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New to the DIY saddle / rock harness

F

Fredneck

New Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2021
Messages
5
I'm trying to jump into the saddle world but like many, I'm trying to be smart with the cost. I can't spend 500 or 600 or more for Tethrd or similar. I'm think I will be trying the rock harness and sit drag option. I got the harness today and tried it and it kills my back and ribs.. convinces I must have it on wrong..straps are tight and it's on the top of my hip bones. Heard if it is lower it risks slipping off.

So I clipped into the tether and reclined to a 45 degree angle maybe and it's a killer on the hips and ribs. Any pointers from you harness users?

I know the harness isn't supposed to be comfortable but painful is a whole other thing!

Haven't added the sit drag yet as I want to make sure the harness is comfortable enough to wear until I can self rescue...if it came to that. I understand the sit drag will be much better in regards to comfort...

Amazon.com : Eleven Guns Half Body Belt : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Eleven Guns Half Body Belt : Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.com

Pointers?
 
Is it that uncomfortable unweighted?

My understanding is that RC harnesses are meant for when rock climbers fall and aren't designed to be continually weighted like a tree saddle is.

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Have you purchased your sitdrag yet? If you haven't I recommend trying a fleece saddle instead. If you have a sitdrag go ahead and give it a whirl at ground level. You really won't use the sitdrag, or fleece, until you are at hunting height, so trying it to see if it is comfortable to sit in let's you know whether or not it'll work for you. That being said your harness should be comfortable enough to climb to hunting height, if it's not I'd see about returning it and buying a better one. On that train of thought there is a nice looking harness in the classifieds right now thats a size too small for me.
[/URL]

FS Notch Sentry Floating D Saddle

For reference I run a HSS harness/ fleece saddle combo with no real issues.

Also welcome to the forum

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
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The harness is simply there to save your life in the event of a fall. In theory it should not hold any of your weight, so it should simply be on you. The sitdrag or fleece saddle as mentioned is what will hold your weight and provide the comfort as you hunt. The sitdrag is not a bad way to start. I have my original one, a custom built one I got in a trade. My daughter is using it now in conjunction with a RCH to see if she likes saddle hunting.
 
If you $ limit is $400.00
Come to the light, the JX3 tree saddle light..............
Don't be afraid, you will sit from dark to dark very comfortably, be able to snooze when you want, no dreaded hip pinch, no back aches, you can shoot 360° around the tree with any weapon, bow or gun or crossgun.
No platform required, only a ROS, no sore feet, no knee pads required, no sore knees, no tired legs from leaning as you can sit all day, built in pack frame for carrying all your needs. Buy once, cry once.
Come to the light, the JX3 light...........
 
With a class 2 harness, the leg loops should be loose enough to easily slide your fingers through and the waist just tight enough to hold it in place. Once weighted, everything will want to cinch down causing issues.
 
Unless there is a saddle that I don't know about, all or at least most all consist of webbing at the back of legs and around the lower back( most are one sewn loop). with the bridge connected to the webbing. When the bridge is hooked at the rope or whatever you use at one point it tries to pull the saddle together, it has to, no choice, they can be made a lot of different config. but they all try to pull the loops together.
 
krub6b said:
Have you purchased your sitdrag yet? If you haven't I recommend trying a fleece saddle instead. If you have a sitdrag go ahead and give it a whirl at ground level. You really won't use the sitdrag, or fleece, until you are at hunting height, so trying it to see if it is comfortable to sit in let's you know whether or not it'll work for you. That being said your harness should be comfortable enough to climb to hunting height, if it's not I'd see about returning it and buying a better one. On that train of thought there is a nice looking harness in the classifieds right now thats a size too small for me.
[/URL]

FS Notch Sentry Floating D Saddle

For reference I run a HSS harness/ fleece saddle combo with no real issues.

Also welcome to the forum

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
2X The fleece saddle is one of the most comfortable you can go with. Just make sure you’re tied into your harness at all time as well. Let us know if you need help making it.
Also, it sound like you have the harness too high. It should be anywhere near your ribs. The harness should be on your hip not above it.
 
The harness is reasonably comfortable at ground level, although a little bulky like a wet diaper (what I THINK a wet diaper feels like!) I ordered the sitdrag as I'd like to start there. I think getting the entire system set up and get off the ground at least a foot or two and sit as if 'at height' is my best next step.
 
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Ok.. so SitDrag is on the way.

I am using an HSS tree rope as my tether with a prussic knot to the bridge of the sitdrag and with a carabiner at the end of the tether linked to the center tie-in on my rock climbing harness.

For a bridge I plan to use a lineman belt STRAP linked to the SitDrag lineman loops....
https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Safety-System-Linemans-Climbing/dp/B099KTZKWG
I plan to swap out the Carabiners from the HSS belt with Black Diamond carabiners.

Or, I can use another HSS tree rope as the bridge and could use the lineman belt as a back strap support.

Thoughts on this setup?
 
I would either add a second prussic to your tether to connect to the rch or learn how to tie an alpine butterfly knot to clip into to minimize the slack should your sitdrag somehow fail. As far as the bridge setup is concerned I would opt for the HSS rope over the linemans strap personally, it should be much sleeker and slide through your carabiner better.

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Third vote here to go fleece. Even with the sit drag in the way I’d say go pick one up at Walmart for 5 bucks. It’s worth a shot for that price. Super comfortable and I am 3 seasons in on the fleece game.
 
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