The “mobile hunting” push, vs. the lack of LW/packable whitetail clothing and equipment?

[Macintosh]

@wind gypsy im not certain anything is “missing”. it seems most people captured in what is termed “mobile hunting” arent going far and are simply using mobility on a micro-scale, and most actually arent dealing with really cold wx anyway. That seems very apparent in the responses to this thread. What’s “missing” apparently is a large-enough cohort of treestand hunters who hunt deep-enough to demand load-carrying packs so they can carry out gear and deer in 1 trip, as well as demand quiet and warm clothing that is lighter and more packable. I truly believe all of that is possible, and I think it would already be offered by the companies marketing “mobile treestand hunting” if enough people demanded it…but from the responses in this thread it seems the large majority of the potential customers dont actually need those things.

 

[wind gypsy]

@wind gypsy im not certain anything is “missing”. it seems most people captured in what is termed “mobile hunting” arent going far and are simply using mobility on a micro-scale, and most actually arent dealing with really cold wx anyway. That seems very apparent in the responses to this thread. What’s “missing” apparently is a large-enough cohort of treestand hunters who hunt deep-enough to demand load-carrying packs so they can carry out gear and deer in 1 trip, as well as demand quiet and warm clothing that is lighter and more packable. I truly believe all of that is possible, and I think it would already be offered by the companies marketing “mobile treestand hunting” if enough people demanded it…but from the responses in this thread it seems the large majority of the potential customers dont actually need those things.

I'm likely stuck in my own use case tunnel vision here but a treestand, 3 sticks, saddle, all the other misc stuff, plus even more compressible cold weather clothing, you're just not going to have that much space to pack out a whole deer on top of it unless you want a clown car for a pack. I could see it with a saddle instead of a stand i guess. But what tweaks are we even talking about vs what exists in big cubic inch bags on load shelf supporting frames? Even the people who walk a ways in, i bet the portion that actually go more than a couple miles is tiny and through less than difficult terrain at that. And maybe its a function of most of my actual pack outs being elk that take multiple trips - but another trip a couple miles in with modest terrain to get a deer out doesn't seem that bad to make me want to walk out looking like this:

 

[Swamp Fox]

I'm likely stuck in my own use case tunnel vision here but a treestand, 3 sticks, saddle, all the other misc stuff, plus even more compressible cold weather clothing, you're just not going to have that much space to pack out a whole deer on top of it unless you want a clown car for a pack. I could see it with a saddle instead of a stand i guess. But what tweaks are we even talking about vs what exists in big cubic inch bags on load shelf supporting frames? Even the people who walk a ways in, i bet the portion that actually go more than a couple miles is tiny and through less than difficult terrain at that. And maybe its a function of most of my actual pack outs being elk that take multiple trips - but another trip a couple miles in with modest terrain to get a deer out doesn't seem that bad to make me want to walk out looking like this:
View attachment 954650

Ha! I like his load-balancing twine technology. Tetherd should get in on that. Call it "twyne" so it's cool. Emphasize the adjustability.

@Macintosh, I wonder how this question would go down on a saddle forum. That's where all the weight weenies and pack obsessives who hunt out of trees are. Not on a western forum or even a traditional whitetail forum.

 

[Macintosh]

Even the people who walk a ways in, i bet the portion that actually go more than a couple miles is tiny and through less than difficult terrain at that.

Exactly. I think this is correct. This thread seems to reinforce it.
As far as what tweaks were talking about, I have a few personal tweaks I’d love to see, but really I was just wondering about why the people who are looking for this, are having to turn to brands that are not focused on tree stand hunting at all. My question was less about exactly what that gear would look like, than it was about why the mobile hunting companies aren’t making and pushing it.

@Swamp Fox i agree—would be interesting to hear their perspective. Im not on any saddle hunting forums—mostly saddle folks are weird . I know there’s a solid handful of folks here who have hunted both in the east and west, and enjoy applying some western tactics to their eastern hunting, so I thought that crowd might have an opinion. But I think I was more or less proven wrong.

 

[Swamp Fox]

@Swamp Fox i agree—would be interesting to hear their perspective. Im not on any saddle hunting forums—mostly saddle folks are weird . I know there’s a solid handful of folks here who have hunted both in the east and west, and enjoy applying some western tactics to their eastern hunting, so I thought that crowd might have an opinion. But I think I was more or less proven wrong.

Not to rat anyone out, but there has been at least one well-informed saddle hunter/gear junkie posting on this thread and another one lurking.

I'm not either one of them, LOL. I'm not even a saddle guy. I just kinda keep an eye on what those knuckleheads are doing a) so I can make fun of them from a treestand hunter's perspective and b) to see if I can learn anything new.

Weirdness is relative. Some people say I'm weird. (Gasp!)

As long as I can roll my eyes and walk away from their gear talk and don't have to sleep with one eye open, saddle hunters are welcome at Camp Swampy.

Try to remember: Don Quixote was a hero. --LOL

 

[KyleR1985]

I hunt east and west.

I cycled through saddles and landed on an original version of the Jx3 hybrid that I modified to use exo k3 harness and belt. It, and the crap I use to get 0-20’ in a tree weighs about 14-15lbs. I can sit daylight to dark in it comfortably, if I wanted to.

I have clothing to do it from 90* down to 15*. This is 99% of my hunting.

If I were hunting below about 20* all day, I’d have to make two trips if I killed a 200lb deer. I could do it all in one trip, and have many times if the deer is smaller or the weather is milder.

I’m happy to make two trips if it’s 3* out, or if I shoot a bigun. Very few of my hikes directly to sets are over a mile or two.

Western hunting broke me of the notion that what I do at home is particularly taxing. I averaged over 10 miles a day for 15 total days this elk season at 9000’ plus. I’m an out of shape dad bod flatlander and it broke me. I killed a hammer but it took me two weeks to recover.

Climbing and sitting gear can’t get any lighter or more compact nor does it really need to. It’s amazing now.

It’s my impression that the materials and concepts of construction aren’t going to allow for lighter and quieter warm weather clothing that would prevent me from having to make a Second trip to pack out both those clothes and 80-90lbs of deer. I would love to be wrong.

Make my below 20* gear weigh 6lbs, be quiet enough to draw my bow with a cracked out deer 5 steps away, and pack 18x8x2 on my back, I’ll pay a mint for it.

Not holding my breath. And definitely not demanding it. I’ve killed a couple dozen bucks on public ground with a bow all over the country, and it never occurred to me that I needed better clothing to do it.


The only thing that’s going to change the math on this is if we invent battery technology that lasts long enough and is light enough and reliable enough that you can make heated clothing weight less than equivalent warmth insulation. I’ve implemented heated vest at times and it can cut weight in the right situation - but only 1-3 hour sits. All day we don’t have the batteries yet.

I also hardly ever get in a tree because I usually end up shooting deer from the ground walking around.


I guess you could consider me a saddle hunter. I guess you could also consider me weird.

 

[Macintosh]

Just fyi weird was directed at myself as much as anyone. Glass houses.