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Most comfortable saddle

T

tgoodson1814

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2020
Messages
61
I am new to saddle hunting and I’m going to give it a shot to so I slip into certain spots and I am looking for the most functional and easiest way to saddle hunt any tips and suggestions would be appreciated want to know what you guys are using for the easiest most hunter friendly and what’s the most comfortable…thanks


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Ooh. I'll tell you it isnt the original tactisaddle, it isnt the mantis, and its probably not the ess signature saddle, but I love the first and third.

My bet is cruzr will come out near the top.

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tgoodson1814 said:
I am new to saddle hunting and I’m going to give it a shot to so I slip into certain spots and I am looking for the most functional and easiest way to saddle hunt any tips and suggestions would be appreciated want to know what you guys are using for the easiest most hunter friendly and what’s the most comfortable…thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
You’ll get a ton of different answers because comfort plays into your body shape/size, your hunting style, and personal preferences. Some love a small seat, some love the hammock saddle (Drey) some love expanding pleats like aerohunter and Cruzr xc and some guys love 2 panels. You’ll get a lot of answers. Best thing to do is use Facebook to find local saddle hunters, meet up and try some saddles to see which one you like best. Otherwise this becomes a very expensive hunting style lol
 
i think it depends in part on whether you sit or lean mostly

i lean over 80 percent of the time

i find a pleated cruzr xc really comfortable for this

while leaning, the pleat tends to collapse some and i pull the top belt into my lower back

if i want to sit, i grab the bottom of the saddle and pull it down to cup my rear, this is probably similar to repositioning the bottom panel on a 2 panel

if sitting for hours didn't hurt my back and if i wasn't conscious of neutral back position, then i'd probably get a dryad drey or make a fleece saddle and then sit like in a hammock
 
I got a hawk for a starter as it was the cheapest I could find and it came with a back support strap. I’m an average 5’10” 200# 50+yo. I find it really comfortable but have nothing else to compare with. I will say without the back support strap my lower back will let me know there is pressure on it within a half an hour. With the back strap, I can fall asleep pretty easy and a 5hr sit is a breeze!
 
tgoodson1814 said:
I am new to saddle hunting and I’m going to give it a shot to so I slip into certain spots and I am looking for the most functional and easiest way to saddle hunt any tips and suggestions would be appreciated want to know what you guys are using for the easiest most hunter friendly and what’s the most comfortable…thanks
Click to expand...

I'm just a bit ahead of you in the process of getting into saddle hunting....there is a ton to learn and many options for saddles, climbing techniques, gear and the like.

I would recommend that you read a lot of the threads here and view a lot of the "saddle hunting for beginners" videos on YouTube. As you are doing your learning/researching on saddle hunting, start figuring out your priorities and what is most important to you, which will let you start to winnow down gear and approaches that might be most suitable out of the gate.

I did all that, and since I'm in my mid-60's, comfort was #1 in my books. That resulted in me ordering a JX3 hybrid saddle which should arrive next month. I also decided that I want to start climbing using 3-4 sticks but that coming down I want to rappel, with the option of occasionally ascending SRT (Single Rope Technique) style.....so I'm assembling my rappel kit as I wait for my saddle to arrive. I figure it's too late for me to saddle hunt this season, just not being able to get all the gear before deer season closes end of December, but I'm OK with that....will give me a ton of time to practice and refine my gear and techniques before next Fall. Since I'll have a lot of time to try different climbing approaches, I do plan to try one sticking as well.

There is a lot to learn....many acronyms and terms that are unique to saddle hunting and many choices. Enjoy the learning process.....
 
bfriendly said:
I got a hawk for a starter as it was the cheapest I could find and it came with a back support strap. I’m an average 5’10” 200# 50+yo. I find it really comfortable but have nothing else to compare with. I will say without the back support strap my lower back will let me know there is pressure on it within a half an hour. With the back strap, I can fall asleep pretty easy and a 5hr sit is a breeze!
Click to expand...

This is how I started and I have almost identical stats except I weigh maybe 25-30# more. I have big kickboxer thighs/quads and the Hawk gave me a bit of trouble. I found the Cruzr and life got a lot better for me. I don't even use a backstrap anymore.
 
Love my Cruzr XC and use my old sit/drag as back support on longer sits.
 
I’m new as well and picked up a CRUZR XC. I found there was a bit of tinkering but if you dive down the rabbit holes of tether height, bridge length, and bridge placement on your loops, you can really cut down the learning curve and be comfortable very quickly. My second sit ever in the saddle was just shy of five hours with zero soreness or comfort issues and I’m 5’11’’ 250.
 
Dryad Drey for me. I also have a Cruzr but like the Drey better


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tgoodson1814 said:
I am new to saddle hunting and I’m going to give it a shot to so I slip into certain spots and I am looking for the most functional and easiest way to saddle hunt any tips and suggestions would be appreciated want to know what you guys are using for the easiest most hunter friendly and what’s the most comfortable…thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Saddle fit is super subjective my favorite 2 saddles might be ones you can’t stand. Try & find a couple guys close & try a couple out first. Where do you live?
 
So many choices….I think the homemade fleece would be tough to beat. My tree hammock is pretty comfy on the ground.
tarafrost said:
I'm just a bit ahead of you in the process of getting into saddle hunting....there is a ton to learn and many options for saddles, climbing techniques, gear and the like.

I would recommend that you read a lot of the threads here and view a lot of the "saddle hunting for beginners" videos on YouTube. As you are doing your learning/researching on saddle hunting, start figuring out your priorities and what is most important to you, which will let you start to winnow down gear and approaches that might be most suitable out of the gate.

I did all that, and since I'm in my mid-60's, comfort was #1 in my books. That resulted in me ordering a JX3 hybrid saddle which should arrive next month. I also decided that I want to start climbing using 3-4 sticks but that coming down I want to rappel, with the option of occasionally ascending SRT (Single Rope Technique) style.....so I'm assembling my rappel kit as I wait for my saddle to arrive. I figure it's too late for me to saddle hunt this season, just not being able to get all the gear before deer season closes end of December, but I'm OK with that....will give me a ton of time to practice and refine my gear and techniques before next Fall. Since I'll have a lot of time to try different climbing approaches, I do plan to try one sticking as well.

There is a lot to learn....many acronyms and terms that are unique to saddle hunting and many choices. Enjoy the learning process.....
Click to expand...
I highly recommend just buying one stick, maybe even a 36” 3 step. I have 4 sticks now and I only use 2…..I need to have a yard sale. Aiders on all of them. If you plan to rappel just climb one stick and rappel down, over and over and hang out a bunch at just that height. As you hang, just relax, and grab your stick like you’ve seen in videos. I bet you’ll be one sticking in no time and trying to get higher and higher. I really like the 36” stick with single step aider as it really sticks good and won’t kick out. My 20” with 2 step aider has a small platform on top so I only use that for short quick sits all by itself. Man I wish you lived close I’d hook you up. Im trying to talk my friend into it.
 
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