I realize this video was filmed over three years ago, however, the fact that Scott K is an arborist with over 30 years of climbing experience speaks volumes to me. The arm chair quarterback's have flooded the saddle hunting communities with piece meal information. I like being taught climbing technique by some one who has a vast amount of experience and knowledge doing just that. Thanks for the great content.
I watched a lot of youtube videos prior to finding this one and so I bought a lot of tree climbing gears that I don't know how to use. Anyway, after watching this video, I found out that I already have the suggested climbing devices. I also found that I bought a lot of unnecessary gear. I could have saved some money if I found your video earlier. On the brighter side, I now have two fail-safe ways of climbing a tree with the gears shown in this video. Thank you for sharing, much appreciated.
Great video! From the lightweight SAR world ... Regarding SRT - you can drop some serious weight/space by going to 8mm mains, which is generally rated around 14kN*. If you're worried about ultimate strength, look at things like the 8mm Bluewater Canyonator (expensive, but awesome to work with and you need more wraps due to Technora awesomeness) Also, you can save more weight (and cost!) by dropping the ascender and the Gri-Gri for 6mm friction hitches (Blake's/Distel/Bachmann/VT/etc) which work well on 8mm rope. Also swap your footloop for 6mm cord and run a double-figure 8 on the end (so the single 6 doesn't put too much pressure on your boot if you're not using steel-shanks. Good 6mm is usually around 7.5kN. Could probably shave a couple pounds off your hike-in weight! (I won't comment on the popup cube vs a standard throw-bag or tarp. =) It's also much quieter, and you can just clip them on to your harness without the clicking and clanking and reflections of metal gear. If anyone has issues with the Blake's not biting on a system (such as in the DRT demo), you can run your second bridge in smaller cordage...the smaller diameter on the friction hitch will help bite into the larger rope. Big guys (like myself) sometimes have to swap down if adding more wraps doesn't work. The ideal ratio is 60-80% for prusik-to-mainline so 6mm-8mm is a nice 3/4 (75%) ratio for good hitch lockups. If you do transition to smaller lines, make sure your hard-gear is able to handle it! For example, the Gri-Gri+ is only good down to 8.5mm. * 1kN = 224.81 lbs, and this is static/ascension system so no fall-factor. Most people need approximately 1-2kN of actual load bearing, and everything above is safety factor. At 6'6" 240 I'm fully confident in 6/8 (and do run it for my personal high-angle SAR kit.) Really liked the style and completeness of your video. Good luck out there! Cheers!
I have been looking for a laid-out, to-the-point video on climbing with minimal equipment, as I have. With being new to climbing and in-tree chainsaw-ing, I have been able to get to climbing after this video. I hope this comment gets to you guys because I want you two to know how much I appreciate your help with this video. Great job and thank you!
Great Video.. An index in the description (time stamp) would help viewers to review key points or you could edit the footage by subject. You can paste the timestamp below into the description of the video. or Pin it at the top of comments section. 00:00 Overview 4:39 Throw ball 8:26 Ready for Rope 9:58 DRT with a Saddle 22:26 SRT Demonstration ** 23:30 Alpine Butterfly 25:58 Petzl GRIGRI Belay Device 28:33 Petzl Hand Ascender And Foot Loop 30:50 What to do at top of climb 32:35 Coming Down - Descending 34:15 Using Shorter Rope \ Paracord and 35 feet with loop 35:10 Retrieving Gear \ Getting Gear up in tree 38:30 Exiting the tree 38:45 Preset Paracord Loop 41:56 Thanks for Watching Thanks for the video 😊
Thank you. We have a time stamp , if you scroll down to to the bottom below comments. Our buddy Andrew put it in when he redid the video. I’m glad you liked it. Thankyou for your comments 👍
Guys.... Hands-down that is the best, most informative saddle hunting video that I've seen! Every time I see a video of yours I learn something new, and I learned a ton about SRT. Excellent work, gents, and on behalf of all of us newbie saddle hunters, THANK YOU!
Thanks Trey! (Andrew here - Video producer and new NYSH team member) This is exactly the video I wanted as a newbie, everything in one video in order to get climbing. So when I partnered up with Joe & Scott, we wanted to make this priority #1. Glad this video helped and hopefully others find it useful as well. Thanks again!
You guys are legends. I'm an Australian deer hunter who has been looking for a system to start utilising tree blinds. I ended up getting all the gear for SRT from your links because things like hunting saddles etc are non-existent in this country. Have just set it all up and started practicing climbing. The spot I go the deer kind of move down out of the higher denser forest to the pasture land near the fringe during the night, then make their way back up as the sun rises. I think setting up in the saddle a reasonable distance from the trails at sun up or sun down is going to work extremely well.
Thank you Garrett ! Appreciate the support. Joe and I are big fans of D I Y Sportsman . You get the Mod Nod as well. Best of luck to you and Samantha this season !!!
Joe and Scott, I am very excited to get into the woods again this year. At 73 years young, I'd like to stay safe. Love the SRT method! Thanks for a great video explaining the "how to". Good luck to both of you and enjoy some tasty venison.
I think that all climbers should know how to use basic friction knots for self rescue. I was out in the tree hunting and when I ascended the tree I was using a Jumar hand ascender. Normally I remove my mechanical devise right away. this time for what ever reason I did not. So at the end days i put on my figure 8 with a prussic back up to descend the tree. When I got back down to the ground I looked up and seen my ascending device still up by my stand. Now what..... well I used the 2 prussic knots and a foot loop strap and ascended the tree so I could retrieve my ascender. I use SRT and it is always good to know different ways to ascend and descend. Just in case you drop or loose your mechanical devise. Good job Guys..
Great video. When using a Grigri recommended to always have a hand holding tension in rope below Grigri device or tie backup knots below Grigri. The Grigri does not always lock rope in itself if your weight is removed from Grigri (like if removing lanyard and returning to GriGri as support) unless you sufficient tension in the rope below the Grigri - ie not guaranteed to lock. The Rig or ID devices do lock rope and are more suited for hands free positioning without need for locking off with knot on device or below device.
Awesome and informative video, newly coming into saddle hunting and with a minor background in tree work, it helped answer a few trial and error questions/scenarios I was having. Great video 👍
great video! I was so confused after watching 10+ other saddle hunting vids (because those don't show the complete process)... this one video made everything make sense... going to try this right now!
So glad I found you guys. I've been piecing this together for myself over the years and am elated to have found this summary! Great info and can tell a lot of thought and effort went into this!
Thanks Nick , Glad you found it helpful. Feel free to reach out with any questions. We’ll be launching are website soon keep an eye out. NY Saddle will now be facilitating kits for DRT, SRT, and One Sticking . Plus miscellaneous gear that will make the saddle hunters life easy ! Best of luck this season 🦌👍
I'm sold... I live in upstate NY and used to climb poles to put up fiber optic line and always thought of how to use my equipment for hunting but for sure would have problems climbing with spikes on public land. This method is the s- -t ! No more sticks and stands for this cat.
Sorry about that freaking finger hit the wrong button but most people are boring when they explain cuz they talk about things that are nothing to do with it you are very clear you repeated when necessary Great job
@@NYSaddleHunter thanks man for understanding an old man and you technology we having a struggle to survive together Happy Easter to you guys too God bless everybody
Nice to see this, been doing saddle hunting for years, still have and use my original tree saddle, with belts instead of ropes, have ascenders and descender, good rope, will upgrade my saddle to make it lighter by replacing heavy belts and buckles with rope tethers , etc
Used my srt kit for the first time today with the flat branch saddle. Been looking forward to this for months. Had a great time. Wouldn’t have been able without your instruction. Really appreciate it! Hunting, recreational climbing, tree maintenance, the list goes on. You guys are awesome.
Thanks guys for this video. You convinced me to take the plunge into saddle hunting and now my son is considering it too. Ordered my equipment today and hope to have both of us practicing with it soon.
You guys really knocked it out of the park with this video! Destined to become the most watched instructional video on saddle hunting/DRT,SRT climbing in UA-cam history.
@@NYSaddleHunter You guys deserve it! A very professional video, covering everything from A-Z. As a newbie to this (year1) I have saved this video to my favorites, and plan to referance this baby often! Thanks again!!
@@familywest1697 Thank you! (Andrew - the Video Producer here) This is the video I was looking for as a newbie to DRT when I partnered up with Joe & Scott. I'm glad to see the positive feedback and response. Seems to feed the appetite of others as well... We'll be collaborating on more videos in the coming months and hopefully getting a few kills on film - stay tuned!
Scott, Joe EXCELLENT! I am a saddle hunter and have been following your videos from day one. Give yourselves a pat on the back. Nicely edited and very professionally compiled.
Thanks Bradley! It's been fun working with Joe & Scott and learning these new techniques as well. Stay tuned for more video collaborations between NYSH & Higher Elevations
awesome video. I think I am going to give SRT a try. You can probably cut down on metal by using a prusik or other progress capture knot instead of an ascender. The prusik can be tied to a long loop of 4mm cordage for your foot loop, eliminating the need for an aider. if you really wanted to use a pulley to pull the slack through the grigri, you could tie one in to your prusik, or just use a carabiner instead (a little more friction to pull through but it would work). Or you could just pull the slack straight up with your left hand, instead of pulling down through the pulley.
❤ Great! Gots to drop a 75ft Pine. So was looking at spikes. Loved climbing as a kid. And will say this Vid. Is articulate, to the point shared by a profesional arborist to boot!! and no fancy gadgets to scare off a Newby. I have no reason to climb but for fun...and that old pine, (with spikes) Great job you two!!😁
Nice production guys. Glad to see the channel growing and the benefits from it. Been here part of the “NY Saddle Squad” since the early days 😎..... in Michigan but still part of the NYSS lol
I really like how you all broke the video down, and made it easy to scroll to certain topics. I already have a saddle, so I didn't watch the history, and I am only interested in DRT. Great Videos!
As an old tree guy and cell tower, tech this is awesome. Great job explaining and braking it down , and great idea with the 550 cord for mutual sets 🤷♂️👊🍻
Just did my first drt climb in the big oak in my front yard using the tips you guys have given in your videos. I was actually somewhat shocked at how easy it was. I definitely need to add a shorter bridge to my tetherd mantis saddle for climbing though. As well as get some practice with the throwball. Gonna try to get some paracord loops out this weekend!
Best of luck. Just a tip if you utilize a hitchclimber pulley you wont need a short bridge. They work really well, actually smoother climb . I made a video talking about them not too long ago. If your running a mantis that's another good option
@@NYSaddleHunter thanks for the tip. I did see that video and would like to just keep as little metal as possible out of my system as well as keep it as simple as possible for this first season using ropes to climb (less stuff to forget) ive also switched from a compound to a recurve the past few seasons for the same reasons lol i cant tell you how many times my hunt has been ruined with my compound due to leaving my release at the house
Awesome video guys, great details and explanations of every part of the process, I am looking at SRT climbing for tree work but couldn't really find a good video explaining everything as clear as this video, thank you!!!
Been following this channel for a long time now and its nice to see how far you guys have come, channel growth ect. Finally got into saddle hunting and i love every second of it. Thanks for all your help fellas.
Great intro video to this system and instruction on both methods. Thanks for introducing me to this method, it's been a great tool to add to the system!
Amazing video!! I haven't done any saddle hunting yet, but this gives me the confidence, the know-how and what equipment is relevant versus not. Extremely practical, thank you for taking the time to put this together. I love the channel!! Keep it up
Awesome video guys! they keep getting better and better. Ive wanted a saddle for about two years since I came across your videos and finally just ordered the Phantom, and your DRT kit... thanks for the promo code! I can't wait !
Great video...the people doing "tree climbing/arborist" videos on how to climb should watch this and see how it should be done. I have never seen anyone explain how to climb as well and as thorough as you guys did. And Nice and slow,... it seems most of the arborist videos try to do their hook-ups as fast as they can to "impress"? someone with how good they are at it... that doesnt really help us novices.......anyway, you guys explained it all so well... ty.
Fantastic video Joe and Scott!!! Thank you very much guys. This will be my first season saddle hunting so I’m absorbing as much info as possible. I found your channel right after you launched it and y’all really helped me out with another tool for the arsenal with the first DRT video and I bought the kit from Wesspur. Since I work away from home, I have only been able to practice it a few times. And this video, I would say, although a great watch for someone seeing it for the first time, will help me fine tune my technique.
Great video guys! The new edit and mic are on point. Your videos have tought me everything I’ve wanted to know about DRT/saddle hunting. Hope you shoot a stud this year!
In the past, I've used those solid steel screw in tree steps, that was, until I had one snap on me while I was climbing, leaving me hanging by one hand on the bottom of my stand platform, & looking down at all those tree steps sticking out, just waiting to shred me to pieces, if I were to fall down & through them. 😖 Young & unwise back then, I didn't have or use any type of fall arrest system, relying only on my strength, agility, & wit. Hitting the ground from the hight of 8 or more feet though, after getting caught out in an ice storm, & attempting to evacuate down my ladder, taught me a hard & valuable lesson, I'm now to old to repeat, especially without risking being seriously injured or even being killed.
Both scott and I have been hunting over 40 years each and we did the same thing free climbing screw in trees sreps. Also have had a screw in step that was in a tree for years snap off. Lucky to have never been hurt but we grew up and know better. Way back then we didnt wear seat belts either lol. Our gaurdian angels where working overtime.lol
Awesome Video Guys! I tried DRT this past weekend finally, been very busy and absolutely loved it! You guys were right this Trophy Line Saddle gives bad hip hinge, gonna have to replace it with an AeroHunter Kestrel for the DRT method. I should’ve asked the first time and now I know. Great Editing of the Video, keep it up you guys are gonna grow.
I am so glad this didn't have any midroll adds. It would have been 3 hours long. I will probably listen to this video 10 times to have some decent add free content 😉
Our buddy Andrew . He’s an amazing cameraman, editor. And has a knack for figuring out where the big bucks hide. Look for a lot of good content from him. You can also check him out at. Higher Elevations on UA-cam and Instagram
Thanks for tagging this video for me in a previous video comment. Definitely a wealth of information and a resource worth watching a couple more times. Especially when I am able to get my system. Still not sure which one that I would prefer. Might have to try both out multiple times if I could before making a decision.
Awesome video I’m undecided on which style I want to go with but you guys made both ways look easy and I’m looking forward to ordering a kit for next season!!!
I enjoyed the video. Some great ideas. As an experienced rock climber You should back up the Grigiri with a hollow block or Prussic before removing the ascender. Those Grigri’s will slip especially if the tail is higher than the device.
Yes we talk about this here in this video we made. Most guys will transition to a tether in the tree but I agree backing up the gri-gri is essential. ua-cam.com/video/mzB7jJINnqQ/v-deo.html
Thanks Norm, Lots of educational stuff , techniques and tips . We also have a Facebook Forum under the same name. We carry all the rope & hardware for these climbing systems at : www.newyorksaddlehunter.com/
Nice editing. Stepping up your game for sure. Hopefully u can help a few hundred people. My Twist saddle will be here in a couple of days. I would have had it already but it turns out that the New Tribe & Aerohunter computer system don't recognize each other. I ordered the Twist on New Tribe & ordered my Kestrel flex months ago on Aerohunter. No promo code discount on New Tribe but that's OK. They probably aren't doing as well as I am. Waited until the 1st major cold front Sunday to visit a preset I put up in March. I wanted to wait until the woodvine was done blooming b4 I pull it through the loop on my DRT system so all is good. Keep passing the good word.
That's the plan! (Andrew here - video producer of this video) We wanted to make a single access point for beginners to get the info they need to get started using these methods. Thanks for the feedback!
A carabiner on the hand ascender to lock on the working line isn’t a bad idea, I’ve had the petzl ascenders come off the line while climbing before. Also a auto block at the end of the line going into the Grigri so you tend the autoblock instead of having your hand end up in the grigri. Great video all the way around!!!
Nice video! A lot of well explained, well illustrated info. One important thing tho. I don't think the grigri is designed for hand free operations as you seem to suggest. It does have a breaking system, but according to Petzl you should never let go of the breaking hand. Their site has a instructional page on how to properly tie off a grigri to go hands free. It's always a good idea to follow the manufacturer's instructions when your life depends on their devices. It's also a good idea to always have a backup anyway. Of course if you're using a tether you already have a backup. Oh, I've seen you made a video on this. Good. Not all the solutions are the same IMHO. All work as to backing up the grigri. Still, I'd like not to stress the grigri nor the rope by leaving the blocking mechanism engaged all the time. Backup prusik above seems good, but it's dangerous. If you engage it and unload the grigri, the grigri might not engage again if the prusik slips or fails. That is, you're hanging on a prusik w/o backup. Grigris don't really block if hands free. You may slip all the way to the ground. OTOH it might be the best method if you tie a clove hitch on the breaking end and attach it to the bridge with a locking carabiner. Now you're hanging on a prusik, with an unloaded but safe grigri in the system, and a clove hitch as a backup. If you need to descend, you have to load the grigri, undo the clove hitch, pull the unload prusik down / undo it, descend with the grigri. Backup prusik below (on the breaking hand), or "third hand", is good too, as when you engage it, it doesn't engage the blocking mechanism of the grigri (as far as the grigri is concerned, there's a hand pulling down on the breaking side). If it slips, its friction is still multiplied by the grigri (you don't fall fast and you can grab the breaking end of the rope), and anyway the rope is held in the right position for the grigri to go into blocking mode. YT channel Hard Is Easy has an extremely interesting video on hands free grigri. After watching that video, you definitely learn to never let go of the breaking hand with a grigri, and never use it as a substitute for a hands free autoblock.
@@NYSaddleHunter I know. I mentioned that in my comment. I also explained why a prusik above the grigri (like you show in the video you linked) could be potentially dangerous as a backup.
Been watching your videos and have been very curious about this system. This is an awesome series and very educational. Will definitely try to integrate these methods into my arsenal for future hunts. Thanks for the info!
If u r sold on DRT then here is something u should 👍. I recently transferred to an exciting company that was sold by the company I worked for many years. I found a great item for climbing DRT style. They r made by a local big company called Honeywell. They r the Northflex Gold Grip Glove. I suggest only utilizing the black portion of the glove for 2 reasons. #1. Easier to put on. #2. They will have less condensation on your hands & u can dry them out & spray them down with a scent elimination spray much easier. A third reason for me would be that other hunters can see blue & so can deer. If u like dual purpose & redundancy along with your minimalistic lifestyle this item covers all. I recommend if u have a large hand to buy a medium & large & cut the blue of the medium. If that is good but not great for cold weather u have to large to resort to. Model #'s, NF11HD/8M for the medium size NF11HD/9L for a large size. Hope this helps. I know it has done wonders for me all year.
A helpful tip for if you tied your Blake’s hitch too short or long: If you loosen your clove hitch that is attached to your bridge, you can adjust it and pull the corresponding rope that will make it longer or shorter. So much faster than retying the entire Blake’s hitch!
We now sell everything you need for DRT/MRS , SRT, and single stick climbing on our website :
www.newyorksaddlehunter.com/
I realize this video was filmed over three years ago, however, the fact that Scott K is an arborist with over 30 years of climbing experience speaks volumes to me. The arm chair quarterback's have flooded the saddle hunting communities with piece meal information. I like being taught climbing technique by some one who has a vast amount of experience and knowledge doing just that. Thanks for the great content.
I watched a lot of youtube videos prior to finding this one and so I bought a lot of tree climbing gears that I don't know how to use. Anyway, after watching this video, I found out that I already have the suggested climbing devices. I also found that I bought a lot of unnecessary gear. I could have saved some money if I found your video earlier. On the brighter side, I now have two fail-safe ways of climbing a tree with the gears shown in this video. Thank you for sharing, much appreciated.
Awesome 👍Glad we could help.
Great video!
From the lightweight SAR world ...
Regarding SRT - you can drop some serious weight/space by going to 8mm mains, which is generally rated around 14kN*. If you're worried about ultimate strength, look at things like the 8mm Bluewater Canyonator (expensive, but awesome to work with and you need more wraps due to Technora awesomeness) Also, you can save more weight (and cost!) by dropping the ascender and the Gri-Gri for 6mm friction hitches (Blake's/Distel/Bachmann/VT/etc) which work well on 8mm rope. Also swap your footloop for 6mm cord and run a double-figure 8 on the end (so the single 6 doesn't put too much pressure on your boot if you're not using steel-shanks. Good 6mm is usually around 7.5kN. Could probably shave a couple pounds off your hike-in weight! (I won't comment on the popup cube vs a standard throw-bag or tarp. =) It's also much quieter, and you can just clip them on to your harness without the clicking and clanking and reflections of metal gear.
If anyone has issues with the Blake's not biting on a system (such as in the DRT demo), you can run your second bridge in smaller cordage...the smaller diameter on the friction hitch will help bite into the larger rope. Big guys (like myself) sometimes have to swap down if adding more wraps doesn't work.
The ideal ratio is 60-80% for prusik-to-mainline so 6mm-8mm is a nice 3/4 (75%) ratio for good hitch lockups.
If you do transition to smaller lines, make sure your hard-gear is able to handle it! For example, the Gri-Gri+ is only good down to 8.5mm.
* 1kN = 224.81 lbs, and this is static/ascension system so no fall-factor. Most people need approximately 1-2kN of actual load bearing, and everything above is safety factor. At 6'6" 240 I'm fully confident in 6/8 (and do run it for my personal high-angle SAR kit.)
Really liked the style and completeness of your video. Good luck out there!
Cheers!
I have been looking for a laid-out, to-the-point video on climbing with minimal equipment, as I have. With being new to climbing and in-tree chainsaw-ing, I have been able to get to climbing after this video. I hope this comment gets to you guys because I want you two to know how much I appreciate your help with this video.
Great job and thank you!
Thanks Paul, climb safe!
Great Video.. An index in the description (time stamp) would help viewers to review key points or you could edit the footage by subject.
You can paste the timestamp below into the description of the video. or Pin it at the top of comments section.
00:00 Overview
4:39 Throw ball
8:26 Ready for Rope
9:58 DRT with a Saddle
22:26 SRT Demonstration **
23:30 Alpine Butterfly
25:58 Petzl GRIGRI Belay Device
28:33 Petzl Hand Ascender And Foot Loop
30:50 What to do at top of climb
32:35 Coming Down - Descending
34:15 Using Shorter Rope \ Paracord and 35 feet with loop
35:10 Retrieving Gear \ Getting Gear up in tree
38:30 Exiting the tree
38:45 Preset Paracord Loop
41:56 Thanks for Watching
Thanks for the video 😊
Thank you. We have a time stamp , if you scroll down to to the bottom below comments. Our buddy Andrew put it in when he redid the video. I’m glad you liked it. Thankyou for your comments 👍
I meant scroll down in description
Guys.... Hands-down that is the best, most informative saddle hunting video that I've seen! Every time I see a video of yours I learn something new, and I learned a ton about SRT. Excellent work, gents, and on behalf of all of us newbie saddle hunters, THANK YOU!
Thanks Trey!
Thanks Trey! (Andrew here - Video producer and new NYSH team member) This is exactly the video I wanted as a newbie, everything in one video in order to get climbing. So when I partnered up with Joe & Scott, we wanted to make this priority #1. Glad this video helped and hopefully others find it useful as well. Thanks again!
You guys are legends.
I'm an Australian deer hunter who has been looking for a system to start utilising tree blinds. I ended up getting all the gear for SRT from your links because things like hunting saddles etc are non-existent in this country.
Have just set it all up and started practicing climbing.
The spot I go the deer kind of move down out of the higher denser forest to the pasture land near the fringe during the night, then make their way back up as the sun rises. I think setting up in the saddle a reasonable distance from the trails at sun up or sun down is going to work extremely well.
Thanks for the kind words , best of luck to you down under , climb safe!
Well I'm definitely pointing people to this video whenever they ask about srt/drt. This is very well put together!
Thanks we really appreciate that !
Thank you Garrett ! Appreciate the support. Joe and I are big fans of D I Y Sportsman . You get the Mod Nod as well. Best of luck to you and Samantha this season !!!
@@Jason-eo9yl thanks Jason !!!
Rope Rocket 👍
Joe and Scott, I am very excited to get into the woods again this year. At 73 years young, I'd like to stay safe. Love the SRT method! Thanks for a great video explaining the "how to". Good luck to both of you and enjoy some tasty venison.
Thanks Mike , climb safe and best of luck !
Here I am at 61 starting to saddle hunt thinking I was the old guy. Lol
@@67HuntAway here i am thinking I'm the old one at 59 😂 just started hunting
I think that all climbers should know how to use basic friction knots for self rescue. I was out in the tree hunting and when I ascended the tree I was using a Jumar hand ascender. Normally I remove my mechanical devise right away. this time for what ever reason I did not. So at the end days i put on my figure 8 with a prussic back up to descend the tree. When I got back down to the ground I looked up and seen my ascending device still up by my stand. Now what..... well I used the 2 prussic knots and a foot loop strap and ascended the tree so I could retrieve my ascender. I use SRT and it is always good to know different ways to ascend and descend. Just in case you drop or loose your mechanical devise. Good job Guys..
Great video. When using a Grigri recommended to always have a hand holding tension in rope below Grigri device or tie backup knots below Grigri. The Grigri does not always lock rope in itself if your weight is removed from Grigri (like if removing lanyard and returning to GriGri as support) unless you sufficient tension in the rope below the Grigri - ie not guaranteed to lock. The Rig or ID devices do lock rope and are more suited for hands free positioning without need for locking off with knot on device or below device.
Awesome and informative video, newly coming into saddle hunting and with a minor background in tree work, it helped answer a few trial and error questions/scenarios I was having. Great video 👍
great video! I was so confused after watching 10+ other saddle hunting vids (because those don't show the complete process)... this one video made everything make sense... going to try this right now!
So glad I found you guys. I've been piecing this together for myself over the years and am elated to have found this summary! Great info and can tell a lot of thought and effort went into this!
Thanks Nick , Glad you found it helpful. Feel free to reach out with any questions. We’ll be launching are website soon keep an eye out. NY Saddle will now be facilitating kits for DRT, SRT, and One Sticking . Plus miscellaneous gear that will make the saddle hunters life easy ! Best of luck this season 🦌👍
Haha, im so happy. Thank you for all your help. Im a beginner climber.
This just brings a smile to my face. Thank you again.
😊😊😊😊😊
I am loving the upgraded production quality
Thanks ;)
Thanks Andrew does a great job
Check Higher Elevation’s UA-cam channel. Freakin awesome. I just stumbled across it
I'm sold... I live in upstate NY and used to climb poles to put up fiber optic line and always thought of how to use my equipment for hunting but for sure would have problems climbing with spikes on public land. This method is the s- -t ! No more sticks and stands for this cat.
Excellent job on teaching your techniques most people are so boring and explain it .
Sorry about that freaking finger hit the wrong button but most people are boring when they explain cuz they talk about things that are nothing to do with it you are very clear you repeated when necessary Great job
@@dashifusheffield2568 Thanks Robert I do that all the time too , no worries. Happy Easter !
@@NYSaddleHunter thanks man for understanding an old man and you technology we having a struggle to survive together Happy Easter to you guys too God bless everybody
Nice to see this, been doing saddle hunting for years, still have and use my original tree saddle, with belts instead of ropes, have ascenders and descender, good rope, will upgrade my saddle to make it lighter by replacing heavy belts and buckles with rope tethers , etc
Excellent demonstration of both methods. Really great video.
Used my srt kit for the first time today with the flat branch saddle. Been looking forward to this for months. Had a great time. Wouldn’t have been able without your instruction. Really appreciate it! Hunting, recreational climbing, tree maintenance, the list goes on. You guys are awesome.
That's great to hear , comments like this make my day. Best of luck, climb safe !!
Thanks guys for this video. You convinced me to take the plunge into saddle hunting and now my son is considering it too. Ordered my equipment today and hope to have both of us practicing with it soon.
Climb safe and best of luck with it !
Great instruction and tutelage! thanks for taking the time to share your information and experience
You guys really knocked it out of the park with this video! Destined to become the most watched instructional video on saddle hunting/DRT,SRT climbing in UA-cam history.
Thanks brother we really appreciate the positive feedback
@@NYSaddleHunter You guys deserve it! A very professional video, covering everything from A-Z. As a newbie to this (year1) I have saved this video to my favorites, and plan to referance this baby often! Thanks again!!
@@familywest1697 Thank you! (Andrew - the Video Producer here) This is the video I was looking for as a newbie to DRT when I partnered up with Joe & Scott. I'm glad to see the positive feedback and response. Seems to feed the appetite of others as well... We'll be collaborating on more videos in the coming months and hopefully getting a few kills on film - stay tuned!
@@HigherElevations I'll be looking forward to it!!
Scott, Joe EXCELLENT!
I am a saddle hunter and have been following your videos from day one. Give yourselves a pat on the back. Nicely edited and very professionally compiled.
Thanks Bradley our new team member Andrew is a wizard with film and editing. He makes us look good 😆 . Thank for your support !!!
Thanks Bradley! It's been fun working with Joe & Scott and learning these new techniques as well. Stay tuned for more video collaborations between NYSH & Higher Elevations
We appreciate you guys too. Best thing to come out of NY.
Thanks Paul !!!
Better than pizza?!!
wow what an awesome system. video I enjoyed watching. Thank you guys.
Been waiting all day to get the chance to watch this.
J Huntley 👍
awesome video. I think I am going to give SRT a try. You can probably cut down on metal by using a prusik or other progress capture knot instead of an ascender. The prusik can be tied to a long loop of 4mm cordage for your foot loop, eliminating the need for an aider. if you really wanted to use a pulley to pull the slack through the grigri, you could tie one in to your prusik, or just use a carabiner instead (a little more friction to pull through but it would work). Or you could just pull the slack straight up with your left hand, instead of pulling down through the pulley.
❤ Great!
Gots to drop a 75ft Pine. So was looking at spikes. Loved climbing as a kid. And will say this Vid. Is articulate, to the point shared by a profesional arborist to boot!! and no fancy gadgets to scare off a Newby.
I have no reason to climb but for fun...and that old pine, (with spikes) Great job you two!!😁
Appreciate that 👍
Nice production guys. Glad to see the channel growing and the benefits from it. Been here part of the “NY Saddle Squad” since the early days 😎..... in Michigan but still part of the NYSS lol
Thanks Nico !
I really like how you all broke the video down, and made it easy to scroll to certain topics. I already have a saddle, so I didn't watch the history, and I am only interested in DRT. Great Videos!
Thanks Brian!
It's a great video .. Less talk going straight to the point.. Thanks 🙏
What a wholesome video! Thanks for showing these ways and techniques!
As an old tree guy and cell tower, tech this is awesome. Great job explaining and braking it down , and great idea with the 550 cord for mutual sets 🤷♂️👊🍻
Hunting for over 45 years and now this! Wow!
Elegant simplicity!
Just did my first drt climb in the big oak in my front yard using the tips you guys have given in your videos. I was actually somewhat shocked at how easy it was. I definitely need to add a shorter bridge to my tetherd mantis saddle for climbing though. As well as get some practice with the throwball. Gonna try to get some paracord loops out this weekend!
Best of luck. Just a tip if you utilize a hitchclimber pulley you wont need a short bridge. They work really well, actually smoother climb . I made a video talking about them not too long ago. If your running a mantis that's another good option
@@NYSaddleHunter thanks for the tip. I did see that video and would like to just keep as little metal as possible out of my system as well as keep it as simple as possible for this first season using ropes to climb (less stuff to forget) ive also switched from a compound to a recurve the past few seasons for the same reasons
lol i cant tell you how many times my hunt has been ruined with my compound due to leaving my release at the house
This is absolute INFORMATION GOLD for new climbers like myself. Thank you for making this. Great job.
Thanks Cullen
Agree with below. Very well done video and very thorough. You guys obviously have experience with these techniques.
Awesome video guy's. Keep the A+ content coming.
Thanks Chase !!
Awesome video guys, great details and explanations of every part of the process, I am looking at SRT climbing for tree work but couldn't really find a good video explaining everything as clear as this video, thank you!!!
Been following this channel for a long time now and its nice to see how far you guys have come, channel growth ect. Finally got into saddle hunting and i love every second of it. Thanks for all your help fellas.
Great intro video to this system and instruction on both methods. Thanks for introducing me to this method, it's been a great tool to add to the system!
Thanks Corey !
Very Informative video! Loved it. You guys are awesome instructors! So glad to find this video.
Thanks Bob we really that!
Amazing video!! I haven't done any saddle hunting yet, but this gives me the confidence, the know-how and what equipment is relevant versus not. Extremely practical, thank you for taking the time to put this together. I love the channel!! Keep it up
Thanks Glenn !
Great video 👍
Best video you guys have done! You guys covered a bit of everything involving SRT/DRT systems and you added extra bonus material, Great job guys!
Thanks will !
This is the content hunters need.
Thanks Logan !
@@NYSaddleHunter When are you guys going to design and sell a saddle? Let me know and I'll be first in line to get one.
Great video guys, thank you!
Thanks Dog ! 👍
Great, thorough coverage of the topic guys! Thank you.
Bought SRT setup, thanks guys.
Thank you Ken. Good luck Climb safe !!!
Awesome video guys! they keep getting better and better. Ive wanted a saddle for about two years since I came across your videos and finally just ordered the Phantom, and your DRT kit... thanks for the promo code! I can't wait !
Thanks Jason welcome to the club !
Nice work, gentlemen! The information flowed logically and the production quality is really good.
Thanks Ron
Impressive video guys! Great instruction and quality!
Thank you we really appreciate the positive feedback
I do SRT hear in Sweden hope we will be able to hunt white bow soon. Ty for your cancel just found it 🙏🇸🇪
Great video...the people doing "tree climbing/arborist" videos on how to climb should watch this and see how it should be done. I have never seen anyone explain how to climb as well and as thorough as you guys did. And Nice and slow,... it seems most of the arborist videos try to do their hook-ups as fast as they can to "impress"? someone with how good they are at it... that doesnt really help us novices.......anyway, you guys explained it all so well... ty.
Thanks Kevin!
Fantastic video Joe and Scott!!! Thank you very much guys. This will be my first season saddle hunting so I’m absorbing as much info as possible. I found your channel right after you launched it and y’all really helped me out with another tool for the arsenal with the first DRT video and I bought the kit from Wesspur. Since I work away from home, I have only been able to practice it a few times. And this video, I would say, although a great watch for someone seeing it for the first time, will help me fine tune my technique.
Thanks brother
Great Video Guys !! 👍👍
Thanks for the positive feedback!
Great video guys! The new edit and mic are on point. Your videos have tought me everything I’ve wanted to know about DRT/saddle hunting. Hope you shoot a stud this year!
You too buddy. Thanks for the support!!
In the past, I've used those solid steel screw in tree steps, that was, until I had one snap on me while I was climbing, leaving me hanging by one hand on the bottom of my stand platform, & looking down at all those tree steps sticking out, just waiting to shred me to pieces, if I were to fall down & through them. 😖
Young & unwise back then, I didn't have or use any type of fall arrest system, relying only on my strength, agility, & wit.
Hitting the ground from the hight of 8 or more feet though, after getting caught out in an ice storm, & attempting to evacuate down my ladder, taught me a hard & valuable lesson, I'm now to old to repeat, especially without risking being seriously injured or even being killed.
Both scott and I have been hunting over 40 years each and we did the same thing free climbing screw in trees sreps. Also have had a screw in step that was in a tree for years snap off. Lucky to have never been hurt but we grew up and know better. Way back then we didnt wear seat belts either lol.
Our gaurdian angels where working overtime.lol
thank you guys for that excellent ideal.
Great video guys 👍 👍👍👍!!!!!
Thanks Kevin!
Well put together video men.
Thanks Lonni 👍
Awesome Video Guys! I tried DRT this past weekend finally, been very busy and absolutely loved it! You guys were right this Trophy Line Saddle gives bad hip hinge, gonna have to replace it with an AeroHunter Kestrel for the DRT method. I should’ve asked the first time and now I know. Great Editing of the Video, keep it up you guys are gonna grow.
Thanks Shane , really appreciate the positive feedback!
I am so glad this didn't have any midroll adds. It would have been 3 hours long. I will probably listen to this video 10 times to have some decent add free content 😉
We tried to keep it as short as possible with as much information as we could get into it. Thanks for watching!
Great complete climbing tutorial. Amazing camera quality too
Our buddy Andrew . He’s an amazing cameraman, editor. And has a knack for figuring out where the big bucks hide. Look for a lot of good content from him. You can also check him out at. Higher Elevations on UA-cam and Instagram
Thanks man! stay tuned for more in the coming months
Thanks for tagging this video for me in a previous video comment. Definitely a wealth of information and a resource worth watching a couple more times. Especially when I am able to get my system. Still not sure which one that I would prefer. Might have to try both out multiple times if I could before making a decision.
Awesome video I’m undecided on which style I want to go with but you guys made both ways look easy and I’m looking forward to ordering a kit for next season!!!
Amazing video Gents! Thanks!
I enjoyed the video. Some great ideas. As an experienced rock climber You should back up the Grigiri with a hollow block or Prussic before removing the ascender. Those Grigri’s will slip especially if the tail is higher than the device.
Yes we talk about this here in this video we made. Most guys will transition to a tether in the tree but I agree backing up the gri-gri is essential.
ua-cam.com/video/mzB7jJINnqQ/v-deo.html
New to saddle hunting. Great information and video. Thank you guys.
Thanks Jimmy
Small tip on srt ascent, thrust your hips when you pull and keep both feet planted on the tree
this is excellent!! thank you for putting this together and sharing. the time and effort you boys put into this is very much appreciated. bravo!!
Thanks we really appreciate the positive feedback
@@NYSaddleHunter love the channel. hope you two keep making vids. appreciate y'all
@@mrdg Thanks brother !
Very nice job guys. Put it altogether in 1 video. Gotta get me a shirt or hoodie. Go in light come out heavy!😁
We're working on that
Awesome video! Thank You.
👍
That’s an awesome video and I’m about to Order the solitude 2.0. Thanks guys for all the info
Thanks Cobbie , best of luck with it!
After watching this I had to subscribe
Great instructional! Thanks mates!
Our pleasure ! Lots of new and exciting systems coming out soon
Great video guys. Appreciate your time with all the content.
We really appreciate you taking the time to watch and the positive feedback!
Great video Boys keen to see more
Thanks Norm, Lots of educational stuff , techniques and tips . We also have a Facebook Forum under the same name. We carry all the rope & hardware for these climbing systems at :
www.newyorksaddlehunter.com/
I purchased both. Thanks for the video
Climb safe Paul Good luck !
Nice editing. Stepping up your game for sure. Hopefully u can help a few hundred people. My Twist saddle will be here in a couple of days. I would have had it already but it turns out that the New Tribe & Aerohunter computer system don't recognize each other. I ordered the Twist on New Tribe & ordered my Kestrel flex months ago on Aerohunter. No promo code discount on New Tribe but that's OK. They probably aren't doing as well as I am. Waited until the 1st major cold front Sunday to visit a preset I put up in March. I wanted to wait until the woodvine was done blooming b4 I pull it through the loop on my DRT system so all is good. Keep passing the good word.
That's the plan! (Andrew here - video producer of this video) We wanted to make a single access point for beginners to get the info they need to get started using these methods. Thanks for the feedback!
Well-filmed and informative. I learned a lot from this video - Thank you!
Thanks for watching !
Very good presentation! Thanks!
Good job on the video guys. Well done.
A very informative job by both you guys. Keep up the good work.
Thanks John !
This looks cool. Might try it sometime but couldn't imagine doing this with all cold weather clothes on tho.
Really good stuff Guy's........... Keep it up
A carabiner on the hand ascender to lock on the working line isn’t a bad idea, I’ve had the petzl ascenders come off the line while climbing before. Also a auto block at the end of the line going into the Grigri so you tend the autoblock instead of having your hand end up in the grigri. Great video all the way around!!!
wow!! I'm really impress, thank u, is really help full for beginner like me!!!!
Nice video! A lot of well explained, well illustrated info.
One important thing tho. I don't think the grigri is designed for hand free operations as you seem to suggest. It does have a breaking system, but according to Petzl you should never let go of the breaking hand. Their site has a instructional page on how to properly tie off a grigri to go hands free. It's always a good idea to follow the manufacturer's instructions when your life depends on their devices.
It's also a good idea to always have a backup anyway. Of course if you're using a tether you already have a backup.
Oh, I've seen you made a video on this. Good. Not all the solutions are the same IMHO. All work as to backing up the grigri. Still, I'd like not to stress the grigri nor the rope by leaving the blocking mechanism engaged all the time.
Backup prusik above seems good, but it's dangerous. If you engage it and unload the grigri, the grigri might not engage again if the prusik slips or fails. That is, you're hanging on a prusik w/o backup. Grigris don't really block if hands free. You may slip all the way to the ground.
OTOH it might be the best method if you tie a clove hitch on the breaking end and attach it to the bridge with a locking carabiner. Now you're hanging on a prusik, with an unloaded but safe grigri in the system, and a clove hitch as a backup. If you need to descend, you have to load the grigri, undo the clove hitch, pull the unload prusik down / undo it, descend with the grigri.
Backup prusik below (on the breaking hand), or "third hand", is good too, as when you engage it, it doesn't engage the blocking mechanism of the grigri (as far as the grigri is concerned, there's a hand pulling down on the breaking side). If it slips, its friction is still multiplied by the grigri (you don't fall fast and you can grab the breaking end of the rope), and anyway the rope is held in the right position for the grigri to go into blocking mode.
YT channel Hard Is Easy has an extremely interesting video on hands free grigri. After watching that video, you definitely learn to never let go of the breaking hand with a grigri, and never use it as a substitute for a hands free autoblock.
We have several videos talking about that the gri-gri is not designed to be used hands free here's one .
ua-cam.com/video/H4VdQ8AccZM/v-deo.html
@@NYSaddleHunter I know. I mentioned that in my comment. I also explained why a prusik above the grigri (like you show in the video you linked) could be potentially dangerous as a backup.
Been watching your videos and have been very curious about this system. This is an awesome series and very educational. Will definitely try to integrate these methods into my arsenal for future hunts. Thanks for the info!
Thanks for the positive feedback. I hope ,you like it as much as we do. Good luck , climb safe !
If u r sold on DRT then here is something u should 👍. I recently transferred to an exciting company that was sold by the company I worked for many years. I found a great item for climbing DRT style. They r made by a local big company called Honeywell. They r the Northflex Gold Grip Glove. I suggest only utilizing the black portion of the glove for 2 reasons. #1. Easier to put on. #2. They will have less condensation on your hands & u can dry them out & spray them down with a scent elimination spray much easier. A third reason for me would be that other hunters can see blue & so can deer. If u like dual purpose & redundancy along with your minimalistic lifestyle this item covers all. I recommend if u have a large hand to buy a medium & large & cut the blue of the medium. If that is good but not great for cold weather u have to large to resort to.
Model #'s, NF11HD/8M for the medium size
NF11HD/9L for a large size.
Hope this helps. I know it has done wonders for me all year.
Thanks for sharing I'll check them out
A helpful tip for if you tied your Blake’s hitch too short or long:
If you loosen your clove hitch that is attached to your bridge, you can adjust it and pull the corresponding rope that will make it longer or shorter.
So much faster than retying the entire Blake’s hitch!
Good point!
Good demo
Great video
Great video guys !!
Thanks Guys 👍
New vid dropping any day now