Saddle hunting is one of those things that I’ve always been reluctant to try because of the cost of entry. Well, this modification allowed me to make a minimalist saddle from my rock harness for about $40. The idea is to use a SitDrag, which is a commercially available tree sling that’s meant to be used on ground level, and use it to support your weight while the trusty rock harness provides back up if ever needed.
Initially, I used my 8mm lineman’s belt as the bridge. It worked just fine, but was too bright green for my liking, so I then made the fixed length camo webbing bridge. Below I’ll list all the materials that go into my setup, along with an estimated cost:
Rock Harness: Mammut Ophir 3 Slide $55
Tether: Bluewater 7/16″ Assaultline ~$13
Carabiners: Black Diamond Positron $11 x 2
Prusik cord: Petzl Vector 8mm Rescue Cord: ~$2
Ascender (optional): Wild Country Ropeman 1: $35
SitDrag: ~$30
Bridge: Camo 1″ mil-spec tubular webbing ~$8
Not shown is my lineman’s belt which I use for climbing. That is made of the same carabiners and Petzl rescue cord, and a Wild Country Ropeman II.
The platform shown in the video is a Lone Wolf Assassin. They are no longer made. A quick search on Google or the saddlehunter forums will show a wide variety of platforms saddle hunters use, like screw in steps, strap on steps, a tree stand seat, climbing sticks, etc.