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Best saddle?

cincyprostheticguy

cincyprostheticguy

Active Member
SH Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2022
Messages
131
Before i buy a saddle id your input. I have no experience with a saddle so what have you tried that was above all else? What didnt work?
 
My best suggestion is to buy a few saddles second hand. Try them out and see which one fits you best. You can usually sell them for what you paid (or close). With that said, I'm currently going back and forth between the Cruzr XC and the Latitude Method 2.
 
The_Fit_Ness_Monster said:
I read forums and avoided thethrd and went with cruzr xc ran for one season but in the last couple weeks or so overwatch outdoors started a new trending saddle and im waiting for mine currently but ive heard and read alot of good things and ive seen the craftsmanship is above most if not all.
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I was looking at over watch too and watched the video and was more intrigued... i was looking at flat branch outdoors solitude 2.0 but havent seen much on them here
 
cincyprostheticguy said:
I was looking at over watch too and watched the video and was more intrigued... i was looking at flat branch outdoors solitude 2.0 but havent seen much on them here
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I actually just picked up a Flat Branch solitude 2.0, and I'm going to test it out tomorrow. I'll be happy to share my opinion with you tomorrow evening.
 
cincyprostheticguy said:
Before i buy a saddle id your input. I have no experience with a saddle so what have you tried that was above all else? What didnt work?
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Which boots for my feet the best? Which gloves fit my hands the best? Which pants fit my legs the best? Which saddle fits my body the best?

I think there are a number of factors that go into preference for one saddle over another, and some work better for some people and not so well for others. Have not tried the quantity of saddles that many have here on this site, but I’ve noticed that any given saddle may make one person happy but not another. There are several saddle that receive somewhat consistent feedback and praise on this site, though. (Even been a couple of threads, too!). See if you can find a saddle meetup or use the member search feature to find someone in your area, that can really shorten the learning/comfort/selection process. Good luck!
 
Maverick1 said:
Which boots for my feet the best? Which gloves fit my hands the best? Which pants fit my legs the best? Which saddle fits my body the best?

I think there are a number of factors that go into preference for one saddle over another, and some work better for some people and not so well for others. Have not tried the quantity of saddles that many have here on this site, but I’ve noticed that any given saddle may make one person happy but not another. There are several saddle that receive somewhat consistent feedback and praise on this site, though. (Even been a couple of threads, too!). See if you can find a saddle meetup or use the member search feature to find someone in your area, that can really shorten the learning/comfort/selection process. Good luck!
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The consistent feedback is what im after.. the Google machine is great if you just want the most popular or whos spent the most on advertising but thats not what i want.. ive seen alot people on here have had quite a few saddles from the smaller companies and have good things to say than the BIG names
 
Aerohunter's Kestrel and Merlin and Overwatch Outdoors Transformer are what I own and have used. They're all great saddles to me and even though they're of different designs I couldn't say which I like the best or is most comfortable.
Best advice I can give you is to see if you can meet up with someone local and try out their gear.
 
I bought a Cruzr xc and a Treehopper Recon. The XC is a single panel, the Recon a 2 panel. After a season saddle hunting I prefer the 2 panel Recon.

There is a lot that goes into what saddle you will like. Things like your body size, weight and how good a physical shape you are in, whether you are primarily a leaner or a sitter, if you want to run dump pouches or not, if you want to wear the saddle in or carry it in a backpack and put it on at the base of the tree, what sort of system you use to get up the tree. It goes on and on.

I personally am 5'11, 150 and I work out and stay very active. I use sticks to climb primarily but also use DRT where applicable. I don't run pouches on my saddle and wear it in about 50/50 versus carrying it in the backpack. Hope this helps.
 
cincyprostheticguy said:
Before i buy a saddle id your input. I have no experience with a saddle so what have you tried that was above all else? What didnt work?
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Go to the Welcome section and intro, your self. Ask if there are members close to you that would let you try their saddle.
Keep an eye out in the meet up section for one close to you. Great opportunity to try out saddle gear.
Buying and selling can get expensive.
 
cincyprostheticguy said:
Before i buy a saddle id your input. I have no experience with a saddle so what have you tried that was above all else? What didnt work?
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You’re going to get many different answers because some guys love 2 panels, some guys love minimalist set ups, some guys love pleats, some love hammocks. Some guys have brand loyalty and some guys are friends with the guys on here who make them. Cruzr XC gets a lot of love. The past year the Dryad Drey has become very popular. For the price point it’s hard to beat CGM’s saddles and they are loaded with features. Some people really love TX5 saddles, recently Overwatch Orion (pleated) and the Transformer (2 panel) are getting a lot of great reviews. Best advice anyone can give you is to find a saddle hunter group or meet up close to you and try out as many as you can. Each body type and hunting style is unique so you need to find the one that works best for you, and none of us can define that for you
 
cincyprostheticguy said:
The consistent feedback is what im after.. the Google machine is great if you just want the most popular or whos spent the most on advertising but thats not what i want.. ive seen alot people on here have had quite a few saddles from the smaller companies and have good things to say than the BIG names
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The consistent feedback is good and all for narrowing in on things a little but the only way to determine what will work best for you is to get to a meetup in your area or to hit up nearby saddle hunter members directly and ask to try out their stuff. There is a map feature in the navigation of this forum that can help you identify people close by. There is also a whole topic section for meetups. I plan on hosting the third annual meetup in SE Wisconsin again this year if you are in the area. Meetups give you an opportunity to try out the whole kit (sticks, saddles platforms, ropes, etc) for yourself and ask lots of direct questions. Best to try as many out as possible and form your own opinion if you are trying to avoid the saddle roulette game. Some guys like buying, trying and selling game. To each their own. That process never ends (saddle rabbit hole as we call it)
 
I’ve tried six or seven different saddles and for me the Dryad Drey is the best out there. You can sit in it like a minimalist saddle or you have the comfort of sitting in a hammock. It also carries in the woods better than any other saddle. But for total comfort the JX3 can’t be beat


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Cruzr XC. I've had mine for 2 seasons and put a lot of time in it out hunting. I'm out almost every night after work during season and do several all day sits. I have somewhat of a sasquatch type build and it works for me but I have a friend that's built like a telephone pole and it works for him too. I have zero affiliation with Cruzr, I just appreciate it when something I spend my money on works.
I've heard good things about the Dryad Drey too and I could see where it would be extremely comfortable although have zero experience with it.
 
Put every saddle brand up on a board, throw a dart and start there haha. Youll eventually go threw multiple saddles to find what works for so either start buying them now or find a meetup in your area. Ive owned a dozen or so saddles and the 2 ive liked the most are the latitude classic and the dryad drey.
 
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