Treehopper Recon sling

[Allegheny Tom]

You don't think it could help in some unforeseen SHTF fall incident while you are climbing, mess up, and take a 1 or 2 foot fall onto your tether in some awkward position? (I always use tether and lineman's belt while climbing, but climb in the dark and when raining/snowing)

I'm really used to a rock climbing harness and the sense of the leg straps keeping you in the thing. I suppose I could climb with the leg straps and then adjust or unclip once sitting at height.

One day while practicing in my yard, at only a few feet off the ground, I was tethered and I decided I wanted re-adjust the Predator platform. I adjusted the Ropeman down the tether and stepped onto one of my bolts. My body was in a slightly unusual position...almost completely straight at my waist, no bend or articulation. If anything, I was actually ached backward at the waist. I did have the impression that the sling felt like it could possibly slide up on me in that position. That was during the prototype stage of the Recon when we were flip-flopping as to whether it needed leg straps or not (the Anderson never used leg straps with no issues). I discussed that with Mark. I don't single stick or rappel so I couldn't give Mark input those techniques. At that point, he decided to include the leg straps. I'm still not sure they are needed, but they are there if a guy wants them.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

What do you mean by permanent leg straps?

Permanent leg strap are not removable without destroying them. Most saddles have their leg straps sewn to the saddle. The leg straps on the Recon can be removed and replaced as many times as the user wants without altering or damaging the straps or sling.

 

[mbucks27]

What do you mean by permanent leg straps?

It has removable leg straps. You could keep them on the saddle but the way they are setup it's just not very comfortable at all in my opinion.

 

[Vtbow]

i have the sling and have the leg loops off for now. After some testing i could see how without the leg straps if you slipped off of a stick the sling can possibly slide up to your armpits making it very uncomfortable and could possibly injure you pretty bad. that is the only scenario where i could see the leg straps helping. i really wish it had better permanent leg straps. if it did i think it would be the best saddle out there.

Are you not using the waist belt to cinch it tight? I honestlysee no way how the saddle could slip that high with my waist belt tight. If I was worried about it, I would pull the bottom section lower, so when the pressure is on the linemans loops(which are only on the top section) it would force me into a stting position and I would be sitting on the lower section.

 

[mbucks27]

I do cinch it tight while climbing so it prob wouldn't happen. I guess the leg straps just give you another level of security.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

i have the sling and have the leg loops off for now. After some testing i could see how without the leg straps if you slipped off of a stick the sling can possibly slide up to your armpits making it very uncomfortable and could possibly injure you pretty bad. that is the only scenario where i could see the leg straps helping. i really wish it had better permanent leg straps. if it did i think it would be the best saddle out there.

If you can come up with an idea for better leg straps tell Mark, I'm sure he would be all ears.
During prototype testing, I tried several different configurations of leg straps and I couldn't come up with anything better than what is on the sling now.
The nature of a sling makes leg straps difficult to add. Saddles are different because the body of them is one piece.
The beauty of a sling is the top and bottom are separate pieces so they can be positioned independently of each other which is why they are the most comfortable.
Leg straps that would attach the 2 sections together just doesn't work well. When they a snugged tight, they cause the upper and lower sections to be pulled out of place.

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[floydfreak]

Thanks to @Ontariofarmer I recently got a recon sling. I've only had a chance to test it out at ground level a bunch of times and hang in a tree for about 6 hours or so. This is the first saddle I've ever been in and all things considered it was very comfy.

One thing i did do differently then from what I've read here was to use my tether and lineman's belt together while at hunting height. Because its more like 2 saddles connected, by using the lineman's to pull me in a little to the tree the top section of the sling acted like a back support and relieved a good portion of the strain on the tether. I wasn't restricted at all to swing around the tree in all directions, and once i had it dialed in i barely felt the saddle at all.

I was only using a single wildedge step to stand on and my distel hitch seemed a little long so I have a few more things to work on before trying it again this week. Mine came with the webbing bridge that I am going to switch out. Even so I can definitely seem myself being able to sit or lean all day in this thing.

In regards to sizing the one I have is one of the one size fits all. I'm not a big guy at 5'10" 165lbs and it fits me just fine. I had it out last week wearing the least amount of clothes I would ever find myself hunting in and it was good. Plus I still have plenty of room for winter layers, i think it will actually be even more comfortable with more layers on.

 

[Sheldon]

Just my opinion, but I prefer the bottom section to come into the buckles from the outside, which is a 20 second fix than how Mark ships them ( the bottom comes into the buckles from the inside).
The reason I like my way better is for walking position. With the bottom coming into the buckles from the outside, the bottom can be pulled up over the top while walking. The way he ships them, them bottom won't lay over the top.
I think my way is slightly more comfortable, too.



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Tried it tonight...I concur! Seems to change the attitude of the plates from pulling into my beer gut to pushing away..if that makes sense. Bottom line changed my whole outlook on the thing. Thanks for the info!


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[Sheldon]

If you can come up with an idea for better leg straps tell Mark, I'm sure he would be all ears.
During prototype testing, I tried several different configurations of leg straps and I couldn't come up with anything better than what is on the sling now.
The nature of a sling makes leg straps difficult to add. Saddles are different because the body of them is one piece.
The beauty of a sling is the top and bottom are separate pieces so they can be positioned independently of each other which is why they are the most comfortable.
Leg straps that would attach the 2 sections together just doesn't work well. When they a snugged tight, they cause the upper and lower sections to be pulled out of place.

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I did “throw” together one of Bhawanas Wrap2r I think he called it. The version with the mesh panel. It includes permanent leg straps that attach on the top loop then feed down thru “keepers” on the remaining webbing. They then attach via a g-hook to a strap located on the top webbing of the lower loop. They are pretty comfortable and by letting them out they don’t restrict the adjustability too much.

Built this out of scraps just to test the concept so won’t be using it other than ground level but will say the leg straps work and kinda like the addition of the mesh...may add it to the recon. However if I do think I would add separate mesh panels.


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[Ontariofarmer]

I did “throw” together one of Bhawanas Wrap2r I think he called it. The version with the mesh panel. It includes permanent leg straps that attach on the top loop then feed down thru “keepers” on the remaining webbing. They then attach via a g-hook to a strap located on the top webbing of the lower loop. They are pretty comfortable and by letting them out they don’t restrict the adjustability too much.

Built this out of scraps just to test the concept so won’t be using it other than ground level but will say the leg straps work and kinda like the addition of the mesh...may add it to the recon. However if I do think I would add separate mesh panels.


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I might add fleece panels here in cold Ontario. Do you have any pictures of what you did


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[Allegheny Tom]

Tried it tonight...I concur! Seems to change the attitude of the plates from pulling into my beer gut to pushing away..if that makes sense. Bottom line changed my whole outlook on the thing. Thanks for the info!


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You bet.
I know what you are describing. The plates always tilt on an angle regardless of how the straps are routed thru the plates. But if you reverse the routing (so the bottom strap enters the plat from the outside) then the angle of those plates changes. Hard to explain this but changing the routing makes the sling better in several ways.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

You bet.
I know what you are describing. The plates always tilt on an angle regardless of how the straps are routed thru the plates. But if you reverse the routing (so the bottom strap enters the plat from the outside) then the angle of those plates changes. Hard to explain this but changing the routing makes the sling better in several ways.

I have not done that to mine yet. I will try it. I did not understand what you were doing until now

I will be using the recon as a minimalist but comfortable set up this fall


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[Allegheny Tom]

I have not done that to mine yet. I will try it. I did not understand what you were doing until now

I will be using the recon as a minimalist but comfortable set up this fall


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Im gonna go out on a limb (pun intended) and say I've spent more time in a Recon than anyone alive, and that includes Mark. I'm 100% convince that Mark should ship them with the plate reversed. I think I'm starting to convince him that my routing of the strap is better. But its one of the nice things about the Recon...you can easily change it back and forth to see what you like best.
I love my Recon(s)...ha ha, I have 5 of them. I might need an intervention.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

I had two and gave one to a new Saddlehunter


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[Sheldon]

I might add fleece panels here in cold Ontario. Do you have any pictures of what you did


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Here’s a pic of the single piece panel. Haven’t done anything with the Recon yet.


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[Sheldon]

Here’s a pic of the leg straps as Bhawana used in his. Think this has possibilities.

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[Ontariofarmer]

Here’s a pic of the leg straps as Bhawana used in his. Think this has possibilities.

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It looks like one piece of mesh?
Is likes like it is sewn on the inside ?
And how did you decide how wide you wanted it ?


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[loujo61]

Im gonna go out on a limb (pun intended) and say I've spent more time in a Recon than anyone alive, and that includes Mark. I'm 100% convince that Mark should ship them with the plate reversed. I think I'm starting to convince him that my routing of the strap is better. But its one of the nice things about the Recon...you can easily change it back and forth to see what you like best.
I love my Recon(s)...ha ha, I have 5 of them. I might need an intervention.

I've tried it both ways and noticed that Mark's way stays in place better while one sticking, the top web doesn't seem to feed out as much and slide down over my butt when i step up without tension on the tether and the bottom web didn't ride up as much when i sat back in it. I just tighten the waist band a little while sticking, works fine without the leg straps.

 

[Bwhana]

Here’s a pic of the single piece panel. Haven’t done anything with the Recon yet.


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A few suggestions for anyone doing DIY of this style based on experiences of trying different options on the Anderson base. The connector webbing pieces between the sections serve more as spacers and work best when doubled or tripled and stitched to create stiffness. They serve keep the sections spread to prevent the 2 straps from closing together too much. The other is that you should not sew the mesh panel to the inner straps to allow more freedom when using the sections closer together. Less is more for this design in that respect.

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[Sheldon]

It looks like one piece of mesh?
Is likes like it is sewn on the inside ?
And how did you decide how wide you wanted it ?


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This was my take on the Wrapt2r not what I would do with the Recon.

Was looking at the Recon last nite trying to decide whether or not to add the mesh panels and how big if so. My thinking is to make them large enough to cover the bum, no more. My experience with the saddle in the pic the mesh provides a bit more support (also gets rid of that unsightly butt bulge but wanted to minimize any impact on adjustability or potential pinch from material on the webbing.


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