That second version looks much better (less bulky) what is the weight of it? I may just have to get one and give it a review - your video may have convinced me. I absolutely hated the original guidos web because of the weight, bulkiness and all the straps - this look like a much better design (just the retracting whale tail is a vast improvement)
I'll say this on the narrower model - John spent a whole bunch of time and thought and effort designing the hybrid. He didn't just cook it up one night over a beer. The width of the seat is a real advantage for most folks because you can sit with your legs open and on either side of the tree. That wasn't an afterthought - he made it that way on purpose. I have really long legs but I'm narrow. I am right at the edge of starting to feel bound up in the narrow model. Basically, I'm goldilocks and it's the just right bed. I do suspect it will work better for really small guys. Not just short, but small. If you're 5'8, but weigh 200+lbs, well, you still will do better in the big one.
It does not weigh any less, as it's only missing a four inches of tubing that the standard model has. Well, maybe an ounce or two. The adjustable fork is definitely a significant upgrade over the web. I don't have an issue with the lineman's belt, but I can see how it is a little bit of a hassle for folks with a little more belly.
It weighs more than a web, but it is significantly less "strappy". The web never bothered me, but the hybrid is less cumbersome. You'll drop 2-4lbs of weight though because you won't need/want a platform. It would put your feet back under the seat, which will get uncomfortable. I could see some utility in a platform if you just want to stand up for some reason, but I have tried to find a use while sitting in the hybrid, and I can't. Part of the reason is how deep the seat is. With the web, the seat was shorter front to back, so you could actually get some use out of a platform.
I have completed as many all day or close to all day sits in the hybrid as I had in the kestrel. I had no complaints about the kestrel, it fit me perfectly, and I could spend all day in a tree. But it is not the same, or even close. The hybrid puts you in a tree, sitting still, in extreme comfort. I've carried my kestrel only twice this year, and it was to prep trees on a scouting mission, no weapon. The hybrid is my go to now, and I don't think twice.
I just got in from a hunt where i walked about 1.5 miles up and down some pretty steep hills slipping and sliding in the mud with the hybrid and ooal sticks. I'm guessing the total weight was about 25-27lbs with all my crap. The same setup for me with the kestrel/frame pack would only weigh about 4-5lbs less. It's a worthwhile tradeoff in my opinion.
I switched to a saddle over a hang on because I can't sit comfortably for a long time in a hang-on. The angle of my back and the tree is fixed, and that doesn't work well for me. The advantage of a saddle is that i can lean back or forward as one position gets uncomfortable. That's why I really like the hybrid - i can sit all day, and the only thing i do to change positions is lean seat back more or less. It's as simple as pulling on two straps or releasing some slack on them.
The harness of the hybrid is exactly the same as the previous web harness. But the adjustments are simpler and less clunky.
I think you'll like it if you understand the differences between it and a minimal saddle. It's definitely the most enjoyable way to sit in a tree I've experienced in 15+ years of hunting, and it's not close.