Scott F
Well-Known Member
Okay all, here goes...
I may not be the best person in the world to explain things with pictures, but I am going to attempt it here. This is the 'swing seat' that I first build back in 2009 after following a post on a different site. "Onehair" started me on a journey and it landed me here at this site - I'll forever thank him for being responsible for both. I've made some minor changes to his initial post on that board, but it is functionally the same.
I guess I should state that this is my stand and I don't think that anyone else on the planet should attempt to build one like it. You assume all risk if you want to replicate this one. Despite that...
My base is 20.5" long and 10" wide. It is made from 1/2" plywood. I'm sure that some cabinet grade birch would be 'better' than the pine plywood that I had on hand, perhaps I'll try that in the future. The slots for the webbing are 2" from the edge. I am currently using a single length of 1" climbing grade tubular nylon. I am sure that if my base would crack I would still be safe because of the webbing. I tie the webbing with a water knot. Other than where the water knot is on the length of webbing, the strap can freely rotate through the slots, this if very important and they are sanded smooth. If it is 'tight' then it may prohibit using them as pack straps.
Here is my seat. I connect the two loop ends that you can see with a good carabineer. This is also connected to a friction knot that is attached to my lead line rope. In the future I may make a trophyline treesaddle type belt because I am getting sick of how tight a prussic can get after you 'seat' the knot.
Here it is with the straps configured as a back pack. For me I simply pull the left side almost all the way out. I only want enough space remaining on the right side strap for my arm to comfortably fit through; easy enough to adjust when it is on my back. With the remaining length of strap now on my left side, I tie it into a slip knot for easy removal when I get to my stand location.
Here is a backside view of the stand configured as a backpack. Pretty simple.
Here is a view of the stand with LW sticks attached. If you look at the previous picture you can see the two points that secure the LW sticks to the wooden base. I make sure that the top strap (the one with the water knot) is doubled over and then placed UNDER the versa button on my sticks. Doing this ensures that they ride high enough on my back to stop the dadgum things from swinging and hitting me in the back of the legs. I hate that! The bottom strap (in the previous picture) is also wrapped around the sticks to keep them stable and straight up and down.
Here is the last photo with me wearing it. It looks crooked -- because it is! My daughter was laughing at me at the time that she took this picture so I didn't mess with it to straighten it out I just wanted her to stop!
Hope that this helps explain things. Simple, (inexpensive), quiet, secure, safe and functional. I would love to have a commercial stand someday, but until then this is the one that works for me.
I have a different one that I screwed a PVC "T" connector on the bottom of the stand, flush with the edge that would contact the tree if I bent my knees that much. In this, I can insert a small length of PVC pipe to create the same device that keeps GW users from needing knee pads. It works great, I just haven't gotten around to installing one on this base. I will before I head back out with it, it works very well.
I may not be the best person in the world to explain things with pictures, but I am going to attempt it here. This is the 'swing seat' that I first build back in 2009 after following a post on a different site. "Onehair" started me on a journey and it landed me here at this site - I'll forever thank him for being responsible for both. I've made some minor changes to his initial post on that board, but it is functionally the same.
I guess I should state that this is my stand and I don't think that anyone else on the planet should attempt to build one like it. You assume all risk if you want to replicate this one. Despite that...
My base is 20.5" long and 10" wide. It is made from 1/2" plywood. I'm sure that some cabinet grade birch would be 'better' than the pine plywood that I had on hand, perhaps I'll try that in the future. The slots for the webbing are 2" from the edge. I am currently using a single length of 1" climbing grade tubular nylon. I am sure that if my base would crack I would still be safe because of the webbing. I tie the webbing with a water knot. Other than where the water knot is on the length of webbing, the strap can freely rotate through the slots, this if very important and they are sanded smooth. If it is 'tight' then it may prohibit using them as pack straps.
Here is my seat. I connect the two loop ends that you can see with a good carabineer. This is also connected to a friction knot that is attached to my lead line rope. In the future I may make a trophyline treesaddle type belt because I am getting sick of how tight a prussic can get after you 'seat' the knot.
Here it is with the straps configured as a back pack. For me I simply pull the left side almost all the way out. I only want enough space remaining on the right side strap for my arm to comfortably fit through; easy enough to adjust when it is on my back. With the remaining length of strap now on my left side, I tie it into a slip knot for easy removal when I get to my stand location.
Here is a backside view of the stand configured as a backpack. Pretty simple.
Here is a view of the stand with LW sticks attached. If you look at the previous picture you can see the two points that secure the LW sticks to the wooden base. I make sure that the top strap (the one with the water knot) is doubled over and then placed UNDER the versa button on my sticks. Doing this ensures that they ride high enough on my back to stop the dadgum things from swinging and hitting me in the back of the legs. I hate that! The bottom strap (in the previous picture) is also wrapped around the sticks to keep them stable and straight up and down.
Here is the last photo with me wearing it. It looks crooked -- because it is! My daughter was laughing at me at the time that she took this picture so I didn't mess with it to straighten it out I just wanted her to stop!
Hope that this helps explain things. Simple, (inexpensive), quiet, secure, safe and functional. I would love to have a commercial stand someday, but until then this is the one that works for me.
I have a different one that I screwed a PVC "T" connector on the bottom of the stand, flush with the edge that would contact the tree if I bent my knees that much. In this, I can insert a small length of PVC pipe to create the same device that keeps GW users from needing knee pads. It works great, I just haven't gotten around to installing one on this base. I will before I head back out with it, it works very well.
