After a few hunts with the way I had my Hybrid set up, I have since changed it. After several practice runs + a decent amount of actual scouting & hunting, I like it where it’s at.
- Took the dump pouches off. They were reach-able, but wasn’t ideal.
- Since I only use my 40’ rope & Safeguard for the trip down after a hunt, I was able to stow that between the mesh and the frame. Easily access it when it’s time to hook up and rappel down. With about 8 miles worth of walking on it with the current set up, the rope doesn’t move and I didn’t have any hot spots.
- Gear hoist and main tether is clipped on the right side; able to take it off and put it back on without taking off the pack.
- WE Stepps are on a Gripr hung over the hook with an extra loop that can be grabbed while wearing the pack. Drop the seat, take off the Stepps, hang them from a clip near my hip, and put the seat back up.
- Similar to the Stepps, I have my ROS in a dump pouch that can be accessed the same way as my Stepps.
- Left side has my Knaider & Swaider clipped on. Again, can be put on and off with the pack attached.
The only time I have to spend fiddling with anything with the pack off is when I’m packing my rappel rope back up after I have climbed down, which I’m fine with since I have to stand at the base of the tree to pull it down/wrap it up anyway.
After about a month with the Hybrid and some time tuning the set up, I now understand why [mention]kyler1945 [/mention]is always responding to a lot of the threads about the Hybrid and providing additional info/context when it may be lacking.
At first look, the Hybrid was definitely a head-fake for me. It looked bulky, looked like you would be more limited to where you can set up vs a light hang on, and restrictive for shooting.
It’s not a 7# hang on or a 4# saddle, but it is:
-Extremely Comfortable
-Essentially no metal on metal
-Carries the extra weight well (if you consider total set up of ~20 # heavy..)
- Allows me to ditch the extra frame pack
- Once refined, very little fiddle factor. Get to the tree and get to climbing
I’m sure I’m missing some other key advantages, but other than not weighing a couple pounds like a traditional saddle, I haven’t seen an area where it’s really lacking.
I spent a lot of time on YouTube watching reviews/videos of the the Hybrid before deciding to just buy one and give it a try. Other than what Kyle, John, and DIY Sportsman has out there, the content is pretty limited so I wanted to share my thoughts - for what it’s worth.
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