Lightweight is Gold!
By Jake Haskell
Through the years I have become a very mobile hunter. I started at a young age hunting whitetail out of a simple ladder stand, and then once I found a love for still hunting and bowhunting, I wasn’t spending November days just sitting up in one stand.
In Maine we have an expanded archery season, which opens at the beginning of September, and goes throughout every season until mid December, hunting in early September up here we run into some pretty hot weather, and a lot of times you’re walking into your stand with just a t-shirt. In these conditions having lightweight layers and gear is mandatory. I always found myself packing way too much in, whether it was a hang on a treestand to sit on, heavy bulky climbing sticks or my first ever saddle which I could’ve used to curl like a dumbbell. After going through experiences like this. I started making changes and upgrades. I'm always looking for ways to be more efficient, lightweight, and comfortable. When I head to the stand, I’m already carrying my bow, binoculars, rangefinder, backpack, knife, flashlight, and more. On top of that, I self-film my hunts, which adds even more weight, noise, and the challenge of quick, quiet setups. That’s why having lightweight, easy-to-use gear in the tree is crucial, and it came to fruition when I was introduced to a Hunt Lyte tree saddle. I would describe this saddle just the way it is on huntlyte.com—
Lightweight, Packable, Comfortable and Safe!
I was fortunate enough to not only get my hands on a saddle but meet the owner AJ. AJ is based out of New Hampshire where huntlyte was created. Not only did he redefine mobile hunting, and come up with an innovative design, he is crafting and manufacturing his products in America, in New Hampshire to be specific. The moment I met AJ, I knew I could trust him. He’s a humble guy who’s making something he truly cares about, he’s not in this game for the money, he’s in this game because he realized something was missing in the industry, and had a vision to change that! AJ also comes from a rock / ice climbing background where you are literally putting your life on the strength of a rope, carabiner, or harness. So I think he has a pretty great understanding of safety, and what he wants for comfort.
I got my first Huntlyte saddle just in time for this past year's expanded archery season. Even better, this was the first year I dedicated a lot of time to scouting, and was in a new area where a saddle was necessary. The Saturday I was hunting in September was very warm, I had just a short sleeve shirt on to head into the woods. Like I said before, lightweight is essential all the time, but especially on a hot day, and this one could be defined as that. I planned to do a long sit and really put the comfortability of my saddle to the test, I geared up and wrapped the saddle around my waist strapped in, and hit the trail. I had full movement walking to my stand and could hardly even tell the saddle was there, which makes sense seen that it’s just over a pound… That's it! I clipped in and threw on a lightweight layer to cover my arms. And then, the wait began.
After sitting for over four hours, I was blown away by the comfort and silence of the saddle—no hip pinch, no chafing, no scratching sounds when I shifted. It was exactly what I needed for my mobile hunting setup. As the final hour of my first evening sit approached “prime time” When I sit for this long, immersed in nature I feel a sense of peace and the task fades, I just enjoy being out there and really, that’s what it’s all about.
“Snap”
I quickly adjusted my eyes to where a soft break sound came from. A small buck had appeared at just 15 yards. Moving slowly and strategically, I worked to get my camera on him. But by the time I hit record, he was already locked onto me. We stared at each other. My compound bow was at full draw. He held his ground for two seconds too long. Then, he took a single step back. I knew this could be my one chance to kill my first buck with a bow this season. So I let one fly. Smoked him!
With all this being said, and my very positive feedback for the huntlyte saddle. On my first trip out to shoot a deer with my bow I was able to harvest a healthy young buck just before dark out of my brand new saddle! So maybe it’s lucky to?
