• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Where to start??????

Shane Wink

Shane Wink

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
Messages
57
Hey guys, I have been going through the forum reading and with so many different ideas an systems its hard to tell where to start. I have a rc harness but I have never hunted from it. I had originally planned to use a one stick with an aider and my xop air raid to hunt from using the rc harness in leu of a traditional safety harness.

I am a trad hunter and have many years of experiece with technical rescue but wearing a class 3 harness. after looking at so many post I am thinking of fore going the stand and opting for a saddle of some sort but I dont know whether to make one, add a sit drag type device to my rc harness or to bite the bullet and buy the aero hunter.

I am open to questions and guidance and have scheduled off from nov 20 - jan 4 this year for hunting season. I am in North Louisiana and out early bow season is pretty hot so neoprene is out and cutting weight is what I am after but not so much that I cant "hang" most of the day if I want to. I will be spending most of my season moving around public land and cant use spikes or screw in steps. I am a big guy as well 6' 263lbs 40" waist. By hunting season I generally drop to 240ish and a 38" waist. I am a custom knife maker and bowyer so i am not opposed to building my own saddle either but need some guidance or a diagram to look at. I have my grandmother's cast iron singer thread injector that I have used for making packs and hammocks in the past.

If I left out anything please ask and I am looking forward to suggestions and your complete systems.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: PJC
I don't recommend the Sit Drag unless you use a platform like the XOP Hand Climber seat. By balancing the load between your harness, your feet and the sit drag, you can get fairly comfortable. The climber seat is also a great way to get up a tree and then you have a platform.

The Aero hunter is a good balance between comfort and weight. Smaller than a guido, more comfortable than a sit drag. More secure for standing at crazy angles to shoot and more comfortable to use with rappel descent or for one stick climbing.
 
I would recommend a Guido's web. It weighs only 8.5 pounds but it is all day comfortable. In the heat wear it over one shoulder like a sling and you will not get it all sweaty.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I had an Aero and I thought it was uncomfortable (6' and 220 pounds). I sold it and stuck with an XOP hang on or Summit climber the rest of the season. One thing I did learn was a Platform makes a world of difference. Making one from a hang on seat and part of a climbing stick is the best that I tried (also tried Ameristeps on a strap and climb paws).

Secondly....how are you getting everything into the woods is one thing to think about. You could fit everything in a pack if you are doing the one stick climbing method. If you are planning on using a lot of sticks, you could use a MOLLE system and use the frame to strap everything to.

I'm trying the SitDrag this year as my second go for saddle hunting. I will pair that with a new oumers rescue harness I bought. If I stick with the sitdrag and one stick climbing method I plan to buy a Tenzing TC1500 or Badlands Treestand pack....currently undecided. Hope this helps from someone still trying to figure out a setup that works for me.
 
You are going to get a lot of different opinions here, but good information.
I bought a Aero Hunter last year and it is everything that justsomedude said it is. It is well made, comfortable, adjustable, great for long angles and sits, quiet, and lightweight for those long walk ins. New Tribe makes some of the best harnesses on the market.

I personally wish I would have explored and tried the sit drag option before buying my Aero hunter. It will be much cheaper for you, especially since you already have everything else, and will give you a good idea on if this style of tree hunting is for you. I love my aero hunter, but I wish I would have tried the cheaper option of a sit drag setup first because there are a lot of good men on this sight that swear by the sit drag.
I may still get one for fun.

Just a thought,
 
I plan to wear what I can and use my alice straps if I take my loc on as i normally would. Just a single Lw stick with a 2 loop aider will go as high as i want with using the tether as a bridge on my RC harness.
 
I looked at new tribe and see their other options appear like my rc harness but at more than 4 time the price. from what I can tell the areo hunter has a full seat as opposed to the leg cuffs of the rc and a lumbar support , like a sitdrag, attached. I am exploring all of this now so I will be ready by oct to hunt but also have some trees that i have need trimming so i will have a lot of time "in the saddle" before then.
 
I have been looking everywhere from craigslist to the classifieds here for am aero hunter and if I find one I will give it a try.
 
I've sat in the Guidos Web, the Trophyline TreeSaddle and the SitDrag. Guidos is the most comfortable, but also the most complex. The SitDrag is the easiest, lightest and simplest, but not intended for above ground use. The Tree Saddle is a hybrid of the two. I used it exclusively for 5 or 6 years before I switched to my SitDrag. According to @Boudreaux, New Tribe is coming out with a lightweight saddle. But he's being a jerk and not spilling the beans :)

I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any of the Saddle options. They all beat traditional stand setups. Good luck!
 
That is kinda where i am at with it. I would certainly like to know more about the lightweight aero hunter before buying one right now, I have looked at their other arborist harnesses and to me i cant see any difference in their arborist harnesses and my rc or class 3 rescue harness sans the shoulder straps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PJC
According to @Boudreaux, New Tribe is coming out with a lightweight saddle. But he's being a jerk and not spilling the beans :) - G2outdoors

I looked at the new aero hunter @ ATA and saw a couple changes I like over the evo now that I am looking hard at them. The newer one I just saw in a video looks to have swapped out the rigging plate and the entire saddle looks like a cleaner setup. I like the back band on prusics too.
 
@Shane Wink ,
I am the one who answered you on Aero Hunter FB page,
Since @g2outdoors called me out, I will share a little bit.
We are in the finial stages, if everything goes as planned we will release around July. I will confirm there will be no rigging plates. Leg straps will also be quick release, we are trying to finalize the hardware used for them. I just weighed my latest model, the complete system comes in at 3.25lbs. I had a goal to try and keep it sub 3 and we still might get it there.

Thanks,
Boswell
 
When you say "complete system" do you mean all ropes and hardware including tethers?

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
 
g2outdoors said:
When you say "complete system" do you mean all ropes and hardware including tethers?

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Yes sir! Tree strap, bridge and lineman belt and hardware

Thanks,
Boswell
 
Thank you Boudreaux and put me down for one in July. You saved me some cash and time trying to make one!
 
Hmmm...sounds interesting! Excited to see some new saddles coming out!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
g2outdoors said:
According to @Boudreaux, New Tribe is coming out with a lightweight saddle. But he's being a jerk and not spilling the beans :)
Click to expand...

I was talking to Casey at New Tribe and he was giving me some teasers on this saddle. I have to say that I am pretty excited to get my hands on one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top