Ordered a Recon, how has everyone improved upon it?

[Allegheny Tom]

Now, I'll mention the safety aspect of various belts on a sling. There's another thread that discusses what would happen in the event of a fall. Let's look at how a lot of guys use the webbing belt.
They cinch it tight while walking and climbing but they loosen it up (or even unbuckle it) when tethered. That technique would offer little more security than the bungee belt. A loosened webbing belt would have the potential to allow the sling to slip up under your armpits in the event of a fall. I'm not even sure a tighten belt would prevent the sling from chocking our torso.
BUT, if anyone is concerned about that scenario, then they really need to use the leg straps.

 

[Coog]

That ignores the whole point of why the bungee belt works so well. The idea of the bungee is to allow the sling to self-adjust and "open-up" when weighting the bridge, but it also snugs back up if/when you unweight to reposition in the tree. And the reason for the hook on the bungee is so the bungee can be fully static when walking or climbing. I bring the bungee back across me (with it 100% stretched out) and I hook it on the lineman loop. When I get tethered, I unhook the hook and the bungee remains just snug enough so the sling won't sag.
The bungee belt is "active" where as the webbing belt is static.

Yeah I can definitely see the benefit of the active bungee. Only problem for me is that to get the sling tight enough to prevent sagging, the plates are basically touching. So I wouldn’t be able to run the bungee between the plates. I would instead have to run it through to the lineman loop (same idea as your walk in configuration)

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Yeah I can definitely see the benefit of the active bungee. Only problem for me is that to get the sling tight enough to prevent sagging, the plates are basically touching. So I wouldn’t be able to run the bungee between the plates. I would instead have to run it through to the lineman loop (same idea as your walk in configuration)

I hear ya. This is all dependent upon the size of the person.
At one point, I tried to run the bungee between the stock yokes (on a medium) and that didn't work because the plates bottomed-out against each other. Homemade yokes are shorter than the stock yokes so it works out well for me (my body size...34-35 waist. Haha, early in the season I'm a 35" but after a bunch of all-day hangs with nothing for lunch but apples, my waist shrinks down to 34 or even smaller. At that point, the medium with my bungee mod, still works well for me. If the season was any longer, and my "diet plan" continued, it might be another story.

 

[JFin15]

Think if I took this marsupial gear stretch belt, cut it and and ran each end through the plate with tri glides it would make a good bungee belt?

Stretch Web Belt

The perfect belt now exists! Our specially formulated stretch webbing makes this belt the perfect mix between comfort and durability. The stiff 1.5" webbing has a slight stretch embedded in it, allowing the belt to maintain a tight fit through the most rigorous activities. Our custom hook buckle...

www.marsupialgear.com

I have that belt (and the bungee belt on my recon) and it really doesnt stretch enough to self-adjust when you weight the bridge so you would probably have to loosen it. Very good belt though, I highly recommend it.

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[JFin15]

I removed that video because it didn't really represent exactly how I am doing it now. The early version used metal for the yokes. It worked well but I thought that there had to be a better way.
So we sewed up these yokes from the same webbing material as the sling. I use a short piece of dowl rod thru the back of the yoke. This pic shows a piece of carbon arrow shaft in the yoke. I did not like that as much as just using a piece of 3/16" dowl.

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Do you have a pic of how you're clipping the hook to the LB loop?
Here a pic of the plates I made from a piece of plexiglass I had (12"x12" @ lowes). Im thinking the way I'm doing it isnt the best way bc once I tighten the bungee for walking it gets sort of wedged by the sling plate making it difficult to loosen without unseating the the belt plate I made and starting over...very frustrating. I've started using the stock belt again depending on my mood I guess. Sounds like you have a solution

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[Allegheny Tom]

Do you have a pic of how you're clipping the hook to the LB loop?
Here a pic of the plates I made from a piece of plexiglass I had (12"x12" @ lowes). Im thinking the way I'm doing it isnt the best way bc once I tighten the bungee for walking it gets sort of wedged by the sling plate making it difficult to loosen without unseating the the belt plate I made and starting over...very frustrating. I've started using the stock belt again depending on my mood I guess. Sounds like you have a solution

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Your plexiglass yokes are not all that different than my 1st version that I made from metal.

I will try to explain how I do it with more detail. Sorry for the long post, but details can matter so I will give plenty of details.

1st off. I am right handed so I want any adjustment components to be on my right side, not only so I can manipulate the hook with my right hand, but also the hook/tag end will never interfere with my bow string when I have the belt unhooked. That tag and hook will be far away from bow interference.

So, one tag end of my bungee is permanently zip tied to the yoke and positioned on the left plate. That side never gets messed with.

Next, the bungee comes across me and goes thru a hole (slightly larger diameter hole) in the right yoke, and then thru the spring hook, and lastly I have a semi tight zip tie on the bungee. It's important that the hole in the right yoke is larger than the diameter of the bungee, but smaller than the diameter of the spring hook because the yoke acts as a stopper in order to keep a certain amount of stretch in the bungee when in its active position.

"Downstream" (on the hook side of the spring hook) will be a semi snug zip tie that acts as an adjustable cord lock. Zip ties make perfect cord locks for shock cord. If you initially zip them to just the right number of clicks, the spring hook will lock in place...until you stretch the cord. At that point, the zip tie can be moved to the desired position on the bungee which allows the shock cord to be adjusted to a semi snug (active) position. That's the position I use when under tether. The sling will open when I weight the bridge and allow better comfort than a fully tightened static belt, but it snugs closed just enough so the sling doesn't sag when unweighted. I call that an "active" belt...it automatically stretches or contracts as needed.

But for walking any distance, that amount of tightness is not quite adequate. So, in order to make the bungee static (100% stretched out), I double the hook back across me and hook it on my left side. You can hook it to the lineman loop, or put a split ring, or light duty screw link, key chain beener, or loose zip tie, etc thru the lineman loop for an easy anchor to hook to. I've use a variety of things to hook to. You can even bend open the throat of the hook slightly and hook to the plate. Let your imagination guide you on where to hook to.
If you position that cord-lock-zip in the right spot, that bungee will be fully stretched out and that is now a static belt when stretched across to your left side.

Place the sling above your hips, tighten the belt static, and it should support dump pouches (which I don't use so you'll need to experiment).

When I get tethered, I just unhook. The belt semi relaxes which allows it to open when I weight the bridge. But the slightest unweighting allows the sling to snug back slightly to prevent sagging.

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[atwoodnative]

Here is the bungee belt I made. I tied some string to each bridge plate. Ignore the fact that one string is brown and one black, as it just happened to be the colors of two scrap pieces of string on my work bench. I then took a bungee cord that had a hook on each end and cut one hook off. I then threaded the bungee through one of the string loops and put two zip ties on it. I think that zip tie idea is Allegheny Tom's. Then the hook goes through the other string loop. To tighten I hold the two zip ties in my right fingers and pull on tag end with my left hand. To loosen, I hold zip ties in left hand and grab the bungee cord with right fingers on the right side of the zip ties and pull. I keep it slightly snug while in the tree so as I stand it is under tension so saddle does not sag which is same concept for all bungee belt mods. The bungee cord is pretty thick and see the pen in photo for scale (and also a shameless plug for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation). This thick diameter allows me to really cinch down on it and get a tight fit. I don't carry any dump pouches on it, but I suspect if I did I could carry a little bit of weight without sagging. When you tie on strings, tie off on each side of the plate to create a loop so the bungee force will be centered on the plates. First time I tried I tied off string loops to one side, but that caused the plates to want to twist since the force of the bungee was not centered.

 

[atwoodnative]

So here is where I am at for mods (first year saddle hunting and Recon is only one I have owned):
1. I have tried the panels flipped both ways a number of times and have settled in on having the panel with the molle loops on the "inside" and the other panel on the "outside" which is opposite factory setting.

2. I tried a few ideas for leg loops, but now back to factory leg loops. I cut the end of the straps at an angle so they thread through the buckles easier. The leg loops really help prevent the saddle from riding up which is an issue I had. I may switch out to a quick attach/release buckle in the off-season. I find that if I leave them loose I can wear the leg loops walking.

3. The bungee belt mod in previous post.

Other than the quick attach/release for the leg loops, I think I am done with mods and am happy with where I am at.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

So here is where I am at for mods (first year saddle hunting and Recon is only one I have owned):
1. I have tried the panels flipped both ways a number of times and have settled in on having the panel with the molle loops on the "inside" and the other panel on the "outside" which is opposite factory setting.

2. I tried a few ideas for leg loops, but now back to factory leg loops. I cut the end of the straps at an angle so they thread through the buckles easier. The leg loops really help prevent the saddle from riding up which is an issue I had. I may switch out to a quick attach/release buckle in the off-season. I find that if I leave them loose I can wear the leg loops walking.

3. The bungee belt mod in previous post.

Other than the quick attach/release for the leg loops, I think I am done with mods and am happy with where I am at.

In regards to #1, If you now turn the entire sling inside out, the molly loops will be back on the outside but the plates will still be "flipped".
I can't imagine that having the molly loops on the inside would be as comfortable as having them on the outside.
My personal preference is the prototypes I have with no molly loops. Mark should make a minimalist version of the Recon with no mollies. More comfy, lighter, and packs smaller.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Here is the bungee belt I made. I tied some string to each bridge plate. Ignore the fact that one string is brown and one black, as it just happened to be the colors of two scrap pieces of string on my work bench. I then took a bungee cord that had a hook on each end and cut one hook off. I then threaded the bungee through one of the string loops and put two zip ties on it. I think that zip tie idea is Allegheny Tom's. Then the hook goes through the other string loop. To tighten I hold the two zip ties in my right fingers and pull on tag end with my left hand. To loosen, I hold zip ties in left hand and grab the bungee cord with right fingers on the right side of the zip ties and pull. I keep it slightly snug while in the tree so as I stand it is under tension so saddle does not sag which is same concept for all bungee belt mods. The bungee cord is pretty thick and see the pen in photo for scale (and also a shameless plug for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation). This thick diameter allows me to really cinch down on it and get a tight fit. I don't carry any dump pouches on it, but I suspect if I did I could carry a little bit of weight without sagging. When you tie on strings, tie off on each side of the plate to create a loop so the bungee force will be centered on the plates. First time I tried I tied off string loops to one side, but that caused the plates to want to twist since the force of the bungee was not centered.

My very 1st version that I made, I tried attaching the bungee directly to the plates and I quickly realized I didn't like how it twisted the plates. That's when I knew the bungee need to pull evenly on the center of the plates.

As far as I know, the zip ties on bungee is my invention but it was strictly an accident. I musta had a defective Chinese zip tie that wouldn't fully tighten and it kept slipping. At that point I realized if I made the zip just tight enough but not too tight, it made the position of the zip adjustable. I do think that for this application, the tinier the zip tie the better. A little thin zip bites into the bungee better than a larger wider zip.

 

[atwoodnative]

My very 1st version that I made, I tried attaching the bungee directly to the plates and I quickly realized I didn't like how it twisted the plates. That's when I knew the bungee need to pull evenly on the center of the plates.

As far as I know, the zip ties on bungee is my invention but it was strictly an accident. I musta had a defective Chinese zip tie that wouldn't fully tighten and it kept slipping. At that point I realized if I made the zip just tight enough but not too tight, it made the position of the zip adjustable. I do think that for this application, the tinier the zip tie the better. A little thin zip bites into the bungee better than a larger wider zip.

In regards to #1, If you now turn the entire sling inside out, the molly loops will be back on the outside but the plates will still be "flipped".
I can't imagine that having the molly loops on the inside would be as comfortable as having them on the outside.
My personal preference is the prototypes I have with no molly loops. Mark should make a minimalist version of the Recon with no mollies. More comfy, lighter, and packs smaller.

We may be talking different things. When I say "inside", the molle loops are still facing away from my body, but the panel with the molle loops is against my body and the other panel is behind that (when walking), and then when I'm on the tree, the panel without the molle loops slides down below my butt. Someone on here posted a video on flipping the panels and that is what I mean. I agree about not having the molle loops, but not the end of the world. I don't carry anything on the saddle, both because of sag, but also because the two panels tend to twist and get disoriented putting the saddle on without anything attached, and with dump pouches attached (which I tried at first), that twisting/disorientation issue is even worse.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

We may be talking different things. When I say "inside", the molle loops are still facing away from my body, but the panel with the molle loops is against my body and the other panel is behind that (when walking), and then when I'm on the tree, the panel without the molle loops slides down below my butt. Someone on here posted a video on flipping the panels and that is what I mean. I agree about not having the molle loops, but not the end of the world. I don't carry anything on the saddle, both because of sag, but also because the two panels tend to twist and get disoriented putting the saddle on without anything attached, and with dump pouches attached (which I tried at first), that twisting/disorientation issue is even worse.

Ah, gottcha.
Yeah, that was my video and when the plates are initially flipped, the mollies do end-up facing in, and I thought that was where you ended up. Sorry for my confusion.

 

[UNSUCCESSFUL1]

I sold it


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Unfortunately, after a couple of days trying this thing out, I think I may be heading down this same path. This is my first saddle so maybe there's a learning curve, but there's just too much fiddle factor. I don't know whether to try a single panel or stick with my lock on set-up.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Unfortunately, after a couple of days trying this thing out, I think I may be heading down this same path. This is my first saddle so maybe there's a learning curve, but there's just too much fiddle factor. I don't know whether to try a single panel or stick with my lock on set-up.

Fiddle factor will soon be forgotten about if you aren't comfortable.
Dont give up on the Recon if it confuses you a little bit.
It will become 2nd nature.

 

[JFin15]

So here is where I am at for mods (first year saddle hunting and Recon is only one I have owned):
1. I have tried the panels flipped both ways a number of times and have settled in on having the panel with the molle loops on the "inside" and the other panel on the "outside" which is opposite factory setting.

2. I tried a few ideas for leg loops, but now back to factory leg loops. I cut the end of the straps at an angle so they thread through the buckles easier. The leg loops really help prevent the saddle from riding up which is an issue I had. I may switch out to a quick attach/release buckle in the off-season. I find that if I leave them loose I can wear the leg loops walking.

3. The bungee belt mod in previous post.

Other than the quick attach/release for the leg loops, I think I am done with mods and am happy with where I am at.

This is exactly where I landed as well. I think Mark had it just about right.

I do think I need to try a thicker bungee though so I'll do that at some point.

My solution to the twisted knot the sling gets in- I put a small accessory biner on each side, through the molle loop and turned upside down. When I got to take it off, I pull the bottom panel up and clip it with the biner. That holds it put until I put it back on. The little molle acc clips DanO sells will work for this too.

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[Wirrex]

This is exactly where I landed as well. I think Mark had it just about right.

I do think I need to try a thicker bungee though so I'll do that at some point.

My solution to the twisted knot the sling gets in- I put a small accessory biner on each side, through the molle loop and turned upside down. When I got to take it off, I pull the bottom panel up and clip it with the biner. That holds it put until I put it back on. The little molle acc clips DanO sells will work for this too.

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I do just as I’ve don’t with all my saddles: Hold it up from the center of the bridge, fold it in half, then roll it up and stuff it in top of my pack. I never have tangles even with all the paracord.

 

[JFin15]

That's exactly what I do

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[Allegheny Tom]

I do just as I’ve don’t with all my saddles: Hold it up from the center of the bridge, fold it in half, then roll it up and stuff it in top of my pack. I never have tangles even with all the paracord.

This ^^^

 

[TreeCreep]

This thread has been helpful. I’m liking my Recon with webbing bridge / all stock, so far leaning toward flipped with Molle lower.
Have not really spent time in it. Is there a link showing pics of these mods? ( I have searched but Recon is a very common keyword)
Thanks

 

[TreeCreep]

This thread has been helpful. I’m liking my Recon with webbing bridge / all stock, so far leaning toward flipped with Molle lower.
Have not really spent time in it. Is there a link showing pics of these mods? ( I have searched but Recon is a very common keyword)
Thanks

* I did find the “ revamp” thread and has most examples .
Thanks