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Platform size and thickness research

Sure 1 and a half pounds is nothing for an easy hunt.but in ultra light backpacking its an extra chair with a back you can lean against all night by the fire and an insulated sleeping pad wich will make you far more cumffy every night.so it goes a long way to the back country hunters out west who carry a whole camp on their back with thier hunting gear and would like to incorpetate tree climbing in to their already over loaded gear.keep it rollin homie.this is where true ultra light hunting starts.cuzz it hasnt started yet.
 
tailgunner said:
Sure 1 and a half pounds is nothing for an easy hunt.but in ultra light backpacking its an extra chair with a back you can lean against all night by the fire and an insulated sleeping pad wich will make you far more cumffy every night.so it goes a long way to the back country hunters out west who carry a whole camp on their back with thier hunting gear and would like to incorpetate tree climbing in to their already over loaded gear.keep it rollin homie.this is where true ultra light hunting starts.cuzz it hasnt started yet.
Click to expand...
Yes, actually I haven't built anything smaller than a 15 by 12 so making a platform the size of the og predator id imagine could easily be sub 2lbs....
 
Weldabeast said:
Because I'm difficult....hehehe

Cons outnumber the pros for me and the way I hunt....I don't hate on peeps who use them or the folks that produce them....but u gotta admit they all just copies of each other and the "improvements" between the different brands are marginal at best so far...and the only saddle gear that has damaged any of the trees at my house has been from other people coming over and showing me their metal pivoting style platforms...my poor turkey oak practice tree has some platform scars and it and I are both traumatized
Click to expand...
Well, for any hard platform there'll be teeth, BUT if all goes according to design, the teeth will poke in 1/4" to 1/2" but not move downfrom the point of entry!
However we could always utilize a tire tread of sorts against the tree with a strap like your soft platform..... Rubber is heavy so thats why I haven't tried it yet, but one of these days we'll have a hard large platform that does no tree damage, and costs $100....lol maybe...
 
Samcirrus said:
It does work! Just that beefing up the pivot and brace point is challenging when you're trying to be lightweight, strong, and stiff at the same time.
You also lose that back 3 or 4" of foot space too.... but so far it's been proven to be a popular simple attach point so .... time for something different!!!
Click to expand...

Looking forward to seeing your design.
 
Samcirrus said:
Yes, actually I haven't built anything smaller than a 15 by 12 so making a platform the size of the og predator id imagine could easily be sub 2lbs....
Click to expand...
I agree it could be sub 2 at a 12x12 footprint. Although the dimensions you listed on here would be in the ball park of a mission or ambush. In that case, sub 3lbs is impressive
 
Plebe said:
Looking forward to seeing your design.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Me too! In reality, you either support it from the top like most are now, or from the bottom like the original Andy stand....mine will be a (hopefully others will agree when all is revealed) better/new idea/variation/version of the latter. So far its going well, I've already said more than I probably should have but I really want to share it with you all as soon as I legally can. Thanks for all the opinions!
 
Could I pose another question? I'm gonna edit the first post to reflect this as well for anyone seeing this thread for the first time...
If you could have the perfect width and depth dimensions for you,what would they be?
And are all the odd outer shapes of the various common platforms a good thing or would flat straight lines, like tree stands have be easier on the feet?
 
Samcirrus said:
Could I pose another question? I'm gonna edit the first post to reflect this as well for anyone seeing this thread for the first time...
If you could have the perfect width and depth dimensions for you,what would they be?
And are all the odd outer shapes of the various common platforms a good thing or would flat straight lines, like tree stands have be easier on the feet?
Click to expand...
Good question, the shape one! How many people do use the edge features of platforms?

I have an x-wing I used all of last season. I did lean most of the time and did like using the wings to keep my feet close to the tree, I like that. Never have needed the steps on the backside but I didn't have a weak side shot opportunity. I did shoot one at about my 6 o'clock though. I just rotated my body in my saddle mostly, I think. I probably did move my feet but that part came subconsciously, assuming I did and I think I did.

Hope that helps..?

Excited to see what you're cooking up!
 
Samcirrus said:
Thanks! Me too! In reality, you either support it from the top like most are now, or from the bottom like the original Andy stand....mine will be a (hopefully others will agree when all is revealed) better/new idea/variation/version of the latter. So far its going well, I've already said more than I probably should have but I really want to share it with you all as soon as I legally can. Thanks for all the opinions!
Click to expand...

DIY Saddle Platform

Hello, I'm fairly new to this forum and I thought I'd share a little DIY project I just completed. I decided to put together a platform for my saddle hunting, I have an older Anderson tree sling that I modified by adding an Amsteel Bridge but I needed a platform so this is what I came up with...
saddlehunter.com
;)

@Allegheny Tom is a big fan of this style:

Platform option

Gotta post the pics first thru Tapatalk. I'll add comments via the regular forum site. Give me a little while... I have a pile of this grating and I've made several platforms for all the years I've hunted without a saddle. I've spent a ton of hours in these. I've ordered a Kestrel and in the...
saddlehunter.com

Will be cool to see what you do with it.
 
Plebe said:

DIY Saddle Platform

Hello, I'm fairly new to this forum and I thought I'd share a little DIY project I just completed. I decided to put together a platform for my saddle hunting, I have an older Anderson tree sling that I modified by adding an Amsteel Bridge but I needed a platform so this is what I came up with...
saddlehunter.com
;)

@Allegheny Tom is a big fan of this style:

Platform option

Gotta post the pics first thru Tapatalk. I'll add comments via the regular forum site. Give me a little while... I have a pile of this grating and I've made several platforms for all the years I've hunted without a saddle. I've spent a ton of hours in these. I've ordered a Kestrel and in the...
saddlehunter.com

Will be cool to see what you do with it.
Click to expand...
I'm still convinced that style of platform has the edge over the current flavor. There is no perfect platform, it depends on the tree but I really like having the support UNDER the surface rather than the post style of platform because the surface is 100% usable.
We have changed a couple of things since the pics in my old post. Those old pics had us camming down, but now we prefer to cam up. It keeps the support post firm against the tree when the platform is unweighted.
The other change we've made to them is to swap out the steel chain with an Amsteel daisy chain. Steel chain is still great for leaving the stand padlocked to the tree but amsteel makes it a few pounds lighter and quieter to set.
Someone needs to make a commercial lightweight version of these.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
I'm still convinced that style of platform has the edge over the current flavor. There is no perfect platform, it depends on the tree but I really like having the support UNDER the surface rather than the post style of platform because the surface is 100% usable.
We have changed a couple of things since the pics in my old post. Those old pics had us camming down, but now we prefer to cam up. It keeps the support post firm against the tree when the platform is unweighted.
The other change we've made to them is to swap out the steel chain with an Amsteel daisy chain. Steel chain is still great for leaving the stand padlocked to the tree but amsteel makes it a few pounds lighter and quieter to set.
Someone needs to make a commercial lightweight version of these.
Click to expand...
Cam up? Do you set the bottom support where you want it with the platform still angled up, then pull out and lift them rear/ push down on the front then release the platform to the tree?

Also, how did we arrive at our current post up versa button design that pretty much everything employs? Maybe a topic for a different thread instead of derailing this one. Just curious. I haven't been around long enough to know
 
Allegheny Tom said:
I'm still convinced that style of platform has the edge over the current flavor. There is no perfect platform, it depends on the tree but I really like having the support UNDER the surface rather than the post style of platform because the surface is 100% usable.
We have changed a couple of things since the pics in my old post. Those old pics had us camming down, but now we prefer to cam up. It keeps the support post firm against the tree when the platform is unweighted.
The other change we've made to them is to swap out the steel chain with an Amsteel daisy chain. Steel chain is still great for leaving the stand padlocked to the tree but amsteel makes it a few pounds lighter and quieter to set.
Someone needs to make a commercial lightweight version of these.
Click to expand...
Working on it....
 
Horn said:
Cam up? Do you set the bottom support where you want it with the platform still angled up, then pull out and lift them rear/ push down on the front then release the platform to the tree?

Also, how did we arrive at our current post up versa button design that pretty much everything employs? Maybe a topic for a different thread instead of derailing this one. Just curious. I haven't been around long enough to know
Click to expand...
Oh we can go down that trail here....I too am curious. Was the predator platform the first one that started the post up trend?
 
Plebe said:

DIY Saddle Platform

Hello, I'm fairly new to this forum and I thought I'd share a little DIY project I just completed. I decided to put together a platform for my saddle hunting, I have an older Anderson tree sling that I modified by adding an Amsteel Bridge but I needed a platform so this is what I came up with...
saddlehunter.com
;)

@Allegheny Tom is a big fan of this style:

Platform option

Gotta post the pics first thru Tapatalk. I'll add comments via the regular forum site. Give me a little while... I have a pile of this grating and I've made several platforms for all the years I've hunted without a saddle. I've spent a ton of hours in these. I've ordered a Kestrel and in the...
saddlehunter.com

Will be cool to see what you do with it.
Click to expand...
I've seen that thread and really like it... there is precious little information on the web about the original Andy stand which was patented and commercially sold, but apparently that was back in the 70's.... so those pics were a great starting point.
 
Horn said:
Cam up? Do you set the bottom support where you want it with the platform still angled up, then pull out and lift them rear/ push down on the front then release the platform to the tree?

Also, how did we arrive at our current post up versa button design that pretty much everything employs? Maybe a topic for a different thread instead of derailing this one. Just curious. I haven't been around long enough to know
Click to expand...
Your first question is opposite to how you do it.
 
Samcirrus said:
Oh we can go down that trail here....I too am curious. Was the predator platform the first one that started the post up trend?
Click to expand...

I think it was Brad Kuhnert’s original platform maybe?

You’ve peaked my interest @Samcirrus. I need another platform before next season and have been going back and forth on what to get. I’m interested to see what you come out with. Any idea on when they may be available? Or is it still too early to know?
 
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