Saddle Hunting Setups...Prioritizing Weight or Comfort?  

The balancing act, weight vs. comfort? What is best when deciding on which saddle to go with, or platform and stick combo? There are a lot of choices out there as saddle hunting has become more and more popular with more competition between brands driving the industry and innovation. Hunters are benefiting from this in a huge way as each year saddle hunting gear gets lighter and more comfortable. At the end of the day there are now so many choices that one can really struggle with what decision to make... Here is a quick guide to the weight vs. comfort choice with saddle hunting gear that shouldn't take long to digest!

Saddle Hunting Weight VS. Comfort 

Weight vs. comfort is one of the biggest balancing acts you'll be deciding on when looking to get into saddle gear. Ultimately the biggest factor is your hunting style, where you are hunting (terrain, distance, climate), and how long you plan on sitting for. While saddle hunting gear in general gets you into a way lighter hunting setup vs. tree stands or climbers, the gear once dialed in is extremely comfortable. However some gear offers extra features to lean more into comfort. Let's examine an ideal case study for both a lightweight setup and a heavier setup. 

Lightweight Saddle Gear

Lightweight saddle hunting builds are ideal for public land hunters or hunters that like to maximize mobility. For hunters looking for lightweight kits terrain is likely tough, pushing perhaps hundreds of feet while walking to a destination. These hunters are likely pushing over 1 mile worth of hiking. The other big factor is sitting time, lightweight mobile hunters traveling distance and pushing elevation might also be sitting for just a few hours at a time and perhaps moving as they hunt in new areas or scouting their way into hunt. 

Saddle gear focused on lightweight aspects approach it minimally. 

• Saddles: a saddle built for a lightweight setup should have minimal webbing, material, small ropes, lightweight dump pouches. The nimbus saddle or venatic saddle are both under 21 oz and are minimally built without sacrificing comfort. 
• Platforms: A saddle hunting platform prioritizing weight reduction is constructed as lightweight as possible without sacrificing size, hunt-ability, rigidity, or safety. Saddle hunting platforms prioritizing weight reduction the best are the HyperLite Platform and EDP Platform. 
• Sticks: Climbing sticks that peak out in the absolute lightest gear available are usually built not from aluminum. While carbon/composite has been offered for a few years new climbing sticks like the HyperLite built from a new metal called Magnite offer not only the lightest sticks but the strongest on the market.
• Packs: Lightweight saddle hunting platforms  

The Best Lightweight Saddle Hunting Kit - The HyperLite Complete Saddle Hunting Kit 

Trophyline offers complete saddle hunting kits, custom built by our staff and ambassadors to offer the exact system certain hunters are looking for. Hunters looking to acquire the lightest tech and gear in the industry period should find everything they are looking for in the HyperLite Complete Saddle Kit.

HyperLite Complete Kit includes: 

• Nimbus Saddle Kit
• Platow Pack
• HyperLite Platform
• HyperLite Sticks 

Focusing on Weight: HyperLite Saddle Kit Reviews and Setups 

We and our ambassadors have put out a few videos on setups featuring these kits and specifically focusing on lightweight builds. Check them out below:

2025 Saddle Setup ft. Trophyline's Weston Schrank 

Ultralight Saddle Kit Build ft. Jenni Besser 

BaitsNBucks - Review and First Impressions HyperLite Kit & Comparison to ONYX

Justin and Dylan at BaitNBucks have taken a hard look at two of our most popular saddle hunting kits the HyperLite and the Dawn2Dusk. One features HyperLite the lightest saddle hunting sticks and platform combo on the market, while the Dawn2Dusk features the Onyx platform easily the most sturdy and comfortable saddle hunting platform on the market. In this video they breakdown the specs, differences, and what decision they are leaning towards after their initial testing. 

Most Comfortable Saddle Hunting Gear?

Comfort oriented saddle gear and kits focus not on weight but all day sits. Long hours in the tree and specifically all day sits in the rut is when gear is tested to the limits of comfort. When it comes to tree stands vs. saddle gear, this is often the first question. Is saddle gear good for all day sits? Yes absolutely. Most saddles are very comfortable, some and other gear that offers even more features to enhance your sit are built with the idea to maximize comfort. When hunting from a saddle the two most important pieces of gear from a comfort standpoint are the saddle and the platform. After all only your body and feet are in contact here, however there are a few accessories that can also dramatically enhance comfort. Lets breakdown a saddle hunting kit built for comfort. 

Saddle gear focused on comfort aspects approach it as such: 

• Saddles: a saddle built for a comfort balances material and webbing to maximize support throughout the body of the saddle. This gives a solid system for your backside and back to rest against. Trophyline saddles like the venatic and nimbus, while among the lightest in the industry have supporting chassis, high back support, and ideal "wrap" to support a hunter for an extremely comfortable all day sit. 
• Platforms: A saddle hunting platform prioritizing comfort will have plenty of room hands down. However there is more than size to offer! Platforms like the Onyx Platform feature ample foot room and a fully angled perimeter to offer your foot an angle to rest against. By far it is the most comfortable platform in the industry by allowing hunters to completely avoid foot fatigue when hunting. 
• Accessories: Saddle hunting accessories like back bands, and knee pads enhance a hunter's comfort dramatically. The back band allows a hunter to sit back and relax, offering another support position just behind the shoulder blades yet drops out of the way incase a shot opportunity presents itself. Likewise the knee pads offer a hunter that chooses to "sit" in the saddle more by offering them relief for their knees against the tree. 

Saddle Hunting Kit Maximizing Comfort: The Dawn2Dusk Complete Kit 

A Saddle hunting kit that is hands down the most comfortable on the market, that includes comfort accessories like knee pads and back bands is the Dawn2Dusk kit. This custom staff and ambassador selected saddle kit features not only the onyx platform, the extremely comfortable nimbus saddle, but both a back band and set of knee pads included in the kit. 

The Dawn2Dusk Kit includes: 

• Nimbus Saddle Kit
• CAYS 2.0 Pack or Palisade Pack
• Onyx Platform
• Double Step Mini Climbing Sticks
• Knee Savers or Deluxe Knee Pads
• Back Band

Dawn2Dusk Saddle Kit Reviews and Impressions

Justin and Dylan from BaitsNBucks also reviewed the Dawn2Dusk kit, and broke down their initial thoughts on the comfort value. They do a great job of explaining the different options as well on the choices of pack and knee pads available in the kit. 

Still deciding? If you are still on the fence about what direction you are leaning try out saddle kit builder. This is a custom app we developed to dial in a custom selected saddle hunting kit just for your answers. If you like a more personal approach call us on our customer service lines and we will be happy to help!