior comfort the sling offers.

Shaun

 

[flinginairos]

Yeah, it kind of makes sense that it could bunch...I follow your logic. In practice I'm not sure that it actually will to any degree that will matter. Like I said, I've only tested it in the garage. Maybe a Sitdrag user that has hunted from it can let us know if it bunches up or not at the loops?

It pulls together a little but nothing I would be concerned about. I have only hunted from mine once so I need more time in it. I sat in mine for about five hours and I did get uncomfortable at the end but that was only because I had to run my tether really high because there was a fork in the tree and I couldn't hook up at head height like I normally do. We had preset sticks in that tree and never hunted from it so standing on the top of the stick had me at the wrong height to hook up correctly.

 

[g2outdoors]

To me the biggest factor in hip pinch/discomfort is the height of your hookup. After I moved my tether down to a head height my comfort went up.

 

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: My review of Ken's sling/saddle

To me the biggest factor in hip pinch/discomfort is the height of your hookup. After I moved my tether down to a head height my comfort went up.

I agree. To an extent. But for some reason, I am just not as comfortable when the "V"of my bridge ends too far inside my hips. To me, the wider and farther back on my hips I can hook up, the easier it is for me to pivot and sit comfortably

Shaun

 

[BassBoysLLP]

Agree. Its more of a squeeze than a pinch

 

[Maustypsu]

Re: RE: Re: My review of Ken's sling/saddle

I am just not as comfortable when the "V"of my bridge ends too far inside my hips. To me, the wider and farther back on my hips I can hook up, the easier it is for me to pivot and sit comfortably

Shaun

Me too... what do you do to correct for that?

I'm actually getting that squeeze a bit with the Ken saddle. I'm not sure if it is the way I'm wearing it, the bridge or the height of the tether.

I usually do tie off at head height... longer or shorter bridge? Or from Kenn's pic, I may have been wearing it too low. I will keep playing around with it until it is right for me.

 

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: My review of Ken's sling/saddle

I am just not as comfortable when the "V"of my bridge ends too far inside my hips. To me, the wider and farther back on my hips I can hook up, the easier it is for me to pivot and sit comfortably

Shaun

Me too... what do you do to correct for that?

I'm actually getting that squeeze a bit with the Ken saddle. I'm not sure if it is the way I'm wearing it, the bridge or the height of the tether.

I usually do tie off at head height... longer or shorter bridge? Or from Kenn's pic, I may have been wearing it too low. I will keep playing around with it until it is right for me.

That's the issue I'm hoping to resolve with the loops further back. It helped on the modified evo, so we'll see

Shaun

 

[DaveT1963]

I sat in it again all day today as I prepped more trees. Once again the loops being so far forward presented a challenge as my prussic knot was tight to the tree and I ran out of adjustment. I could never get it like I like it even with a 24 inch bridge. Because the loops are so far in front a 24 inch bridge is more like a 36 inch bridge. If you tether above your head that shouldn't be a problem but for eye level hook up it is too long.

Trying to clip into the loops as they are is also hard while climbing and installing sticks. When I get time I'm definitely cutting mine and moving the loops closer. I will also fold the loops over and sew them so they are easier to clip into. I am also attaching some loops to rear on both sides so I can hang gear while I climb. Those are the two areas I have to adjust the rest is well made as is.

 

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: My review of Ken's sling/saddle

I sat in it again all day today as I prepped more trees. Once again the loops being so far forward presented a challenge as my prussic knot was tight to the tree and I ran out of adjustment. I could never get it like I like it even with a 24 inch bridge. Because the loops are so far in front a 24 inch bridge is more like a 36 inch bridge. If you tether above your head that shouldn't be a problem but for eye level hook up it is too long.

Trying to clip into the loops as they are is also hard while climbing and installing sticks. When I get time I'm definitely cutting mine and moving the loops closer. I will also fold the loops over and sew them so they are easier to clip into. I am also attaching some loops to rear on both sides so I can hang gear while I climb. Those are the two areas I have to adjust the rest is well made as is.

I'm thinking of putting big loops just behind the point where the three webbing straps meet to form the arms. I messed around with this tree/pole climbing belt this weekend and think I want big loops. .. maybe as large as these, but not metal.I was tethered pretty high on this, but I like to tether at eye level or even lower sometimes. I was just trying out five or six different saddles and getting ideas. Actually if it wasn't for the color and the metal, this thing was pretty awesome. Fifty bucks on eBay

Shaun

 

[essdub]

Well here goes nothing. I made the first loop. One loop held my weight, so I think if I keep sewing, it'll be fine. Hopefully in a day or two I'll be able to get out and hang from a tree with it. Gonna add molle type loops all the way around I think.

Shaun

 

[BassBoysLLP]

That sewing looks scary! Lol

 

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: My review of Ken's sling/saddle

That sewing looks scary! Lol

It ain't done yet. Don't hate. Lol. It'll be prettier when I'm finished. Maybe.
The bottom piece actually has a lot of stitches in. I ran out of thread soon after folding the top over. I'll go back over it tomorrow. But it's time for me to go to bed. I gotta wake up in six hours

 

[BassBoysLLP]

Bwahahahaha

 

[kenn1320]

:shock: my opinion you are only loading the center belt, will be shocked if this doesn't affect comfort. If you set on experimenting. Make a loop similar to sit drag and connect it where the cross bar is, but inbetween the outer and inner belts. That should load all three.

 

[g2outdoors]

You should see the sewing on my Sitdrag...makes Shaun look like a pro.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: My review of Ken's sling/saddle

:shock: my opinion you are only loading the center belt, will be shocked if this doesn't affect comfort. If you set on experimenting. Make a loop similar to sit drag and connect it where the cross bar is, but inbetween the outer and inner belts. That should load all three.

I think you may be right. Today when I get home, I'm gonna cut the tails off this loop and maybe use it as an extra loop to hang stuff. Then I'll be looking at possibly adding the bridge connection loop a few inches forward of this one where all three pieces of webbing connect. The sling is great, but I If I can figure out a bridge loop that sits further back than the existing one, it could be even better.

Shaun