Tony
Member
Got the new Kestrel tonight...Damn...I finally feel "right" in the tree.
Let me back up.
At work I occasionally climb communications towers, usually working at heights between 80 and 160 ft up. When your climbing these things, either you lobster claw all the way up (fall arrest lanyards) or you tie into a safety climb (galvanized 5/16 wire running the length of the ladder). When you get to your work height, you clip in one of your lanyards, above your head, and you use a work positioning lanyard (Petzl Grillon) and begin your work. While working, I like to keep tension on my work positioning lanyard to give my mind/body a frame of reference as to where I am on the tower. Subconsciously, I feel a lot more comfortable working at heights with tension on my lines.
Knowing what working at height is "supposed to" feel like (hard structure, tie off points and keeping tension on my working lines) I could never get comfortable in a traditional tree stand. To me, subconsciously the lack of tension on my safety harness in a traditional tree stand "just didn't feel right", aside from all the other traditional drawbacks of a tree stand (noise, weight). I was so fed up with traditional tree stands, that I started hunting from the ground with my bow (mostly unsuccessfully-however I did learn a lot).
When I tried the New Tribe Kestrel out for the first time tonight (at 2 feet first and then 20 feet) I felt completely comfortable. Even hanging upside down (try that in your $20 seat-belt tree stand harness). New Tribe did a great job on this system. And I REALLY love how I can keep tension on the bridge and move around the tree quietly. I don't ever see myself hunting from a traditional tree stand again.
Hopefully this saddle works as great in the woods as it does in my front yard.
Thank You to:
John Eberhart for extolling the benefits of a saddle.
Bobby Boswell for your work on the new Kestrel
and New Tribe for making an AWESOME AMERICAN MADE product.
Let me back up.
At work I occasionally climb communications towers, usually working at heights between 80 and 160 ft up. When your climbing these things, either you lobster claw all the way up (fall arrest lanyards) or you tie into a safety climb (galvanized 5/16 wire running the length of the ladder). When you get to your work height, you clip in one of your lanyards, above your head, and you use a work positioning lanyard (Petzl Grillon) and begin your work. While working, I like to keep tension on my work positioning lanyard to give my mind/body a frame of reference as to where I am on the tower. Subconsciously, I feel a lot more comfortable working at heights with tension on my lines.
Knowing what working at height is "supposed to" feel like (hard structure, tie off points and keeping tension on my working lines) I could never get comfortable in a traditional tree stand. To me, subconsciously the lack of tension on my safety harness in a traditional tree stand "just didn't feel right", aside from all the other traditional drawbacks of a tree stand (noise, weight). I was so fed up with traditional tree stands, that I started hunting from the ground with my bow (mostly unsuccessfully-however I did learn a lot).
When I tried the New Tribe Kestrel out for the first time tonight (at 2 feet first and then 20 feet) I felt completely comfortable. Even hanging upside down (try that in your $20 seat-belt tree stand harness). New Tribe did a great job on this system. And I REALLY love how I can keep tension on the bridge and move around the tree quietly. I don't ever see myself hunting from a traditional tree stand again.
Hopefully this saddle works as great in the woods as it does in my front yard.
Thank You to:
John Eberhart for extolling the benefits of a saddle.
Bobby Boswell for your work on the new Kestrel
and New Tribe for making an AWESOME AMERICAN MADE product.
