Diminishing return

[Bigfoot522]

I been wanting to post this for awhile and couldn't help laughing when I saw a post with a picture of what appeared to be crocs with claws for climbing. Too funny.

I'm not looking for debate really as I understand each one of us has their preferences.

Recurves and Hybrid LB have come a long way and the days of the heavy bows are pretty much behind us. If you wanted more power you increased the bow weight but the further up you went the less benefit you gained and traded shootabilty, comfort and accuracy. You had reached the point of diminishing returns.
We have the best ever bows out there now.

After a lifetime of using blinds and stands and going thru thick brush, swamp and marsh carrying these cumbersome, heavier devices, saddle hunting is like a V8 moment.
I wish I would of done it long ago. Granted that in Rhinelander I had no computer and smart phones didn't exist, only the business guys had cell phones and then only near town. I was in a world without hunting saddles. I had stopped reading Outdoor mags long ago.

Anyhow, I get the benefit of traveling light and being able to accomplish your mission.
It's good sense.
We have greatly reduced the size and weight of our gear to the point that we now talk of shaving ounces, and it begins to seem a little extreme to me.
In the scheme of things plus or minus two pounds is not a deal breaker for me. I would have no problem using just about any combo of gear available to us these days.

I personally would prefer mfgs to develope their products for ease of use and affordability and not be fixated on the next ounce. Is it really practical?
Don't discard great ideas because of one lousy pound.

Don't shoot the messenger.

 

[gameflogger]

If I am packing in a good distance my water is usually the heaviest thing in my pack. If I didnt need to carry water in, my pack weight would be cut in half. I’m waiting for someone to invent dehydrated water to cut that weight out.

 

[fbwguy]

Very nice points. I agree, for me the difference between hiking in 3 miles with 7 lbs vs 8 lbs is negligible. But if 8 lbs of gear is quieter and easier to use in dark and helps me be successful, then I’m gonna carry the weight. The main reason that I still hunt with my DIY setup is because it works for me. It’s not the latest and greatest. It’s not the lightest and tightest, but it’s quiet and efficient and that’s what counts. I’m glad to see all the new products coming to market and maybe I will see something that I can’t live without, so keep em coming. But in the end it’s all about filling the freezer safely

 

[Wirrex]

Weight really isn’t an issue for me either. Though I prefer to go light, I found this season how much more enjoyable a large platform can be. I will most likely be taking that weight penalty every hunt next year.

 

[skell]

Agree with you and the previous 3 posts.
I do think there is some advantage to pushing the limits of light. Once you hit the line of lightest usable product. You can walk the weight back for comfort. Then you have the lightest most comfortable or usable product. Sometimes it is easier to push the limits on one factor at a time.

With that said, I don't focus much on the weight I carry. I focus more on comfort and packability.

 

[rambotogo]

I like to backpack and hammock camp . The same kinda thing sort of. For me I like the light weight stuff to a point when it becomes uncomfortable . Then I will carry the weight because I like to enjoy what I am doing . Some people will go to extremes to save some weight and that is fine if that what floats your boat. Some backpackers I know carry one square of tp a day . I like well made comfortable gear if it is not real lightweight I really don,t care, but everybody has his or her own agenda .

 

[elk yinzer]

Amen! I don't understand ounce counting either. End goal is to kill stuff, not have the lightest stuff award.

 

[atwoodnative]

For the poster that said they wished someone would invent dehydrated water, they have already done that. Here is a youtube video on it

 

[g2outdoors]

Different strokes for different folks. Hunt your own hunt. Your mileage may vary.

There's a reason those cliches exist in the outdoors community. Everyone values different things. Also we all think we're always right all of the time. So if I value durability over comfort, I'm going to have a subconscious bias towards products that value durability over comfort.

I generally tend to think about weight and bulk a lot. But there should be a balance.

If weight and bulk were the ONLY concern, people would hunt out of Swiss seats from strong yet light webbing. It's the most ultralight, and most packable option there is for elevated activities. However, it sacrifices too much on the comfort scale.

I want the lightest, least bulky items I can find that don't sacrifice comfort or safety.

So let me ask you this. If two items were equal in every way (price, comfort, safety, user friendliness, durability, etc.) but one was significantly lighter and less bulky, which one would you buy for hunting?

I'd buy the lighter one.

Where a certain product or tactic falls on the spectrum is completely personal. There is no right answer. I like it when gear safely pushes limits in all aspects. Others don't. They might prefer tried and true beefy construction. Neither of us is wrong.

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[Paraiso]

I used to be of the opinion that one or two pounds didn't make a difference to me. And most times it usually doesn't. When the weather and terrain are decent an extra 10-15lbs doesn't bother me. There are a couple of hunts I do every year though where a few lbs can make a big difference. They are the hunts with long and steep climbs or in early season in the south when the temps are 90+ degrees. When I hunt a WMA in the early season and plan to walk until I find decent deer sign, I can go significantly farther if my heaviest item is the water I am carrying. One early season GA hunt this year was 98 degrees and I was very happy to be light.

I agree with you on the ease of use and affordability portion. I'm at the point where it would be extremely difficult and expensive to cut another pound or two.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

We all have our differences. My long walk where I hunt is just over a mile (and realistically I could drive closer I just choose not to) so weight isn't that big of a factor. Of course it is a factor just not the biggest one. For me the reduction of bulk and the ability to move through the woods quietly is the most important thing followed by the ease of setup and use. Both of these come ahead of weight.

If someone came up with an effective climbing system that weighed 10lbs but rolled up into a package the size of a grapefruit and let me climb with minimal effort I'd happily carry it. This is probably why I tried so hard to make SRT work for me when I started saddle hunting. It's compact and light but, for me, it was just too much effort to get a rope in a random tree and presets don't fit the way I hunt.

 

[Red Beard]

I’m waiting for someone to invent dehydrated water to cut that weight out.

I prototyped this a few years ago but eventually gave up because I couldn't get the amonia smell out of the rehydration agent.

 

[WannaBMonkey]

The longer the hike in, the more weight matters. That's why I wanted to try this method in the first place. I used to use a 30+ pound climber. But anything past a half mile in made it a miserable carry. It's like a Lazy Boy in the tree, but what a chore to get it there! Then I got a 16 pound climber. So much better. But as I have put almost all of my 50's in the rearview, even that gets to feeling pretty heavy beyond a half mile. With my saddle on, and the remaining 10 or so pounds of gear in a backpack, I hardly know it's there for a mile or beyond. So, yeah, I get how ounces matter. Just don't sacrifice safety or comfort in the tree for a tiny savings in weight.

 

[100rollie]

Amen! I don't understand ounce counting either. End goal is to kill stuff, not have the lightest stuff award.

^^ This!! ^^

 

[Wolverinebuckman]

If I am packing in a good distance my water is usually the heaviest thing in my pack. If I didnt need to carry water in, my pack weight would be cut in half. I’m waiting for someone to invent dehydrated water to cut that weight out.

Just carry in two balloons filled with hydrogen, and one with oxygen, and mix your own in the field. The gases are very light weight!

 

[Squatch]

I stopped carrying water and don’t take food
Keto plus intermittent fast I’ll chug some water before I get there and piss by the truck then sit 8-12 hours no food or water
Makes the trip back to the truck that much more enjoyable


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[rambotogo]

I have a few commercial saddles but, if I was going with a light weight setup it would be fleece saddle with rh backup . The most comfortable and the most affordable way to go . Just what I like and just my preference . Lots of saddles to spent your money on . good luck

 

[raisins]

If you take the attitude of cutting weight everywhere possible, then the weight savings add up pretty quickly. I don't feel like I need to put too fine a point on that because it is obvious to anyone that has tried to live within a monetary budget (same concept). You can go too far though. My bow holder (U slide mini) weighs 8 oz. I was seriously considering spending a good bit of time and money to replicate it out of aluminum and get the weight down to 2 or 3 oz. Something like that is only worthwhile if you actually enjoy the process.

I say get your set up as light as feasible (without extreme expense and effort, unless you enjoy that) and then get to a healthy weight and train. I walk an inclined treadmill with a 40 lbs sand vest. It is great low impact cardio and it makes your pack feel light in the fall.

Also, pack strap comfort and weight distribution is as important as total weight. With a heavy pack, your shoulder and sternum strap should function mostly to keep the back from tipping back and almost all weight should be on your hips. Keeping the pack flat to your back is very in brush and also to keep the pack from having leverage on you.

 

[raisins]

I stopped carrying water and don’t take food
Keto plus intermittent fast I’ll chug some water before I get there and piss by the truck then sit 8-12 hours no food or water
Makes the trip back to the truck that much more enjoyable


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I was carrying a 20 oz gatorade bottle with water. I went to an 8 oz, unless I am walking in long distance in early season (walking 6 miles round trip in 80 F with a pack on your back is dangerous/miserable without water).

 

[Squatch]

I was carrying a 20 oz gatorade bottle with water. I went to an 8 oz, unless I am walking in long distance in early season (walking 6 miles round trip in 80 F with a pack on your back is dangerous/miserable without water).

Agreed
20 oz bottle of water ur not gonna notice in ur pack regardless
If someone does it’s time to “sack up”


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