Thank you for your input, which saddles did you try and which is your preferred?
I'm here in the center, Steven's point area
I tried the Mantis, JX3 and Trophyline Ambush Pro and Lite along with a fleece/rock climbing harness and a diy "Wraith". I could not get comfortable in the Mantis for longer sits but it was the lightest commercially available one I tried by far. I tried the JX3 but there was just too much going on for me to like it. The black straps were hard to see in the dark, packing it in then taking it off to get ready to climb the tree and trying to haul things on it were a pain too (I like a backpack for longer sits). The JX3 was comfortable but my legs went numb in it after awhile and sitting up was kind of a pain in it too. The Trophyline is what I use now and it took a bit to get "dialed" in but is well built (a little on the heavier side) comfortable for me after a bit of fiddling, decent price and comes with the accessory pouches. The buckles on the Trophyline could definitely be better but work for what I need it for. I have both the Lite and Pro and I believe the cut is exactly the same. I really don't notice a weight difference in either and if there is, it's negligible. The fleece/rock climbing harness is the most comfortable and cheapest but I like the idea of a 1 piece saddle a little better. The Wraith is super lightweight and minimalist and I use that if I'm going through thick brush or deeper in the woods (I can fit it inside of my Wild Edge step bag) but isn't good for longer sits.
On the old Trophylines, the bridge was the buckle and waist belt as I understand it. You have to cinch your waist belt tight (I put it above my hips over my bellybutton) then cinch the bridge down tight and loop the remaining bridge strap through one of the lineman's loops. I leave it like this until I'm at hunting height then adjust my bridge to hook to my tether. I carry a decent amount of junk in my pouches too and only have to periodically stop to re-tighten the waist belt if needed. A lot of guys have replaced the waist belt buckle with the Cobra 2" sew or no sew version.
Same saddle. Separate the top webbing from the bottom on the bridge and pull the top away from you to cinch it down. I pull with my right hand and hold pressure onto the bridge buckle with my left to cinch it. The bridge acts like a second waist belt when walking in and used to be the only waist belt on the old Trophylines along with some suspenders.
Also, a good way to make the actual waist belt not move while walking in is to cinch it down, then wrap it tightly around itself. Once I figured this out, this thing is money. I can walk for miles and it never moves.
Comfort, design (Have heard it is referred to as a "Kestrel Clone"), less fiddle factor as the saying goes. Just seems preferred over Tropyline by most who have faced this choice. I suggest looking up a member close by on the saddle map link here or attend a meetup or Tethered Teach and Train session and test what members are using.
FYI: There is a difference between primal steps vs WE steps. The primal steps use a buckle strap fastening system, whereas the WE steps use rope - less weight. Primal steps also do not include a carrying bag. If you convert the primal steps to WE type rope, you'll see the cost becomes relatively the same as WE steps. Another possible factor to consider is WE steps is a Veteran owned company.
I bought primal v steps through sippy sale 40$ for 8 of them! Great price! But it took a month for them to even process the payment that was a month ago, still no sign of them it's been about 3 months with no communication, wondering if I threw away 40$. Couldn't beat the price. We will see how the quality is.
There's a subject tab below this one called SH Member Meetups. Check out the WI thread. They are trying to arrange a time and date to meet and exchange ideas and try out various options. Might be helpful in your search to find the best and least expensive set up that fits you.
Man, I think you may have lost your money. I saw that site as well. When I dug deeper into it, I saw it was a site offering clothing, jewelry, and related items, which then made me very suspicious that the site was hacked by someone offering the primal steps "deal".
When I said below this one, I meant below the Saddle Information For New Users tab, not this specific one. Hope that didn't confuse you.
