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Switching from sitdrag

bcsportsman

bcsportsman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2017
Messages
216
So I asked a similar question about a year ago and looking to see any new thoughts since there is so many new saddle hunters.

Has anyone switched from sitdrag to kestrel or mantis? If so was it worth it?
 
Kestrel? No IMHO.
Mantis I haven’t sat in one long enough to decide yet.


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I’m in between a kestrel size 1 which fit me like a Chinese torture device and a size 2 which has a little to much cup for my but and puts pressure on my legs and waist


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Went there and back to the sitdrag. There were pros and cons. The extra money didn’t justify it for me.
 
New to this this season...

Have 3-4 sits in the SitDrag and about 3-4 sits in the Mantis.

If all I had was a SitDrag I would be fine, but I am really enjoying the Mantis. Every sit gets more comfortable too as I work out the kinks.
 
Saddles are new to me this year but I modified a sit drag when my mantis wasn’t going to be here until mid Oct. 4 sits in sit drag. Loved it. I have about 6 sits on the mantis.

I find the mantis easier up and down the tree with the built in linemen loops. I find comfort better with mantis because my rch would ride up my back a little. Wasn’t pinching just uncomfortable. I wear my mantis in while hiking. Chose to carry sit drag in pack even though I sewed a belt on it. Comfort wise they are very similar in my opinion but I like others am working kinks out of the mantis every sit and it gets better and better every sit. Would I buy the mantis again Hell yes. Am I glad I have the sit drag as well, yes. I’ve already had my 5 year old in it and my 2 year old in it at the loacal play ground hanging off the monkey bars. I also am happy to have a back up.

Only regret is I didn’t buy the predator as well. Using wild edge for a platform. Comfort is fine but set-up is easy on some trees others it just plain sucks.

Good luck with your decision.
 
If i get a couple hundred bucks unexpectedly I might buy a Mantis, but I have zero complaints in my sit drag. I've logged close to 40 hours in it so far this season and my biggest issue is trying to shoot to weak side 3 o'clock but that doesnt have anything to do with the Sit drag!
 
I've used both extensively.

There are some things you have to do to a Sitdrag to make it useable as a saddle for me...a bridge, a belt, molle, etc. If you're comfortable with DIY, the SD is a great way to get started. It's an awesome no frills way to get in a saddle. However, some guys find it terribly uncomfortable. I found it extremely comfortable from day 1. If you're a bigger guy, I'd say you might have some trouble with the SD.

The other major concern is safety. The SD is not designed to be used above ground. Take that it for what it's worth.
 
Second season in a sitdrag and I wasn’t sure if there was any benefits to going to another brand. If the majority say stay in it then I won’t spend the money on another
 
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Not if you're comfortable with DIY and the safety risk. If those things don't bother you, and you're comfortable, why switch?
 
I will say it's nice to have a one piece system that you wear in. Not a huge deal, but it's nice. And rated linesman's loops.

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I’m considerably more comfortable in the full implementation of the kestrel, in a hunting scenario. Strictly speaking physical comfort - slight improvement by not having to adjust two pieces of equipment and a little extra coverage.
 
I don't have anything but a sitdrag and a few fleece saddle's I threw together, and I keep going back to my sitdrag, fleece today in the rain, no issues. I have too many other things to spend money on, what I have works great no reason to change IMHO.
 
Get a RCH and a good tether system and it will be life changing on whatever saddle you use. I hunted and killed out of the sit drag, but just never could get it right for myself, but that was before I discovered the beauty of the RCH.
 
I owned the evolution, sold that, built a sit drag and am using that at times but have a kite on order. To me the sit drag is all about the position you have it across you. On me, I like it higher, not directly under my arse. I could definitely just use it if needed. This time I think they have the designs right. The leg straps on the evo were a bad source of pressure on me. Hopefully I like the kite and then ill keep both. Some of my friends are interested, ill let them try my sitdrag to before dumping hundreds into the saddle setup, most of them are climber guys.
 
I ran two sit drags. Then switched to the kestrel and now the mantis. Two sit drags used in conjunction with each other is pretty comfortable. Where the kestrel and mantis shined were safety. I didn’t wear a rc harness. I bought one and it was too small once I had layers on. I never felt safe with aiders climbing with the sit drag. The kestrel was comfortable but was too hot for most of my hunting. The mantis was a struggle in the beginning. Now that I got my side adjusters it’s comfortable enough. I’ve yet to sit in it and say wow this feels great but I spent about 50 hours in it last week and never had any painful discomfort. I have started playing with a longer bridge but it has been after I was sitting for four or five hours and already feeling the pinch. I think with a longer bridge from the start the mantis would be as comfortable as my kestrel. That said I am a big guy and anything that allows me to spend 10 hours a day in it is doing pretty good.
 
noxninja said:
Get a RCH and a good tether system and it will be life changing on whatever saddle you use. I hunted and killed out of the sit drag, but just never could get it right for myself, but that was before I discovered the beauty of the RCH.
Click to expand...

What difference did the rch make? I quit using mine at the end of the season because I put a strap on the sitdrag that would not let me fall out of it.
 
Hunted a SitDrag/RC harness all season last year. This year I'm using a DIY Kestrel clone. For me the Kestrel clone is a little more comfortable. With that said I had no issues hunting out of the SitDrag. I would likely be hunting out of the SitDrag this year if I had the ability to stop tinkering... I was comfortable enough in the SitDrag that I couldn't justify the money to buy a newer better shinier options.
 
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