I liked the idea having a vest attached to the saddle two years ago and tried it. Here were my thoughts:
- It’s a perfect system to keep the saddle at the perfect height while walking in and climbing
- with the right pouches at the right spots on the vest, accessories are at hand when needed
- I wanted to eliminate the need for a backpack
I rigged up the vest and saddle and went into the woods. So far, all worked as planned. Climbing the tree though, I didn’t like the vest during the climbing itself. Also, when at height, I realized I’d like to take it off and have the “stuff” in front of me for easier access than on a vest around my chest/waist. Personally, I tend to bring more stuff with me than I need , but like to have, just in case. E.g. first aid kit, water, snacks, binos, a book, power bank for the phone, poncho, etc… so, I was not able to eliminate the backpack.
i detached the vest and put on some suspenders from the hardware store instead. It allows me to position the saddle at the exact and perfect spot on my hip without cinching the belt tight to keep it in place. I have only climbing related items in the hip pouches, such as tether, LM rope, ATC/Figure 8, grappling hook and retrieving line.
In/on my backpack, depending on weather, I have poncho, extra jacket, ultimate stick or LW hand climber and the other “stuff”. I can climb with the backpack on, or pull it up after climbing. I do like hanging it on the tree so I have easy access to my stuff. I also like to keep it open and prop up my phone inside so I can see the screen and read incoming messages without movement. At the same time, it shields the glare from the screen.
So, long story short, in my opinion, a vest is a great idea if it works for you based on your personal preferences.
