I also picked up a gen 1 last year. Love it so far, still working on best way to carry in and setup in dark. What is everyone else doing.
I tuck it in the bottom of my pack on the way in. I have a gear tie wrapped around it to carry up the tree on my saddle.
I don’t like to wear my saddle in so everything is in my pack. Saddle goes on first, then if I’m using sticks, they get looped around an amsteel gear noose girth hitched to my saddle at about my left kidney. They’re One sticks so three of the four I use are on my right side at my kidney. The Pursuit platform goes on the left side at that kidney. First stick goes on the tree with a three step aider and that’s about it.
With the Sladder I’m trying to ditch the pack altogether. It’s so light I can carry it off my saddle if need be if I begin wearing the saddle. Haven’t decided yet but probably will ditch the pack this year for early season. The MG bird bag could carry everything or CGM pouches on my saddle.