I can’t speak to the phantom itself in this section so I’ll talk about what I can.
Bridge length. Your saddle has an adjustable bridge. I would start with it at the longest setting, find comfort and then start shortening it until you find your preference. The shorter it is the less it interferes with your bow string. The longer it is the more comfortable it is from less hip pinch to more surface area to rest your head when napping
Tether height. The higher it is the less it’s pulling you toward the tree. The lower it is the more clearance you’ll have. Unlike bridge length where longer is more comfortable for almost everyone tether height is personal. If you want to sit more I would start at eye level and work my way up. For a leaner I would start at the top of my mead and go down from there.
Platform. You mention screw in steps. Are you trying to lean on them? Steps are for sitters and platforms can work for either. So if your a sitter play with how deep you are sitting. My knees are never bent 90 like they would Be sitting in a kitchen chair. The lower you sit the more pressure it seems to put on your knees(at least to me).
Bridge loop adjustment. Whether you have adjustable length bridge loops like on a mantis/kestrel/kite or a means isolating your bridge to a certain location on the loops(comfort channels) that adjustment can really change where you feel pressure in the saddle. It makes a difference to me in whether the comfort lasts all day or just a couple hours. I recommend finding a middle point here and playing with it after you figure out how you want your tether and bridge adjusted.
Back rest. To me on all but the shortest hunts a back rest is important. You can buy one, make one, or repurpose some other strap. There are a couple of attachment options. One is through the carabiner at your bridge/tether connection. It is the simplest and least obtrusive method. You don’t have to worry about the little prussik getting in the way on your bridge. You also don’t have to worry about it getting hung up when your rotating.
The plus side to having your back support attach to the bridge via small prussiks is they can actually reduce hip pinch some.
Bridge length. Your saddle has an adjustable bridge. I would start with it at the longest setting, find comfort and then start shortening it until you find your preference. The shorter it is the less it interferes with your bow string. The longer it is the more comfortable it is from less hip pinch to more surface area to rest your head when napping
Tether height. The higher it is the less it’s pulling you toward the tree. The lower it is the more clearance you’ll have. Unlike bridge length where longer is more comfortable for almost everyone tether height is personal. If you want to sit more I would start at eye level and work my way up. For a leaner I would start at the top of my mead and go down from there.
Platform. You mention screw in steps. Are you trying to lean on them? Steps are for sitters and platforms can work for either. So if your a sitter play with how deep you are sitting. My knees are never bent 90 like they would Be sitting in a kitchen chair. The lower you sit the more pressure it seems to put on your knees(at least to me).
Bridge loop adjustment. Whether you have adjustable length bridge loops like on a mantis/kestrel/kite or a means isolating your bridge to a certain location on the loops(comfort channels) that adjustment can really change where you feel pressure in the saddle. It makes a difference to me in whether the comfort lasts all day or just a couple hours. I recommend finding a middle point here and playing with it after you figure out how you want your tether and bridge adjusted.
Back rest. To me on all but the shortest hunts a back rest is important. You can buy one, make one, or repurpose some other strap. There are a couple of attachment options. One is through the carabiner at your bridge/tether connection. It is the simplest and least obtrusive method. You don’t have to worry about the little prussik getting in the way on your bridge. You also don’t have to worry about it getting hung up when your rotating.
The plus side to having your back support attach to the bridge via small prussiks is they can actually reduce hip pinch some.
