tailgunner
Well-Known Member
Me and the beast will sell you little tree stands and ass hamoks
Yes, actually I haven't built anything smaller than a 15 by 12 so making a platform the size of the og predator id imagine could easily be sub 2lbs....Sure 1 and a half pounds is nothing for an easy hunt.but in ultra light backpacking its an extra chair with a back you can lean against all night by the fire and an insulated sleeping pad wich will make you far more cumffy every night.so it goes a long way to the back country hunters out west who carry a whole camp on their back with thier hunting gear and would like to incorpetate tree climbing in to their already over loaded gear.keep it rollin homie.this is where true ultra light hunting starts.cuzz it hasnt started yet.
Well, for any hard platform there'll be teeth, BUT if all goes according to design, the teeth will poke in 1/4" to 1/2" but not move downfrom the point of entry!Because I'm difficult....hehehe
Cons outnumber the pros for me and the way I hunt....I don't hate on peeps who use them or the folks that produce them....but u gotta admit they all just copies of each other and the "improvements" between the different brands are marginal at best so far...and the only saddle gear that has damaged any of the trees at my house has been from other people coming over and showing me their metal pivoting style platforms...my poor turkey oak practice tree has some platform scars and it and I are both traumatized
why?
It does work! Just that beefing up the pivot and brace point is challenging when you're trying to be lightweight, strong, and stiff at the same time.
You also lose that back 3 or 4" of foot space too.... but so far it's been proven to be a popular simple attach point so .... time for something different!!!
I agree it could be sub 2 at a 12x12 footprint. Although the dimensions you listed on here would be in the ball park of a mission or ambush. In that case, sub 3lbs is impressiveYes, actually I haven't built anything smaller than a 15 by 12 so making a platform the size of the og predator id imagine could easily be sub 2lbs....
Thanks! Me too! In reality, you either support it from the top like most are now, or from the bottom like the original Andy stand....mine will be a (hopefully others will agree when all is revealed) better/new idea/variation/version of the latter. So far its going well, I've already said more than I probably should have but I really want to share it with you all as soon as I legally can. Thanks for all the opinions!Looking forward to seeing your design.
I just might do some personal versions as a way to fundraise, but it'll have to be after my prototypes are done and if you sign a privacy agreement.Are you taking pre-orders, LOL.
Weight is more important to me. Don't think 1.5" thicker will make a difference to me.
Good question, the shape one! How many people do use the edge features of platforms?Could I pose another question? I'm gonna edit the first post to reflect this as well for anyone seeing this thread for the first time...
If you could have the perfect width and depth dimensions for you,what would they be?
And are all the odd outer shapes of the various common platforms a good thing or would flat straight lines, like tree stands have be easier on the feet?
Thanks! Me too! In reality, you either support it from the top like most are now, or from the bottom like the original Andy stand....mine will be a (hopefully others will agree when all is revealed) better/new idea/variation/version of the latter. So far its going well, I've already said more than I probably should have but I really want to share it with you all as soon as I legally can. Thanks for all the opinions!
I'm still convinced that style of platform has the edge over the current flavor. There is no perfect platform, it depends on the tree but I really like having the support UNDER the surface rather than the post style of platform because the surface is 100% usable.DIY Saddle Platform
Hello, I'm fairly new to this forum and I thought I'd share a little DIY project I just completed. I decided to put together a platform for my saddle hunting, I have an older Anderson tree sling that I modified by adding an Amsteel Bridge but I needed a platform so this is what I came up with...saddlehunter.com
@Allegheny Tom is a big fan of this style:
Platform option
Gotta post the pics first thru Tapatalk. I'll add comments via the regular forum site. Give me a little while... I have a pile of this grating and I've made several platforms for all the years I've hunted without a saddle. I've spent a ton of hours in these. I've ordered a Kestrel and in the...saddlehunter.com
Will be cool to see what you do with it.
Cam up? Do you set the bottom support where you want it with the platform still angled up, then pull out and lift them rear/ push down on the front then release the platform to the tree?I'm still convinced that style of platform has the edge over the current flavor. There is no perfect platform, it depends on the tree but I really like having the support UNDER the surface rather than the post style of platform because the surface is 100% usable.
We have changed a couple of things since the pics in my old post. Those old pics had us camming down, but now we prefer to cam up. It keeps the support post firm against the tree when the platform is unweighted.
The other change we've made to them is to swap out the steel chain with an Amsteel daisy chain. Steel chain is still great for leaving the stand padlocked to the tree but amsteel makes it a few pounds lighter and quieter to set.
Someone needs to make a commercial lightweight version of these.
Working on it....I'm still convinced that style of platform has the edge over the current flavor. There is no perfect platform, it depends on the tree but I really like having the support UNDER the surface rather than the post style of platform because the surface is 100% usable.
We have changed a couple of things since the pics in my old post. Those old pics had us camming down, but now we prefer to cam up. It keeps the support post firm against the tree when the platform is unweighted.
The other change we've made to them is to swap out the steel chain with an Amsteel daisy chain. Steel chain is still great for leaving the stand padlocked to the tree but amsteel makes it a few pounds lighter and quieter to set.
Someone needs to make a commercial lightweight version of these.
Oh we can go down that trail here....I too am curious. Was the predator platform the first one that started the post up trend?Cam up? Do you set the bottom support where you want it with the platform still angled up, then pull out and lift them rear/ push down on the front then release the platform to the tree?
Also, how did we arrive at our current post up versa button design that pretty much everything employs? Maybe a topic for a different thread instead of derailing this one. Just curious. I haven't been around long enough to know
I've seen that thread and really like it... there is precious little information on the web about the original Andy stand which was patented and commercially sold, but apparently that was back in the 70's.... so those pics were a great starting point.DIY Saddle Platform
Hello, I'm fairly new to this forum and I thought I'd share a little DIY project I just completed. I decided to put together a platform for my saddle hunting, I have an older Anderson tree sling that I modified by adding an Amsteel Bridge but I needed a platform so this is what I came up with...saddlehunter.com
@Allegheny Tom is a big fan of this style:
Platform option
Gotta post the pics first thru Tapatalk. I'll add comments via the regular forum site. Give me a little while... I have a pile of this grating and I've made several platforms for all the years I've hunted without a saddle. I've spent a ton of hours in these. I've ordered a Kestrel and in the...saddlehunter.com
Will be cool to see what you do with it.
Your first question is opposite to how you do it.Cam up? Do you set the bottom support where you want it with the platform still angled up, then pull out and lift them rear/ push down on the front then release the platform to the tree?
Also, how did we arrive at our current post up versa button design that pretty much everything employs? Maybe a topic for a different thread instead of derailing this one. Just curious. I haven't been around long enough to know
Oh we can go down that trail here....I too am curious. Was the predator platform the first one that started the post up trend?