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Trust issues

poorcharlie

poorcharlie

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Dec 29, 2020
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I’m definitely hooked on saddle hunting. I started at the tail end of this season and I’m still struggling with confidence in hanging from ropes/carabiners and being supported by mesh and webbing. I’ve got about 22 hr in the saddle so far. Hopefully the conference comes with experience. It feels better to lean as it doesn’t feel like all my weight is on the saddle and tether but sitting is nice when my feet and legs need a break. Anyone else have these struggles starting out?
 
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Squatch

Squatch

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Jul 21, 2019
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Indiana
poorcharlie said:
I’m definitely hooked on saddle hunting. I started at the tail end of this season and I’m still struggling with confidence in hanging from ropes/carabiners and being supported by mesh and webbing. I’ve got about 22 hr in the saddle so far. Hopefully the conference comes with experience. It feels better to lean as it doesn’t feel like all my weight is on the saddle and tether but sitting is nice when my feet and legs need a break. Anyone else have these struggles starting out?
Click to expand...

We all start with it
Know your gear
Get familiar with it
Also helps to check it regularly
You will get more comfortable in time
I tether in to an 8mm rope
I’m also 6’5 and 260lbs haha!
It comes with time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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poorcharlie

poorcharlie

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Dec 29, 2020
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South Alabama
Squatch said:
We all start with it
Know your gear
Get familiar with it
Also helps to check it regularly
You will get more comfortable in time
I tether in to an 8mm rope
I’m also 6’5 and 260lbs haha!
It comes with time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I figured it would. I’m definitely not giving up. I love it. I Just know that on the other side of this it will be better.
 
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slonstdy

slonstdy

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Oct 10, 2018
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Once you accept that if you should fall you'll probably cripple yourself or die alone at the base of the tree you'll find your inner peace and will be able to relax and enjoy living life on the edge. It helps if you make peace with your maker...
 
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sdonx

sdonx

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Jan 30, 2018
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Like anything trust will come with the confidence that you have the right gear and the right setup...that being said I had a wierd issue this year late season. I hadn't been in my saddle for maybe 6 weeks. I kept thinking about falling the night before. Kinda worked myself into a frenzy where I was feelin' iffy as I climbed up. I had to go really high 26' due to cover. Took me a couple hours to settle down. This is my third season. I think getting scared is good, especially me as I am a chance taker, Humbles me.
 
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poorcharlie

poorcharlie

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Dec 29, 2020
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South Alabama
sdonx said:
Like anything trust will come with the confidence that you have the right gear and the right setup...that being said I had a wierd issue this year late season. I hadn't been in my saddle for maybe 6 weeks. I kept thinking about falling the night before. Kinda worked myself into a frenzy where I was feelin' iffy as I climbed up. I had to go really high 26' due to cover. Took me a couple hours to settle down. This is my third season. I think getting scared is good, especially me as I am a chance taker, Humbles me.
Click to expand...

It definitely makes me check and double check everything. That and make slow methodical movements. I do like that part of it.
 
RLM

RLM

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Dec 28, 2020
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Inspect all of your equipment before you start your climb, at your truck or tree. It takes a solid minute to check any signs of wear to stitching, rope, mechanical devices,etc. Everything we use is rated to handle way more than our weight. Knowing your equip is in good condition will give you some piece of mind.
 
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raisins

raisins

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Jan 17, 2019
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Extra peace of mind is only a 20 buck nylon sling away. Get a 3 foot nylon climbing sling. This only works if your lineman's lanyard has a carabiner on both sides (can't be girth hitched to your saddle on one side). Once on your platform with your tether and lineman's lanyard both still on, sit into the tether and feel that it is holding you, loosen your lineman's lanyard a bit and confirm that everything is at it should be. Next, take out your 3 foot nylon sling and girth hitch it onto the rated belt of your saddle, not the bridge, but off to the side so it doesn't interfere with your belt buckle. Disconnect the left side of your lineman's and immediately clip it onto the other side of the lineman's rope, creating a girth hitch around the tree connected to your right lineman's loop. Next, unclip the remaining side of the lineman's and clip that to your nylon sling. The sling should be on the carabiner of the lineman's that has your adjustment (prusik, ropeman, whatever you use). Slide the girth hitched lineman's lanyard up to right below your tether. Adjust the length so that it is slightly loose and will not bind up or inhibit your movement. I then wrap a nite ize gear tie on the repurposed lineman's lanyard to keep it from loosening from the tree and sliding now. You now have a completely independent safety system. If you want to go one more step. Make yourself a pants belt out of 1" climb rated tubular webbing and a rated 1" Cobra buckle. When you girth hitch your nylon sling to your saddle belt also include as a bundle this homemade riggers belt.

With the system I described, the only way you are falling is if you get in a rush and do something unfortunate. I think it is better than running two bridges because it is more independent. You would need two different things to both break at the same time or one right after the other. The only single point of failure I can think of is if the webbing that comprises your belt and the webbing that comprises the saddle/bridge loops that the webbing belt is sewn to all ripped as a single unit at some point, which is possible but being struck by lightning is probably as likely so long as your saddle is a halfway decent design and in halfway decent shape. If you were to include the extra rigger's belt, then that stops that single point of failure as well.
 
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1simplemann

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Sep 6, 2014
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I have 1000's hrs and 40 yrs in tree stands. Most of them without a safety belt. I've alway been comfortable at heights. Now I wear one because I'm older and smarter. This fall I was in a stand and had left my safety belt in my other pack. I totally felt uncomfortable. I happened to have my saddle in my pack. I hooked it up and used the side of my stand as my platform. That reassurance that I wasn't going to fall was comforting. I sat all day. No worries.
 
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1simplemann

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Sep 6, 2014
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raisins said:
Extra peace of mind is only a 20 buck nylon sling away. Get a 3 foot nylon climbing sling. This only works if your lineman's lanyard has a carabiner on both sides (can't be girth hitched to your saddle on one side). Once on your platform with your tether and lineman's lanyard both still on, sit into the tether and feel that it is holding you, loosen your lineman's lanyard a bit and confirm that everything is at it should be. Next, take out your 3 foot nylon sling and girth hitch it onto the rated belt of your saddle, not the bridge, but off to the side so it doesn't interfere with your belt buckle. Disconnect the left side of your lineman's and immediately clip it onto the other side of the lineman's rope, creating a girth hitch around the tree connected to your right lineman's loop. Next, unclip the remaining side of the lineman's and clip that to your nylon sling. The sling should be on the carabiner of the lineman's that has your adjustment (prusik, ropeman, whatever you use). Slide the girth hitched lineman's lanyard up to right below your tether. Adjust the length so that it is slightly loose and will not bind up or inhibit your movement. I then wrap a nite ize gear tie on the repurposed lineman's lanyard to keep it from loosening from the tree and sliding now. You now have a completely independent safety system. If you want to go one more step. Make yourself a pants belt out of 1" climb rated tubular webbing and a rated 1" Cobra buckle. When you girth hitch your nylon sling to your saddle belt also include as a bundle this homemade riggers belt.

With the system I described, the only way you are falling is if you get in a rush and do something unfortunate. I think it is better than running two bridges because it is more independent. You would need two different things to both break at the same time or one right after the other. The only single point of failure I can think of is if the webbing that comprises your belt and the webbing that comprises the saddle/bridge loops that the webbing belt is sewn to all ripped as a single unit at some point, which is possible but being struck by lightning is probably as likely so long as your saddle is a halfway decent design and in halfway decent shape. If you were to include the extra rigger's belt, then that stops that single point of failure as well.
Click to expand...
Can you post a pic of this? I can't quite picture this in my head.
 
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raisins

raisins

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1simplemann said:
Can you post a pic of this? I can't quite picture this in my head.
Click to expand...

At some point, but I don't have a tree in my yard, so it might be a while. I probably was too detailed telling you my order of operations to accomplish this as quickly as possible.

The broad sketch is you use your lineman's lanyard on the tree like a second tether (handy because you don't have to carry anything else with you, other than maybe the sling). You then clip this second tether to somewhere that isn't your bridge/bridge loops. You could directly clip this second tether's carabiner to your saddle waist belt, but I like to attach a sling loop to the belt by a girth hitch and then clip to it. I keep this second tether loose so that it doesn't get in the way and would only hold weight if the primary tether breaks. I keep it loose enough that I would fall 6" max before it caught me.
 
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kyler1945

kyler1945

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The most dangerous thing you can do is get so comfortable with your gear and tactics that you don’t think about what you’re actually doing now and then, and get scared. Leaving the ground by any power besides that of your muscles is incredibly dangerous. Don’t forget it!
 
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Weldabeast

Weldabeast

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Outta sight outta mind... I think it's natural to sit and look and analyze the saddle stuff because it's right in front of u.... Saddle gear and hang on gear pretty much identical but with the hang on stand u don't fidget with ropes and straps cause u can't reach them.
 
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