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Load Bearing Leg Straps

G

gricky

New Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2019
Messages
20
Hey all - new guy here looking to start saddle hunting this October. I'm all for becoming more mobile.

I read through the forums quite a bit. Aero Hunter has weight bearing legs, but the Mantis's legs are non weight bearing. Should this be a concern? Disclaimer: I've never sat in a saddle before, but I imagine it feels like sitting on a swing. I guess I worry about the saddle sliding above my waist towards my chest on the mantis.


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Weight bearing leg loops in my opinion are a good thing. That being said, I cut mine off because I never have been able to replicate a situation where they came into play. A saddle is surprisingly hard to wriggle out of.

Before I cut them off, I removed the buckles and had them permanently stitched in place. I just stepped through them, and that worked well for a season. However, eventually laziness got the best of me and I chopped them off.
 
The more "arboristy" your saddle use, the more load bearing leg straps may help. SRT/rope ascent and rappelling down, offer a greater chance to load leg ropes. Climbing on steps less so. Sitting in a saddle even less.
 
mattsteg said:
The more "arboristy" your saddle use, the more load bearing leg straps may help. SRT/rope ascent and rappelling down, offer a greater chance to load leg ropes. Climbing on steps less so. Sitting in a saddle even less.
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exactly
 
I find leg straps to be pretty useless. Perhaps while walking and wearing your saddle there is a place for them but other than that they are just in the way. Trophyline once tested their legstraps using a 37 year old rhinoceros and they passed easily. But still very unnecessary.
 
If you guys are removing the leg straps on your saddle, what makes it different than a sit drag with a belt sewn in?

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Buckshot1822 said:
It is designed to be used above ground level. And has been constructed of material appropriate to that use.
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Aside from material though, the chances of falling out are just as great, correct? So it seems like using a RCH would be best practice to avoid any mishaps. I've never seen an actual saddle in person though, so maybe I don't understand exactly how they work.

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ctbreitwieser said:
Aside from material though, the chances of falling out are just as great, correct? So it seems like using a RCH would be best practice to avoid any mishaps. I've never seen an actual saddle in person though, so maybe I don't understand exactly how they work.

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Or just don't chop your leg straps.
 
mattsteg said:
Or just don't chop your leg straps.
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Well that's kind of why I'm asking. Seems like you're taking away from the whole safety aspect of the saddle by removing the one thing that keeps you held into it.

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ctbreitwieser said:
Aside from material though, the chances of falling out are just as great, correct? So it seems like using a RCH would be best practice to avoid any mishaps. I've never seen an actual saddle in person though, so maybe I don't understand exactly how they work.

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If you're doing it correctly and using leg straps, a saddle works just like a RCH, and backing it up with one is silly. Even "non-rated" loops are going to be enough to keep you from sliding out in the event of a fall. And, on a kestrel or similar saddle with a "butt-cup" built in, you will be hard pressed to fall out of one because the dang thing just won't let you.

I would strongly recommend buying a regular, unmodified saddle and using it for a while before modding it to suit your needs. That's what I did, and so far it's worked awesome for me.
 
ctbreitwieser said:
Well that's kind of why I'm asking. Seems like you're taking away from the whole safety aspect of the saddle by removing the one thing that keeps you held into it.

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I realize @flinginairos did this partially to be funny but the fact is he demonstrating how hard it really is to fall out of a saddle, leg straps or not.
https://saddlehunter.com/community/index.php?threads/it-finally-happened-i-fell-from-a-saddle.12638/
 
boyne bowhunter said:
I realize @flinginairos did this partially to be funny but the fact is he demonstrating how hard it really is to fall out of a saddle, leg straps or not.
https://saddlehunter.com/community/index.php?threads/it-finally-happened-i-fell-from-a-saddle.12638/
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There ya go!

It's a lot trickier to fall out than you think at first. Should folks cut their leg loops off? No. Did I cut mine? Yes. Have I fallen? No. Will I? Maybe, but I'm a whole lot safer in my current saddle than I was 30ft up in a hand climber with no harness.

I work in an office building, and go to bed at 8pm. I like to live a little dangerously now and then. :)
 
Nutterbuster said:
There ya go!

It's a lot trickier to fall out than you think at first. Should folks cut their leg loops off? No. Did I cut mine? Yes. Have I fallen? No. Will I? Maybe, but I'm a whole lot safer in my current saddle than I was 30ft up in a hand climber with no harness.

I work in an office building, and go to bed at 8pm. I like to live a little dangerously now and then. :)
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As do I :)

Can anyone comment on mantis leg straps? Just the overall strength, secure-ness


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gricky said:
As do I :)

Can anyone comment on mantis leg straps? Just the overall strength, secure-ness


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How are you gonna use the saddle? Especially climbing method.

For the "sit yer butt in it" or even "try to fall out" sort of use, unsafe levels of motion are unlikely.
 
mattsteg said:
How are you gonna use the saddle? Especially climbing method.

For the "sit yer butt in it" or even "try to fall out" sort of use, unsafe levels of motion are unlikely.
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I'm going to climb with wild edge steps.... Probably 5 with a 5 step aider, but I may do a two-step method if I can get the system to work. And my guess is I'll sit primarily.

Platform would be either the predator, or wild edge steps (for the time being).


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I'm definitely not questioning the safety of a saddle. I felt safer in my SitDrag this past season than I have ever felt in tree, even including ladder stands. It's definitely a freeing experience. I'm more just questioning as to what makes a RCH an necessity with a SitDrag, as compared to a manufactured saddle with no leg straps. Seems it wouldnt be any harder to fall out of a SitDrag, but like I said, I've never even seen one in person.

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ctbreitwieser said:
I'm definitely not questioning the safety of a saddle. I felt safer in my SitDrag this past season than I have ever felt in tree, even including ladder stands. It's definitely a freeing experience. I'm more just questioning as to what makes a RCH an necessity with a SitDrag, as compared to a manufactured saddle with no leg straps. Seems it wouldnt be any harder to fall out of a SitDrag, but like I said, I've never even seen one in person.

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Short version: it's probably not.
Longer Version: at least the saddle is certified to not fall apart at height and probably tested to much higher safety factors.
 
To me using leg loops is more important than the rating of them. About the only way I could see falling out of one is if I had slack in my system and fell through it without the ropes really tightening up. So with leg loops and a waist belt the ropes going to get tight and suck me into the tree before any leg loops could break. Most of the guys who would cut their leg loops off wouldn’t use a rch on a sit drag. I have a couple sit drags. I never felt like they are dangerous but when an aider kicks out or a platform slips the $165 price difference offers a lot of peace of mind.
 
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Good responses fellas! Thanks for the info. Hopefully I didn't derail the thread too much, just trying to get full understanding of everything available to me, and to remain as safe as possible without going overboard.

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