2023 Saddle Hunting Kit Build
I took the deep plunge into saddle hunting once I went out west. I, like many midwesterners headed into elk country, spent weeks learning what to pack, how to pack it, and how to cut ounces before going deep into the backcountry. While the elk trip was a wash, I did learn how to take only the essentials and how to cut weight like a pro. Once I got back to the hardwoods of Indiana I took a hard look at my whitetail gear and old climbing stand. Now it wasn’t like I was outrageously heavy with my current setup, but I couldn’t believe my setup was weighing close to a 7 day backcountry elk trip pack! I knew the right saddle hunting kit could dial me in.
Now I had already jumped from a summit to a lone wolf hand climber, but I was also carrying normal hunting gear + self filming gear, which was pushing it over the top! The climber was already at 14lbs. At that time my opinion was that should be my final weight at most, not my starting weight. I knew I needed to find a system that was way lighter. Pushing terrain, going deep, and finding exactly the right tree was what was needed, but the climber wasn’t always exactly conducive to that style of hunting beyond just the weight. Saddle hunting seemed to be the right move. Interested in hunting public land, then check out these 10 public land hunting tips to help you on your next public land hunt.
Do you need a little bit of motivation on why you should hunt from a saddle? Then read our blog: 13 Reasons to Become a Saddle Hunter
What Gear Do You Need to Saddle Hunt?
When you get to the point of trying to see if saddles are right for you it’s best to try the options. It may seem daunting at first but it’s very easy to pick up. For starters, you are swapping your safety harness for a saddle, but you are putting a lot more time into it. Comfort is a real factor to consider. Luckily a lot of retail stores carry saddles that you can demo to see which is the right fit. Second, you swap the climber or hang on for a smaller version, a tiny platform that will likely weigh ⅓ or ½ your hang-on weight. Finally, you’ll want a few accessories and a pack to pack it all in! For me, I wanted a one-stop shop to get started and dialed in immediately, and there is no better place to start than Trophyline. They offer every single piece of the saddle hunting kit you need.
I started with some basic gear, but quickly realized the niche of my hunting style required some specialized ultralight gear. Since I was running 1- 2 miles for just about every move I made against a buck, I needed a saddle hunting kit to keep me fast and agile. What I ultimately settled on after a few years is the Trophyline Minamilist Saddle Hunting Kit. Below is a video of my setup, how I set it up, and all the intricacies of my gear and the full gear list.
Saddle: Trophyline Venatic Saddle
Sticks: 2-3 Trophyline Mini Double Step Sticks ( I will carry 2 with wingman, 3 with EDP platform)
Platform: Trophyline EDP Platform or Wingman Platform
Accessories for the Tree:
- Innovating the Outdoors Bow Holder
- Backwoods Mobile 3-Step Aider
- 24 ft of cordage (pull-up rope)
Clothing:
- Packable 800 down insulated Jacket
- Kilm First Lite Hoodie
- Sanctuary 2.0 Jacket
- Packed thermal top and bottom
- Black Ovis Gloves
- Beanie
Accessories/Other:
- Camera Gear
- Other Accessories
- 3 Headlamps
- Gerber Vital Replaceable Blade Knife
- Batteries/Rechargeable Hand Warmer
- Water
- Lunch for all-day sits
The Pack – Trophyline Platow Pack
The whole kit is in my head centered around a pack. There are frankly a lot of options out there, but only a few that keep your mind set on minimal gear load-outs. Limiting space in my opinion is a good thing. Last year I relied on a bigger frame pack, which led to me carrying way too much gear. This year I elected to go with the Platow pack.
The Platow is a lumbar-style pack with a few major features that allow it to be a great saddle-hunting pack. For starters, lumbar packs keep back sweat on long hikes to a minimum. They also space gear out if you have major design features like the cinch straps on the shoulders, top, and bottom, allowing you to carry your platform high, sticks, low, and other accessories on top or below the pack. For me, even with the gear list you saw above, I was able to pack everything including self-filming gear all in the tiny 1,200 cubic inch pack. My favorite ability of this pack is to carry all-day sit gear in a small package, and still have room to put giant jackets, bibs, or other layers on top or below because of the cinch strap placements.
Check out review of the Trophyline Onyx Saddle Platform Review.
Ready to Get into saddle hunting? Saddle hunting kits and gear can be purchased directly from Trophyline or through a dealer.
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AUTHOR BIO
Weston Schrank is a hunting industry professional with years of whitetail management and hunting experience in the Midwest. He is currently expanding that experience in the mobile hunting world, and the world of western hunting.
Instagram- @wes.schrank
