It’s difficult to tackle the subject of saddle hunting COMFORT without also considering our need for effective SHOOTING POSITIONS. After all, we can’t afford comfort to come at the cost of inability to quickly and quietly get our body and bow (or other weapon) in position for a stable shot in any direction. We will cover the shooting position details later, but for now, let’s start with saddle hunting comfort.
Background: Remember, JRB was doing this for decade in DIY saddles and systems before first hearing about “saddle hunting”, and therefore, was not influenced by the crowd. However, when it comes to comfort, consider that JRB can do an all-day sit with out kneepads or a platform; just a good branch will suffice for footing. How is that possible? Read on…
JRB’s Tips for Comfort:
- The saddle. There are many saddle designs, single panel, double panel, expandable panels, etc. The bottom line is that some saddles are more comfortable than others. Things to look for: 1) The more of our backside that we can get covered, the more comfortable we will be. 2) Side coverage: make sure the saddle wraps around your hips without any seams or gaps. 3) A rigid panel, not stretchy. Especially with mesh saddles, if the panel stretches, more of our weight goes on the perimeter. 4. Some saddles need to be worn with the waist belt lower than others.
- Back band. The use of a backband can greatly increase comfort. JRB wears his back band around his lower back and the strap goes around the bridge and whatever height it naturally sits. No need to go through the bridge carabiner. And there’s no crime in using a 2nd one through the carabiner and supporting the upper back simultaneously.
- A long bridge. When sitting, our main bridge should be set very long. How long? When JRB stands, the carabiner is at nose/ear height. That might be too long to climb on and so an adjustable bridge is a great feature for both comfort and flexibility.
- The bridge attachment. The bridge must attach to the bridge loop (on each side) in the optimal location, typically the center of the bridge loop. If the connection is too low, it creates more pressure under the thighs. If the connection is too high it creates too much pressure on the waist belt, and we tend to slide forward. Ensure that your bridge loops cinch to the bridge loops and stay put, but that it is still possible to adjust the position, if necessary.
- A high connection to the tree. On a straight tree, JRB likes the connection to be about as high as he can reach with an outstretched arm, or higher: 7-10′ above the platform. A high connection pulls us to the tree at a less severe angle, making kneepads unnecessary and providing more options for positions, including shooting positions. If climbing DSRT or SRT and the crotch is higher than 10′ over the platform level, we can use the a number of methods to pull the climbing rope into the trunk, including the Lineman’s belt or the other end of our rope (with optional friction hitch).
- Positions. We should move slowly, but regularly, alternating between a lean, a stand and a sit. (There are other positions and variations that will be explained later.) Don’t stay in a position until you are really uncomfortable. Change it up. Although the bridge length can be changed between positions, it is typically not necessary for JRB when rotating through those positions. How? A sit can be executed with the legs off the platform and simply pressed against the tree, pushing our body away. This is a very comfortable position. Unfortunately, most saddle hunters never learned to ‘trust’ their ropes and so they feel uncomfortable in this position. Standing can be anything from a full stand to a partial lean, including a lean away from the tree, leaning into our bridge which is pressed against our chest, with the carabiner over one shoulder.
More to come… check back later…