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Fleece Saddles

TNSTAAFL said:
I've wanted to try a fleece saddle. The RCH always holds me back.

Is there a decent but moderately priced RCH out there that has lineman loops already on it? I haven't looked a ton but I've never found one.
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For less than the $ and time spent on an RCH and adding the linesman loops, you can get webbing from @DanO and make a Wraith. It fits perfectly under the fleece without generating hot spots like my Mammut did last fall. This is my setup the rest of this season.
 
Love the diy saddle crowd! I have not tried fleece yet because my padded sitdrag with the stinger on the ends is just so comfortable. Im in it now. It feels like a chair. I also like the rock harness for extra security. Probably overkill.

I will have to make a fleece one though. Any sewing or are you guys just knotting the ends?
 
Knot the ends. I love a fleece saddle primarily because it is so quiet and lightweight. I can cram one in a cargo pocket.
 
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I went bigger and thinner than last year's at 36x36 inches in a single layer vs. double, with a simple sewn with sewing awl channel on each end with paracord in it to make the end bundles. I girth hitched a double locked brummel 1/4 amsteel bridge. Knotting the ends works fine as Dave said, but when I tested, the addition of the paracord on the ends made it almost impossible to come off. This thing goes from behind my knees to way up my back, or I can pull it down and up to cover a standard saddle area, completely flexible on the fly. Put the stretch in the fleece front to back or it will pull together the wrong way.
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Swampfox said:
What way do you align the stretch?


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Front to back works better, the other way pulls the fleece tight front to back and is not as comfortable, not that I ended up with a large piece scrap material and made a WE bag from it or anything!
 
Swampfox said:
Front to back = top to bottom as if you’re wearing it? Just trying to clarify


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Stretch goes hamstrings to back. Not hip to hip.

I have actually found if doing a single layer I like the dimensions to be 34” front to back x 52” hip to hip (I do the fold over and sheet bend method like in post #12, so I’m probably getting about 44” usable). It ends up being 12 oz after adding Amsteel and a short webbing bridge.

For me, the extra 4-5 oz increases the comfort by a significant amount. The have made about 8 fleece saddles this year (and I’m about to make a Wraptor). I will use one of the 24” x 36” saddles for turkey hunting because it’s so light and I can handle sitting for an hour or so before I get fidgety.
 
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How are you all staying attached to the tree for safety while using the fleece? Anyone have a photo of that?
 
gcr0003 said:
How are you all staying attached to the tree for safety while using the fleece? Anyone have a photo of that?
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The Wraith

Introducing my latest DIY saddle...the WRAITH. My inner weight weenie kicked into gear after the Wraptor project and I started down the minimalist path. I tried various concepts, got input from the Wraptor Pro Staff (Barry, @KelvinM12, @Nutterbuster, @Wasp), and consulted with others from the...
saddlehunter.com

Here you go...
 
@DB4x4 did you make a fleece saddle out of that throw? If so I am interested to see how you did yours and how it turned out.
 
Made mine just big enough to get around my hips. Folded the material back and forth then tied knots on the ends. Made an adjustable bridge with a prusik. That way you can shorten the bridge to keep it from falling down when walking, and lengthen it for sitting at hunting height.

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Keep in mind that this should ALWAYS be backed up by a rock climbing harness.

I made one just to try it out, and found it to be super comfortable. So comfortable, that if I had tried one before buying my Kestrel, I may not have bought my Kestrel. That said, I have yet to hunt from it because I really like my Kestrel, haha. (One piece with molle loops for dump pouches)
 
DB4x4 said:
Made mine just big enough to get around my hips. Folded the material back and forth then tied knots on the ends. Made an adjustable bridge with a prusik. That way you can shorten the bridge to keep it from falling down when walking, and lengthen it for sitting at hunting height.

View attachment 21832

View attachment 21833

Keep in mind that this should ALWAYS be backed up by a rock climbing harness.

I made one just to try it out, and found it to be super comfortable. So comfortable, that if I had tried one before buying my Kestrel, I may not have bought my Kestrel. That said, I have yet to hunt from it because I really like my Kestrel, haha. (One piece with molle loops for dump pouches)
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Very cool! Thank you for taking the time to post and share what you did. I made one out of the same fleece the other day and was curious how others were tying the knots. I used the full fleece to start. I used a modded forth hitch and a clinch knot on one end and the hammock knot on the other. It was pretty comfortable I have to admit. Having the whole throw I believe I might try the knots as well and see which I prefer. 8D6A3EC2-5088-4090-9D2F-FFAF61818443.jpeg
 
For me the options are $$$ to buy across the border from the US into Canada or use an old camo fleece blanket I already had at home and some amsteel I already picked up in country.

It’s comfy and affordable!


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Does anyone know a knot to tie the ends with without using loops and using webbing?
 
Picked up a throw from walmart last night. Should be able to make two saddles out of it. Nice to have options. And for $1.25 each.
 
The is the RCH I use, similar to the one @DaveT1963 posted and about the same price:

I put a hem on the hip ends of the fleece and ran a zip tie through the hem to create a gathering that a knot wouldn't slip over.. Then I use @DaveT1963 locking girth hitch to tie it up!
 
This may be answered in here somewhere, but how big of a piece of fleece are y’all using?
 
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