It's just...a little crush... - Review of the JX3 Hybrid Saddle

[kbetts]

I think they're missing the mark by not producing a slimmer version and not marketing a ground seat attachment.

 

[MattMan81]

@kyler1945 you can purchase just one stick with the top bracket for less than 100.
@TNSTAAFL your right. Moving a lever point out away may not work well with a standard stick.

So the question is it worth potentially messing up one of my beast sticks for something that may or may not work.

Steps are appealing if I take the kids out. But I should probably pump the brakes before I go full saddle hunter and buying stuff I may or may not need. I should probably just hunt it some more and see what I need..

 

[kbetts]

Okay... So before I go full circle saddle hunter and buy something I sold a few years ago... What foot method works best on a bigger tree? I can see how the platform is to narrow. I didn't like a ROS for a saddle it's self when I tried it. But didn't have jx3 in the day. Seems like a ROS is the best choice on paper. But before I aquire another set of something, anything else I should consider?
Most of the time I will probably be DRT in a tree. So platform on a stick seems excessive. But if its something I own, I will deal. I'm on private. So might just think about permanently attaching something on the bigger trees. Don't really want to drill trees. I want a little more to stand on than a bolt. Who makes the biggest ROS?

Wild Edge steps. Took me a minute to appreciate them, and not as "vogue" as some other things, but they work and work well.

 

[MattMan81]

Wild Edge steps. Took me a minute to appreciate them, and not as "vogue" as some other things, but they work and work well.

Just as the top platform or for climbing? I have one wild edge I picked up in the woods few years back someone dropped.

 

[kbetts]

Just as the top platform or for climbing? I have one wild edge I picked up in the woods few years back someone dropped.

Either, but the platform thing could probably be accomplished with two for a jx3.

 

[jbogg]

I did my first hunt using the one stick method yesterday. I’m using a JX 3 step with platform bar. I could tell it will get easier with practice, but still not too bad. Repelling down at last light using the Mad Rock Safeguard was the Bomb Diggity.

 

[MattMan81]

Well. I didn't feel like I could sit all day. The first 3 hours were pretty good. But started to keep adjusting after that.
Biggest complaint was taking a leak.
I put a trophy line pack I had on the back. Which barely fit when closed. I added a dump pouch to the one side. So tried to cut down on all the stuff I didn't need. I still feel I need a pack. So either an easily removable pack I can pull up after, or just a better way to attach it. The one I attached on the back was to hard to access in the tree.
I do a short walk on private, so the name of the game is get to the tree and climb. I Take my pack off, un hook the platform and climbing rope and DRT up. Pull up the pack and weapon once at height.
When I stood up and un loaded the saddle, the weight from the pack started to tip the top part of the frame back. Solution was you gotta make sure the shoulder straps are on. Also have to do short moves when rope climbing so you don't tip forward to much.

My major complaints I need to address:

Packs big enough for the stuff I need, and accessable at height. Would prefer not to have to remove such item. But might have to.

Whale tail was making some groaning noise if it wasn't perfectly 90 deg to the tree. Not sure if it needs some wax on the sides or was just from the cold?

I was using my mission I left up from my last hunt. It was nice, but way more platform than I needed.
If your using a platform how are you attaching it? Will probably run my predator for now this season.

Gonna be a lot of winter time trail and error I think.

 

[kyler1945]

Well. I didn't feel like I could sit all day. The first 3 hours were pretty good. But started to keep adjusting after that.
Biggest complaint was taking a leak.
I put a trophy line pack I had on the back. Which barely fit when closed. I added a dump pouch to the one side. So tried to cut down on all the stuff I didn't need. I still feel I need a pack. So either an easily removable pack I can pull up after, or just a better way to attach it. The one I attached on the back was to hard to access in the tree.
I do a short walk on private, so the name of the game is get to the tree and climb. I Take my pack off, un hook the platform and climbing rope and DRT up. Pull up the pack and weapon once at height.
When I stood up and un loaded the saddle, the weight from the pack started to tip the top part of the frame back. Solution was you gotta make sure the shoulder straps are on. Also have to do short moves when rope climbing so you don't tip forward to much.

My major complaints I need to address:

Packs big enough for the stuff I need, and accessable at height. Would prefer not to have to remove such item. But might have to.

Whale tail was making some groaning noise if it wasn't perfectly 90 deg to the tree. Not sure if it needs some wax on the sides or was just from the cold?

I was using my mission I left up from my last hunt. It was nice, but way more platform than I needed.
If your using a platform how are you attaching it? Will probably run my predator for now this season.

Gonna be a lot of winter time trail and error I think.

Platform is pointless to me with a hybrid unless you’re climbing up the tree with it. Other people feel differently. But if you’re annoyed by carrying it, and don’t feel like you need it, get a ring of steps, or use the JX3 top stick - it’s awesome.

I have no idea how one could need enough stuff in a pack for a private land deer hunt to have a pack so heavy it causes problems for a climb with the hybrid, but again, I’m the weirdo. Most times I only use a bino harness that comes off in the tree, or a pack light enough I can climb with it or attach to my bow and pull up.

Dump pouches are fine, but I hate them on a soft saddle and a hybrid because they stick out wider than me and grab crap in the woods. Lots of ways to attach them to the molle frame behind you and can pull them off when at height.

The JX3 versa pack system is awesome. Just awesome. Addresses lots of the above.

The tree fork is your best friend if you take a minute and get yourself set properly. The seat bottom needs to be perfectly perpendicular to gravity. Best advice I can give you is to set your hitch or progress capture high, and inch your way down until perfectly level. It’s worth it. If you don’t you’ll get noise and maybe even a surprise jolt. Just do it. You’ll be dead silent and comfortable when you get it right. It’s not hard. It’s simple. Just takes an extra minute till you get used to doing it.

 

[TNSTAAFL]

Ya, no backpack stowed in back. Just a recipe for headaches. I put a string bag bag there during archery and it wasn't too bad to grab and haul over to hang for the hunt.

For rifle I switched to using a Leech pack that I carry as a chest rig like the JX3 Bino pack. It holds all I need and avoids the accessibility issue and saves between seat and back for outer layers.

My fleece pouches can't snag anything while walking as they ride with the bridge straps between the seat and back. Highly recommend this approach. Between these 2 and the Leech I have all the cargo room I need and it's all accessible.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[MattMan81]

Ya, no backpack stowed in back. Just a recipe for headaches. I put a string bag bag there during archery and it wasn't too bad to grab and haul over to hang for the hunt.

For rifle I switched to using a Leech pack that I carry as a chest rig like the JX3 Bino pack. It holds all I need and avoids the accessibility issue and saves between seat and back for outer layers.

My fleece pouches can't snag anything while walking as they ride with the bridge straps between the seat and back. Highly recommend this approach. Between these 2 and the Leech I have all the cargo room I need and it's all accessible.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Pictures?

 

[TNSTAAFL]

I assume you wanted pics of the fleece pouch locations. Let me know if you meant the Leech pack loaded on front.

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[MattMan81]

I assume you wanted pics of the fleece pouch locations. Let me know if you meant the Leech pack loaded on front.

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So when you flip the bottom up, there is a chance things can fall out? Or you just keep ropes in there?

 

[TNSTAAFL]

So when you flip the bottom up, there is a chance things can fall out? Or you just keep ropes in there?

Not much chance, but yes, mostly ropes.

The bungee cord and clamp cinch the bags up pretty tight, and the bags tend to lay horizontally in pack mode rather than upside down. Haven't lost anything yet.

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[Plebe]

On the weight delta vs other setups: the same 5-7 lb delta seems unavoidable (whether seeking to minimize it or exaggerate it). Math is math, and basic requirements to hunt elevated are requirements. A 6 lb stand and a 2 lb harness or saddle is 5-7 lbs less than a 13 lb JX3 and a 1 lb place for your feet. Agree the tradeoffs are worth comparing based on personal desires, experiences, and conditions. To me, there is 5-7 lbs worth of comfort upgrade, though I've never owned a .5 specifically so I'm stuck only imagining the comparison. YMMV.

I own both, .5 and JX3. The significant advantage to a large platform is how quickly one can maneuver. Also, for standard archery, I personally believe a platform has the advantage of consistency of form.

For comfort, even more than knees off trees, I think the JX3 allows for unweighting feet which adds up to less fatigue and warmer feet.

I hunted off my climbing platform and padded 2 panel saddle on the PA rifle opener and mostly sat with my knees rested against my pack hanging in front of me and I wasn’t wanting for comfort in any way compared to the JX3…except for taking pressure off my feet.

I’m not soft, so it wasn’t a big deal, but it’s something, the foot relief JX3 provides. However, my climbing platform offers me a crossbar for leaning with my feet at an angle and that was still pretty nice.

I don’t think I could have maneuvered fast enough in the JX3 for the situations I encountered.

 

[MattMan81]

I don’t think I could have maneuvered fast enough in the JX3 for the situations I encountered.

True statement. It's like moving around a turtle shell.

 

[CooterBrown]

I just stand and move around the tree just like I would in a soft saddle.

 

[Plebe]

I just stand and move around the tree just like I would in a soft saddle.

Nah. There’s a big difference in speed of maneuver on a big platform vs ROS. ROS may have the edge on total degrees of shooting opportunity, but it doesn’t come close in speed of maneuver.

 

[TNSTAAFL]

True statement. It's like moving around a turtle shell.

Funny analogy. One strategy that took me a while to get to was loosening the back portion further than you'd think, especially anywhere near "go time". This allows your torso more freedom of movement (archery) and feels less encumbering in terms of general movement.

That combined with being ready to push to stand/lean, which is not intuitive after all that comfy sitting, turns the whole thing into pretty much the same as a soft saddle. I've spent some magic hours in that stand/lean position so that I am ready to maneuver and avoid the standing movement if deer are in tight. Very comfortable in its own right, and again, needs the backrest WAY back.

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[TNSTAAFL]

Nah. There’s a big difference in speed of maneuver on a big platform vs ROS. ROS may have the edge on total degrees of shooting opportunity, but it doesn’t come close in speed of maneuver.

Totally agree, which is why I think the JX3 wide top stick platform is a game changer for the Hybrid. Totally more effective than a ROS. I actually wonder if soft saddle ROS people would prefer it.

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[MattMan81]

Funny analogy. One strategy that took me a while to get to was loosening the back portion further than you'd think, especially anywhere near "go time". This allows your torso more freedom of movement (archery) and feels less encumbering in terms of general movement.

That combined with being ready to push to stand/lean, which is not intuitive after all that comfy sitting, turns the whole thing into pretty much the same as a soft saddle. I've spent some magic hours in that stand/lean position so that I am ready to maneuver and avoid the standing movement if deer are in tight. Very comfortable in its own right, and again, needs the backrest WAY back.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

That sounds like something I'll have to play with this off season. Thanks for the tip.