Big guys…built differently and used to pushing gear to the max, so that begs the question, what’s the best saddle hunting gear for big guys when that gear is designed to be lightweight?
It's true, most saddle hunting gear is built for minimal weight, but not all…and “ultralight” doesn't necessarily mean it's not “built for a big guy”.In fact, most Industry standards suggest most weight limits to 300 lbs for saddle gear. However some brands and products like Trophyline Mission and Onyx platforms have weight limits of 350 lbs! When it comes to saddle hunting safety is a must. In fact, that is why you are looking into saddle hunting, it’s safer, more comfortable and lighter gear…so lets make sure you find some gear that checks each one of those boxes.
Lets start with the most important question you have. Is pushing the weight limits “safe”, let's break that down. First let's talk about weight limits. Most of the big brands in saddle hunting have their gear 3rd party tested, but saddle hunting is still “new” and there is some gear out there that is just not as rigorously tested as others. Here at Trophyline we personally test and 3rd party test all of our gear according to industry standards set originally by the tree stand market. This means that not just we are testing our gear, but we have testing facilities testing and maxing out our gear.
Weight limits and how they are set
To get a 300 lbs weight limit rating that means a load has to meet or exceed 600lbs+, a 350 lbs weight limit rating means the product sustains loads that meet or exceed 700 lbs+. Most products are static tested and cyclically tested…in summary straight up abused to make sure we look for and find any weak points before it hits the hands of hunters. All of Trophyline’s products with weight limit ratings meet and exceed performance standards across the industry and are known for being the toughest gear backed by our hang with the best warranty. If you consider yourself a “big guy” and are on the edge of the weight limit, consider other aspects like health and fitness in terms of the ability to climb the tree, hunt for hours, and climb down. The weight rating is not just for body weight, it's all hunting gear. Hunting gear, layering, packs, etc can add more weight that puts you over that threshold. If you are under the gear’s weight ratings plus your gear and fit enough to hunt carefully, then you shouldn't be too worried about safety and here's why.
Saddle hunting is just plain safer than tree stand hunting. It is extremely difficult to saddle hunt without being safe by the nature of climbing and hunting out of them. The system is run with two ropes. Before ever leaving the ground and putting mobile climbing sticks on the tree one of the ropes is put onto your lineman's loop of the saddle. This allows you to actually have your hands feet while putting up the next stick and keeping you climbing with 3 points of contact on the tree/sticks at all times. Once you set your platform you connect your tether to your bridge before you ever take the rope off your lineman's rope meaning you are continuously connected to the tree at all times. Why is this different from tree stand hunting? A saddle is not a fall arrest device…it's a fall stopping device. A tree stand harness has slack and "catches you” while a saddle has no slack in the system, its “shorter” meaning If you fall you simply fall into the tree with your knees or hip a very small distance that is easily recoverable back to sticks/platform. A tree stand harness has the slack and lets be honest, how many times were you continuously connected to the tree on the last few hunts out of your ladder stand, climber, or hang on?
Saddle hunting by design is hard to do, nearly impossible without being completely safe, so as long as you're paying attention, reading the warnings/instructions, and making sure you're under the gear’s weight limits you should be good to go!
The next most important thing for a saddle hunter is comfort. Your first thought is probably ”there is no way that is as comfortable as my big boy reclining ladderstand”. Trust us, we've heard it all before. However after years of shows and backyard lessons it never fails that as soon as someone sits in the saddle their opinion instantly changes. It is way more comfortable than you think. Saddles cup and hold your bottom with great leg and back support if made correctly, giving you hours of relaxed hunting. It gives you the ability to sit, lean, stand, a combo between, or switch up between with very limited movement.
Comfort also just starts with the saddle, but is not limited to it. Accessories and platforms can also have a big impact on your comfort and how “safe” and “relaxed” you feel up at 15-20ft +. If you get the right saddle and other gear to max comfort out you result in an extremely light weight setup that feels just like that big boy ladder stand.
Some of the biggest immediate comfort additions or choices you can make to your saddle hunting setup are as follows: big and/or angled platforms, knee pads, back bands, and mechanical ascenders. Starting with the platform, options like the mission and onyx are plenty big for big guys with big feet. Typically we recommend that if your feet get to a size 12+ you need to opt for a bigger platform giving you enough space to stand and turn around on a platform for shot opportunities. The Mission platform is the biggest in the industry at 18” by 14”, at just 5.4 lbs. The Onyx platform is not as wide but offers a fully angled perimeter for foot relief when hunting long hours. The full perimeter versus other options on the market with just one side gives you the ability to hang, hunt, and shoot from where you need to on the platform in any position.
Accessories, while usually an afterthought can really boost the comfort and overall experience when you're just starting out building your saddle kit. First to discuss would be knee pads. Knee pads protect your knees if you find yourself kneeling into the tree. Most hunters, especially on longer sits on great days or in the rut, mean spending some time kneeled into the tree. Hard and deep veined bark can wear them out pretty quick, especially if you're a big guy with some weight behind you pushing into the tree. Padded knee pads or deluxe knee pads are small, lightweight, and packable in the pack or simply by wearing them in. They give a lot of relief especially if you find yourself preferring the sitting position more than leaning or standing.
A backband would be the next top contender for an accessory that enhances comfort when saddle hunting. A backband is a small packable strap that clips into your tether carabiner and goes around your shoulder. By tightening up and leaning back into the backband you get that “recliner” aspect that distributes some of your weight off your hips and onto your back/shoulders. It also can be loosened and dropped down to your hips in a moment's notice if a shot opportunity is presenting itself. When combined with knee pads, a backband can make a huge difference in comfort on all day sits in the rut where comfort is tested to the limits of a saddle hunting situation.
The last “comfort enhancing" accessory does not necessarily affect comfort as much as it eases a beginner into the “huntability” of a saddle hunting system. This accessory is the mechanical ascender. Based on your saddle hunting rope size of choice, our techcore at 8mm or lineman/tether rope at 11mm, you will be choosing between the Ropeman 4 or Ropeman 1 respectively. A mechanical ascender gets rid of the prusik knot on either your lineman or tether or both if you get two. By taking your weight off the rope, adjusting the length of the rope when climbing or hunting is easy with just one hand, instead of a prusik that can get overly tight. If you're a big guy, that prusik can get pretty tight, so a mechanical ascender can really speed up climbing and can make all the difference if you're needing to adjust your tether length when a deer is coming in with a rifle or bow in your other hand.
Arguably the biggest draw hunters have to ditching tree stand hunting is the weight savings saddle hunting gear offers. Take for example our USA made HyperLite series. HyperLite sticks come in at just 17 oz, around 4lbs for a 4 pack, and the HyperLite platform at just 2.1 lbs creates a climbing system that is under 6.5 lbs. Swapping your tree stand safety harness weight out for the saddle trades that weight, and with a lightweight pack like the Platow Pack, and your saddle hunting system can be around just 10lbs! Weight isn't everything however, most seasoned saddle hunters actually end up trading up for a few more oz or lbs to be just a bit more comfortable. It's still not the 20lbs+ you’d be at with climbers or tree stand setups, but a little more weight. If you're a “big guy” looking to get into saddle hunting your setup will not be overly different than any other hunter, however you should pay closer attention to weight limit ratings and size of platforms to ensure your safety and comfort, before focusing just on the “weight” you're carrying into the woods.
At trophyline we pride ourselves on taking care of saddle hunters, beginner or experienced. We are here for you. Besides our best in industry customer service we offer a ton of resources to get people started out in the right direction. We offer a saddle kit builder app, a series of questions you answer to dial in a custom made saddle hunting setup just for you, your hunting style and preferences. Besides customizing a kit with the builder, we offer staff selected and custom pre-built saddle hunting kits. Two of these saddle hunting kits in particular for “big guys” would be the Big Rig Kit and Dawn2Dusk Kit.
The BIG RIG saddle hunting kit – offers you our biggest platform, the mission, in a saddle hunting kit built for easy use and all day comfort for all sizes… With plenty of room on the saddle platform to turn, stand, and shoot.
Nimbus Saddle Kit
CAYS 2.0 Pack or Palisade Pack
Mission Platform
Double Step Mini Climbing Sticks
A kit built for Dawn-2-Dusk luxury. This complete saddle hunting kit is built for comfort both while hunting and carrying all your gear in. Featuring every piece of gear you need for hunting an all-day sit with ease.
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
If you're a “Big Guy” , saddle hunting might be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Prioritizing safety and comfort, while considering being lightweight and mobile in your gear will land you in a great setup!
Justin and Dylan from Baits N Bucks give a detailed overview video of everything that goes into saddle hunting, from scouting to the climb down.
Dylan and Justin from BaitsNBucks try out the Dawn 2 Dusk Saddle hunting kit.
