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Tethrd Phantom


An interesting commercial

Comfort seems to be a goal. That was my biggest complaint with the mantis. I would love to sit in one. Interesting ad.




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Disclaimer. This is a good review from a biased reviewer. I never liked the mantis and do not work for anyone. I do however love the Jx3. And I think the flex is pretty good but not perfect. I am still looking for perfect The flex is very comfortable but floppy when walking in with it on

This review is very good IMO but it is by a biased but long time saddle hunter who has given many thorough and thoughtful product reviews





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The phantom looks great and has some great features over the mantis to help with comfort and I’m sure I’ll get one to tryout when they come available to us.
But to me I don’t think the phantom is the big picture here. Last year I was at the ATA show checking everything out and was hoping to see some saddle gear but other than a couple platforms I didn’t see a thing.
I did see a few Tethrd guys walking around the show but they didn’t have a booth last year.
But they had a plan and followed through with it and this is a big start for other saddle hunting manufacturers to follow.
I hope next year and the years after that we have more and more saddle companies showing off there product at the ATA and giving us more great equipment to choose from.
I like Tethrd gear and I know some guys may not but we should all support them best we can because in the end it will lead to better equipment for us all.
 
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@Ontariofarmer Garrett’s video sums it up pretty well. I found it to be just as comfortable as my kestrel was for me but less forgiving when it comes to wallet in back pocket, bolts r stiff belt under saddle. I usually wear a cloth belt hunting but the time or two I wore my leather work belt it caused discomfort. I imagine the kite and flex would too. The kestrel with its double layer construction while heavy is pretty forgiving.
 
Disclaimer. This is a good review from a biased reviewer. I never liked the mantis and do not work for anyone. I do however love the Jx3. And I think the flex is pretty good but not perfect. I am still looking for perfect The flex is very comfortable but floppy when walking in with it on

This review is very good IMO but it is by a biased but long time saddle hunter who has given many thorough and thoughtful product reviews




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Most of saddles I have seen you can't really sit ON unless your weight in on the thin bottom strap. The Phantom looks no different. I climb SRT so I am sitting ON my sitdrag saddle hanging from the rope for a large percentage of the climb time (~1 min :D). The people that climb with the weight on their feet aren't sitting in their saddle until they get set at the top and try to sit and the saddle being fastened high on their hips rides up and they have to pull it down to sit comfortably. The Aero Evolution I have seems to have solved that problem a long time ago. It has a seat and leg loops that support your weight from mid thigh to tailbone just as you would sit in a chair. Just like a JX3;). No wonder so many people like the JX3. Any saddle you can sit ON comfortably you can lean against comfortably so they should be made comfortable to sit ON, distributing weight between butt and thighs. I had hoped the Phantom would have addressed this issue.
 
The phantom looks great and has some great features over the mantis to help with comfort and I’m sure I’ll get one to tryout when they come available to us.
But to me I don’t think the phantom is the big picture here. Last year I was at the ATA show checking everything out and was hoping to see some saddle gear but other than a couple platforms I didn’t see a thing.
I did see a few Tethrd guys walking around the show but they didn’t have a booth last year.
But they had a plan and followed through with it and this is a big start for other saddle hunting manufacturers to follow.
I hope next year and the years after that we have more and more saddle companies showing off there product at the ATA and giving us more great equipment to choose from.
I like Tethrd gear and I know some guys may not but we should all support them best we can because in the end it will lead to better equipment for us all.

I agree with this for the most part. Hopefully, we get better options that can be delivered with reasonable lead times. It has gotten better since the dark days of 2010-2011 after TrophyLine had closed and we had no options other than secondary market or Gudio’s Web.
I’m glad Greg and Ernie stepped up and took a chance. I wanted to start my own saddle company and even formed an LLC. I saw early on that I didn’t have the time or financial risk tolerability to see it through. I respect them for that. I have never met, nor spoken with anyone from Tethrd or their pro staff.

I have seen some things come to fruition that we kicked around on AT 10 years ago, which is cool.
See post #7 on this thread...

Tree saddle project


What I do see is the potential for this to go at least two ways:

1. Tethrd continues to tweak and develop new products that we like and other companies step up (OOAL, EWO, The new TL, New Tribe, Treehopper) and drive innovation through competition.

2. The market succumbs to Tethrd’s incredible marketing and then it’s really up to them as to whether they bring better products and customer service or sit back and reap the rewards of building the market, which they have absolutely done.

If #2 sounds cynical, it’s because I have seen this happen to a degree in the last 5 years or so in the hammock camping world. Actual hammock camping gear is a niche in the hammock world similar to saddles in hunting. ENO hammocks are Summit, but then you have a few vendors geared to the hardcore hammock campers. That’s us and saddles. One of the regular guys on hammock forums took an idea that was kicked around on hammock forums, made a product for a few members, then started a company. 5-10 years later he has put a few cottage vendors out of business by patenting stuff they already had in the market and threatening litigation. The little guys didn’t have the time, resources or rabid fanboys to defend their products. Now, were the little guys products totally new ideas in the first place? Maybe not. Ideas are kicked around a lot. He litigated and did a masterful marketing job.

I believe Tethr’d is about to be in the same position. It’s up to the competition to play ball or run and hide. As long as Tethr’d isn’t breaking any laws, good on them if they decide to crush everyone and become a virtual monopoly. I don’t know the economics and margins of the saddle market-a monopoly might not even be enough to be financially viable in the long term for all I know.

In the end (selfishly), just want better products that were developed with at least a modicum of integrity and a TON of focus on lighter/stronger/simpler/quieter.

A couple of disclaimers here.
1. I am very interested in trying a Phantom. I love splicing and Amsteel in general, so the bridge is a cool idea. Is it an original idea? Maybe not. Did they take a chance and produce and test it out.? Yep. Good on them. I’m going to Saddlepalooza and want to meet these guys and talk all thing saddles.
2. When I say fanboy, I mean someone who doesn’t have a wealth of knowledge or experience, but is blindly loyal. People that have thousands of hours with various saddles, sticks, platforms, etc and want to sing the praises of one company- have at it. That’s a brand ambassador, not a fanboy.
3. Don’t assume by the date someone joined Saddle Hunter or their age that they don’t have valuable experience or knowledge to contribute. @Nutterbuster is young, but I value his comments and I think his sense of humor and demeanor are awesome for the growth of saddle hunting. I would be pissed if he were driven away from this site.
4. I don’t take this stuff personally. It supposed to fun and relaxing. I work with some of the most condescending, pretentious people on the planet. If I have misspoken, let me have it. I can handle it.
No hard feelings.
5. I certainly hope the game hasn’t ended. I think we still have room for better/lighter/stronger/quieter/simpler.
6. Sorry for the diatribe.

Thanks!


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@Nutterbuster is young, but I value his comments and I think his sense of humor and demeanor are awesome for the growth of saddle hunting.
Thanks for the kind words. I'm just a little nutboy trying to survive in a nutman's world. ;)

Also, that post was so garrulous I thought it was one of mine!

Several people I know who were unimpressed with the mantis have said the phantom is an improvement. I personally like the looks of the bigger linemans loops. Looks like a good saddle, but man oh man do I hope the game hasn't ended!
 
@Ontariofarmer Garrett’s video sums it up pretty well. I found it to be just as comfortable as my kestrel was for me but less forgiving when it comes to wallet in back pocket, bolts r stiff belt under saddle. I usually wear a cloth belt hunting but the time or two I wore my leather work belt it caused discomfort. I imagine the kite and flex would too. The kestrel with its double layer construction while heavy is pretty forgiving.

Hang on, are you saying you have hunted out of the phantom?
 
Thanks for the kind words. I'm just a little nutboy trying to survive in a nutman's world. ;)

Also, that post was so garrulous I thought it was one of mine!

Several people I know who were unimpressed with the mantis have said the phantom is an improvement. I personally like the looks of the bigger linemans loops. Looks like a good saddle, but man oh man do I hope the game hasn't ended!

A nut boy


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A nut boy


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Well, he definitely is nuts!!!


....................................................................................
Tethrd Prostaff
Stormwater Creek Podcast contributor
....................................................................................
All climbing methods, platforms, saddle designs, and/or use of materials possibly mentioned in the post above are not peer reviewed for safety, and should only be used as an example of my own method. Do your own research and testing before becoming confident in any DIY solution to support your life.
-IkemanTx
 
I would like to think everyone's opinions count. But if you are going to toss it out you have to be able to take it. I have had all kinds of thigns poked at me, some where funny, others not so much -goes with the territory. I am definitely guilty of punching back when punched. I do think we reps need to tone it down against one another - I am going to do my part from this point on. None of us will win if we are the ones that get censored and confined to boxes IMO.

I personally hate to see any field rep being limited in their ability to contribute to this site - I don't think any of the reps I see on SH have bad intentions to any competitor. I think there is plenty of room for growth for all. But competition is going to weed some out no doubt.
 
It doesn't matter who you are or how tough you think you are, when that intro keyboard riff kicks off you are suddenly just a small town girl, living in a lonely world.
Yup, all that white Zin has gone to your head ....o_O
 
Yup, all that white Zin has gone to your head ....o_O
Uh, I mean, uh...Copperhead Road!

Anyway, I did sit in a Phantom. Ran into a shady character one night at a sketchy truck stop in the heart of indian country. I kid you not.

Whoever figured out how to get that cup in it deserves a cookie for sure. It does seem like it would not ride up on you, which every saddle I've ever sat in wants to do to some extent.
 
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I dont have the time to read 17 pages of discussion...sorry if this has been asked a thousand times. How hard is this gonna be to get on the first batch? secondly, is late feb still the release "date"
 
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