tree saddles

[BirdMan]

I used my saddle for the first time the other evening.  I really liked the weight difference compared to carrying a stand on my back.  It felt much easier to wear the saddle and carry in my LW sticks.  I did learn a few lessons.  If you tie off your drape strap on a tree that leans it will make it harder to walk around the tree.  Also, I realized I need something like the LW caddy to make it easier to carry the sticks.  Setup was quicker than I imagined and more quiet than a climbing stand setup.  So far I am impressed with the saddle.

[DeanoZ]

Setup was quicker than I imagined and more quiet than a climbing stand setup. So far I am impressed with the saddle.

Birdman so in your opinion using the LW sticks, it was quicker to set those up, setup your walk around steps and strap in, then climb the tree with a climber?

[BirdMan]

Birdman so in your opinion using the LW sticks, it was quicker to set those up, setup your walk around steps and strap in, then climb the tree with a climber?

No sir, not quicker, only quieter. I was only saying it took less time than I had thought it might take for my first time to set up with the saddle. With my climber, after I reach the tree, I can be at hunting height (usually ~20-25ft. depending on the situation) in about 5 minutes, give or take. With the saddle it took me about double that to get to 20ft and get settled in. I imagine the more I use the saddle and the more familiar I become with it the quicker my setup time will be.

[DeanoZ]

Gotcha...yes the first time setting up for me with screw in steps took about an hour!  After trying it a second time with the same result that was the end of using screw in steps for me.  I like the saddle once I'm in it but getting to that point took a lot of effort and time.  If I can find someone who has a pair of LW sticks I can borrow I want to try that out and see how it works for me.  Have you set the LW sticks up in the dark yet?

[BirdMan]

I have used screw in steps before too and have had the same problem. It always took too long and really tired me out. This was my first time using the saddle as well as the LW climbing sticks. I haven't used them in the dark yet but I feel it will be no problem due to the simple design. I'd let you try mine but I'm in TN.

[hunt4ever]

Great dialogue guys,  I have a few questions: (1) You refer to LoneWolf (LW) sticks, I looked in the Cabelas catalog and there are varies types of climbing sticks and strap-on ladders, but no LW's.  Are you specially talking about using LW sticks or is that a generic term for steps/ladders  I went on LW's web site and saw specific types offered. Where do you purchase your sticks and what is approx. cost    (2) I purchase screw in steps at Walmart for under $2.00 each and pick a bunch of trees to screw them in and keep them there.  I got my saddle a couple weeks ago and haven't selected the trees yet, but can see doing this to about a half dozen before Opening Day 17 Oct. (Upstate NY).  It would seem that this would be quite economical and I don't have to carry the sticks around.  Maybe you are looking at many more potential trees to use your saddle in. and lastly, (3) does it make sense to use one of my climber tree stand platform as a platform for the saddle, i.e is their any advantage to using the climber platforms  I have two and don't expect I will need them with the saddle, not both of them anyway.  Thank for your help guys, [size="4"]Tom Mac[/size] 

[BirdMan]

ORIGINAL: hunt4ever

Great dialogue guys,  I have a few questions: (1) You refer to LoneWolf (LW) sticks, I looked in the Cabelas catalog and there are varies types of climbing sticks and strap-on ladders, but no LW's.  Are you specially talking about using LW sticks or is that a generic term for steps/ladders  I went on LW's web site and saw specific types offered. Where do you purchase your sticks and what is approx. cost    (2) I purchase screw in steps at Walmart for under $2.00 each and pick a bunch of trees to screw them in and keep them there.  I got my saddle a couple weeks ago and haven't selected the trees yet, but can see doing this to about a half dozen before Opening Day 17 Oct. (Upstate NY).  It would seem that this would be quite economical and I don't have to carry the sticks around.  Maybe you are looking at many more potential trees to use your saddle in. and lastly, (3) does it make sense to use one of my climber tree stand platform as a platform for the saddle, i.e is their any advantage to using the climber platforms  I have two and don't expect I will need them with the saddle, not both of them anyway.  Thank for your help guys, [size="4"]Tom Mac[/size] 

Here is a link to the LW climbing sticks :
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... ISO-8859-1

I bought mine from Bass Pro for the same price. I use the climbing sticks because it is more economical for me to buy one set of sticks than to buy all the screw in steps I would need to put in all the different locations I hunt. In the future I may buy some screw in steps as I can and prep some of the trees I hunt from. I love the mobility factor the climbing sticks provide. For example, I was scouting the other evening and found fresh buck sign and was able to immediately set up for the evening hunt more quickly than I would have with screw in steps. Personally, after using the saddle, I would not want to have a platform other than some type of screw in or strap on steps. I feel like the platform might actually get in the way and it's unnecessary. Hope this helps.

[DeanoZ]

I use the climbing sticks because it is more economical for me to buy one set of sticks than to buy all the screw in steps I would need to put in all the different locations I hunt. In the future I may buy some screw in steps as I can and prep some of the trees I hunt from. I love the mobility factor the climbing sticks provide. For example, I was scouting the other evening and found fresh buck sign and was able to immediately set up for the evening hunt more quickly than I would have with screw in steps. Personally, after using the saddle, I would not want to have a platform other than some type of screw in or strap on steps. I feel like the platform might actually get in the way and it's unnecessary.

...and this was my experience as well.  To get to a height of 20 feet plus the four-five screw ins needed for the platform I would need about 20 steps and at $2-3 a piece that was at least $40 per set up...multiply that by a half dozen setups and your up $240...more than the saddle and LW sticks combined..and as i stated before in my own personal experience setting up the screw in steps for me was tedious and took too long.  Also agree on the platform issue, it will reduce your mobility and ability to get 360 degrees around the tree...I know lone wolf makes the assasin platform with its own version of the saddle, but your limited to 180 degrees from my perspective.  The saddle I'm sold on, its the getting up the tree part that seems to bring me back to square one and the reason i still us my climber.  Bird, thanks for the offer to use your sticks...if I'm ever in your neck of the woods I'll take ya up on it. [;)]

[hunt4ever]

Thanks for all your inputs guys.  I was not surprised that a climber platform was not a benefit and hurt mobility.  DeanoZ, I didn't add up the total cost of the screw in steps and makes sense to get climbing sticks.  Locally, we have Dick's Sporting Goods so I am going to go check them out.  I guess the thing to do is buy the sticks, set it on the 5 or so trees that I know I am going to use, and screw in the 4 steps at the top for the platform and I will be ready to go.  Thanks again for your help,  [size="4"]Tom Mac[/size]

[DeanoZ]

Yeap..and another tip for a quick platform set up that someone else mentioned is to use 4-5 of the ameristep strap-on steps on a single strap and just strap them on...easier than the screw-ins and faster.

Birdman, how many of the LW sticks did you buy...looks like three 36" sticks come to a set?  How high do you get in the tree with just 3 sticks?