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LWCG .5 vs saddle setup

S

Slipnslide

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
90
Location
South Central PA
Been wondering lately if I'm really more comfortable and actually saving weight by Saddlehunting. I'm thinking of trying a year going back to a harness and using the LWCG .5 as a stand
I'm 5' 10" 215, size 11 1/2 hikers and 12 in rubber boots. Anyone in my range have any thoughts on their comfort using the .5 as just a treestand and not a hybrid? I've been back and forth on a .5 and beast stand but I really like the .5 for ease of hanging and the pack frame feature for carrying 4 beast sticks. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
 
I have a 1.0 and a saddle. I think there are situations for both. Personally I like the saddle for walk in exploratory hunts when I am not certain exactly where I am going to hunt. I use the 1.0 for longer, known spot , rut hunts, longer sits. The beauty of it all is every hunt is a new adventure. A chance to try something different.
 
useyourbow said:
I have a 1.0 and a saddle. I think there are situations for both. Personally I like the saddle for walk in exploratory hunts when I am not certain exactly where I am going to hunt. I use the 1.0 for longer, known spot , rut hunts, longer sits. The beauty of it all is every hunt is a new adventure. A chance to try something different.
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Very well said.
 
Gotcha. I'm looking to use the .5 on shared private where I don't like to leave presets. Before I started with a saddle I used a LW Alpha. Guess I'm just wondering if guys who are using .5 feel like they have enough room for a 4-5 hour sit?
 
My back is trashed and I can’t sit in a normal tree stand for more than 10 minutes, I used to stand the whole time, 2-3 hrs and then I was done, so I bought a cruzr xc and several platforms last year to try saddle hunting, what I learned.... For me the saddle for comfort is a game changer, I no longer feel any pain and actually have a hard time staying awake at times I am so comfortable, I sit a lot and lean some, the platforms and ROS and all that stuff was cool for a rifle as I didn’t really need to learn any ninja moves for shooting, with a bow it’s just not the same for me, to be honest I didn’t practice much but I have bow hunted for 28 years and I have never had a problem shooting and I really don’t want to change how I shoot with a bow I’m dialed in, so for this coming season I bought a .5 stand and plan on using my cruzr, my trial runs so far in the yard have been great, I just fold the seat up out of my way and sit in my saddle or lean, to shoot just stand up, no ninja moves, I’m back to a tree stand, thats how I plan to bow hunt next season, and probably a lot of rifle too, for a small packable setup sometimes during rifle I also will be using a preset solo scout, I will just watch the slack in my tether when using my .5 and cruzr and honestly think I will have the best of both worlds, there is basically no learning curve in my opinion, I’m reaping the benefits of a comfortable saddle and still have a shooting position I am comfortable with, for the record I am an arborist by trade and have zero fear of heights and climb on a weekly basis, I just feel more confident shooting a bow from a stand like I have my whole life, hope this helps. And to answer your question yes I definitely think the .5 has enough room for a 5 hr sit when wearing a saddle.
 
One more thing.., I am 6’1” 230 lbs and a size 11 boot, that .5 on my back feels like an empty backpack it’s so light, I have mine setup like the one in the classifieds right now, LWCG waist belt and shoulder straps, if I didn’t have one already I would be buying that one it looks like brand new. I have owned probably 25 or 30 tree stands over the years and this .5 is the nicest tree stand I have ever used.
 
I just got a .5 this past season toward the end for the exact reasons you’re outlining here. However I will not go back to a harness if i don’t have to. I use my saddle as my harness pretty much. But I got the .5 because I wanted to be able to stand up in the tree AND sit down for real, not in a saddle.

I was using a LW assault before. I can tell you the .5 is awesome and very easy to set up on the tree. It’s so light and reminds me a lot of setting up a saddle platform. I never liked the weight of trying to man handle a stand up onto a tree, even an Assault. This is so much better. It also packs in and out really nice. It works awesome as a pack frame to hold your stuff on.

Here’s my current configuration:
13ea54126eff10b0dfce8c0abef966f7.jpg

6e775b5a837cf4b91a99b3d1360696d4.jpg

Those are Novix mini sticks modded with EWO double steps for reference. I have 4 Beast sticks coming in a couple days.

I do really recommend a pad to strap on the stand to go against your back for hiking with. Makes a huge comfort difference. I would be afraid the sharp edges of the stand would also wear on your outer garments pretty bad after a while. The only thing I don’t care for about the .5 is the sharp edges. But if you can swing the cost, I do really recommend the .5 for mobile hunting. At the same time I do still keep my saddle and Ridge Runner platform around to keep things interesting.

I think the Beast stand is going to be awesome too. I don’t think you will go wrong with either one. If you want small light and portable I feel like the .5 is hard to beat though.


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Slipnslide said:
Been wondering lately if I'm really more comfortable and actually saving weight by Saddlehunting. I'm thinking of trying a year going back to a harness and using the LWCG .5 as a stand
I'm 5' 10" 215, size 11 1/2 hikers and 12 in rubber boots. Anyone in my range have any thoughts on their comfort using the .5 as just a treestand and not a hybrid? I've been back and forth on a .5 and beast stand but I really like the .5 for ease of hanging and the pack frame feature for carrying 4 beast sticks. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
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The weight is not a big difference. Im at 13 with saddle gear and 15 with my 1.0. After buying a 1.0 im actually on the fence on going back to probably majority stand.
ive actually missed a few huge opportunities from using my saddle in certain areas.
but it works for me. Everyone does things or prefers things differently
 
I have the .5 and just recently purchased the 1.0, I like the .5 with a saddle or a standard safety belt. There is not a lot of room on the .5 but then again I’m not going anywhere. There’s enough room to shoot 360 and be comfortable I Purchased a 1.0 for the long sits , more comfort and it’s not that much heavier. I have never used a tree harness,I use a waist belt / linesman belt. I have fallen out of my stand, and I was not cut in two ,as some would think happens, I don’t leave much slack when it’s tied to the tree. You can still get the safety belt from three Rivers Archery or Black Widow. If I were you I would purchase the 1.0 and get back to your roots, that’s what I’m doing.


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I think the .5 is where it's at. I've hunted from a rch the past few seasons anyway. I personally prefer the .5 to the saddles I have used/have. I'm 6'0, 190, and wear a size 10. What I lost in size from my assault 2 is negligible. My setup weighs 11 pounds and change if you are worried about that as well. .5, two full-length lwcg sticks with cable aiders, and all the buckles and stealth stripping, etc. It's a great setup for me. The slim profile is more advantageous than the weight really. I was able to sit 3 hours before the season closed, I was never uncomfortable.
 
Noonan61 said:
I have the .5 and just recently purchased the 1.0, I like the .5 with a saddle or a standard safety belt. There is not a lot of room on the .5 but then again I’m not going anywhere. There’s enough room to shoot 360 and be comfortable I Purchased a 1.0 for the long sits , more comfort and it’s not that much heavier. I have never used a tree harness,I use a waist belt / linesman belt. I have fallen out of my stand, and I was not cut in two ,as some would think happens, I don’t leave much slack when it’s tied to the tree. You can still get the safety belt from three Rivers Archery or Black Widow. If I were you I would purchase the 1.0 and get back to your roots, that’s what I’m doing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Nice.

I have had an eye on LWCG's Ghost concept, Brad Kuhnert's harness system. Its basically a ring loop anchor on an adjustable strap that goes around the tree and a lumbar pad harness. I'm wondering how that'll compare to a traditional saddle in a hybrid scenario.

I find myself mostly standing and letting the saddle take a bit of pressure as I lean slightly back. I am very used to standing long hours. But I like that I can sit in a saddle from time to time.

The .5 has a seat to occasionally set yourself, and with the seat flipped up also has a great knee rest to sit into when in the saddle. I'm trying to decide if I want stick with the saddle to benefit from that, or configure a lumbar system like the Ghost which will bring the bridge down and maybe give me broader back support as I'm mostly leaning anyway.

Sounds like the harness is working well for you.
 
Slipnslide said:
Been wondering lately if I'm really more comfortable and actually saving weight by Saddlehunting. I'm thinking of trying a year going back to a harness and using the LWCG .5 as a stand
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Saving weight...that would depend on what you're running.

The .5 is nearly as light as some of the preferred XL platforms, and carries better in my opinion. The shelf formed by the seat helps carry the rest of your gear great too. I like having the knee rest built in also, but thats mostly personal preference.

Most hunting styles (Saddle, Stand, Hybrids -JX3 or micro-stand+saddle/harness) end up pretty close in overall weight when configured as many hunters prefer them. There will always be ultralight options but the trade offs can be overwhelming to many hunters, while others may love them.

If I could have only one setup, right now it would include the .5. Without question.
 
^^^^ Exactly I found myself carrying a bigger pack last season than I have ever used to carry all this stuff, with that little stand as my pack frame I’m going back to a small fleece pack lashed to my stand, I like keeping things simple during deer season, the .5 is what I always wanted the windwalker to be.
 
After a couple of seasons using saddle ok only, the latter part of this year, I switched back to a bigger hang on.

I noticed that I definitely liked having my back to the tree. I also noticed I was less comfortable. The time seemed to go by slower and I felt like I was looking at the time more often.

I didn't have the money to splurge on a .5, so I found an old Warren and sweat for $20 on the local FB marketplace. It weighs 7lbs I think.

This year I'm going to go with a hybrid approach. Throw my treehopper reacon in my pack. Will probably turn and sit in the seat during peak movement time, and still be able to use the saddle for comfort.

I was already carrying around a 5lb mission platform, what's another 2lbs for the room and versatility?
 
Topdog said:
^^^^ Exactly I found myself carrying a bigger pack last season than I have ever used to carry all this stuff, with that little stand as my pack frame I’m going back to a small fleece pack lashed to my stand, I like keeping things simple during deer season, the .5 is what I always wanted the windwalker to be.
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Absolutely.

Packs vary greatly in design and function, and different hunter's have different needs in a pack...but:

Generally, I've found the better EDC style packs weigh in around 4lbs and a lightweight pack frame is around 3lbs without any pack at all.

With the .5 providing rigid structure and the benefit of a shelf, you can really get away with a small light weight pack (or packs) for essentials. Even stepping down to a few pound lighter platform, you're probably going to want a decent EDC pack if you are traveling any distance. At worst it's about a wash on total weight, and at best the .5 can actually shave total system pack weight.

Plus, it is so easy to fold and lash outerwear onto to because of the seat-shelf, it's really an effective transport system.

There are lighter EDC packs, but my opinion is that most of those lack the structure and quality to provide a comfortable carry and they don't always seem as efficient to use.

If you need a frame pack to haul meat, that might lend itself to another approach (not that you can't set a .5 up to haul some meat or transport a .5 on a frame relatively efficiently).
 
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