got a treesuit today, my first thoughts

[Fred Bear]

I got a tree suit treestand in the mail today, Treesuit web site (http://www.treesuit.com/) , here are my first thoughts

negative-
the strap material, It is toooooo stiff. I hope that it breaks in and gets easier to manage. And WOW is it noisy. I think they could have found a better strap material.

the saftey rope. What a cheesey POS. I think they could have used a better quality rope. This rope has got to go.

The buckles. They are the plastic kind that you find on the cheap saftey harnesses. I hate them.

The D rings. Chrome belongs on my bike not my hunting gear. They should have been black or camo dipped. I guess I'll have to do that my self.

The material. I think that it could have been glued to the seat or something.
and the sewing job could have used a little more attention to detail.

Recliner strap - this was an exrta I purchaced. Dont do it if you order one. $10 for 6 foot of nylon strap and 2 buckles! I probaly wont be using it.

Little things, They could have sewn around the area the seat strap enters the fabric instead of just a cut. They could have silicone sealed the squeeky area in the seat like they tell you to in the video. They could of had a better transport system like a belt loop and a pouch on the side for the straps.

Positive-
I still think that this is one awesome idea for a treestand. I was happy the seat was ridged and when I got it in my hands it was one of those, why did'nt I think of that things.

Shipping - Tree suit got the order Monday, I recieved it on thursday. That is awesome.

At this point I may keep it, I may send it back and get the tree saddle (http://www.trophyline.info/) .

are there any experienced users that can give me some in site? I love the concept. But I think if the tree suit is gunna cost $130 it should be better.

[TnRidge]

I have read the same complaints about the stiff straps with the Treesuit . I had thought about ordering one ,but I couldn't justify paying that much for one .
I'm better off using my lightweight climber .

[bullcan]

Here is my 2 cents on it. I got mine 2 years ago and I have never regretted it. Most of your negatives that you listed I do not see as negatives except, 1. the recliner strap-I got one too and have never used it and 2. the transport system does suck, I use a couple bungee cords to hold it all together and just carry it, but I would have liked a better tranport system.

[kbotta]

Would it fit in a back pack????

[farmlegend]

the strap material, It is toooooo stiff. I hope that it breaks in and gets easier to manage. And WOW is it noisy. I think they could have found a better strap material.

Fred, that is an understatement. The difference in quality between the Treesuit strapping material and that of the Treesaddle is like night and day.

With the Treesuit, when you pull one of the straps through the plastic buckles while you're up in your tree, I can well imagine every deer within a half mile radius snapping their necks back all at the same time, wondering, "what the HELL is that noise!?" It is loud and unnatural sounding as all get out.

The problems you mentioned with the Treesuit are all valid criticisms, and would all appear to be easy for them to fix, but for some reason they haven't done so. That recommendation they make in their video about the user adding silicon to get rid of the squeak is comical; they should come with the silicon already there, so the darn thing is quiet right out of the box!

[Ack]

From everything I have heard and read, the Treesaddle is the way to go with tree slings (right Farmlegend?!). I am planning on purchasing one within the next few weeks...finally got the cash. The are a little more pricey, but look at it this way, they are still cheaper (or the same price as) a climber.

[Fred Bear]

Here is my 2 cents on it. I got mine 2 years ago and I have never regretted it. Most of your negatives that you listed I do not see as negatives except, 1. the recliner strap-I got one too and have never used it and 2. the transport system does suck, I use a couple bungee cords to hold it all together and just carry it, but I would have liked a better tranport system.
so do the straps "break in" at all and become less stiff?

Farmlegend, should I return the tree suit and get the tree saddle?

[DEERSLAYER]

I have the Tree Suit but have yet to use it. One thing I am very concerned about is those plastic buckles! It just really bothers me to have my life hanging by a piece of plastic. Especially when it gets cold out. I'm afraid they would get brittle and break. Also, I'm thinking if I was to pull the strap thru real slowly the noise might not be too bad. Anybody try that?

[Fred Bear]

I took it out this afternoon to my back yard and hooked it to a tree while I was still on the ground.

The straps are very noisy!!! even when used slow. And they are very hard to manage. The thing was a nightmare to carry even just out to the back yard.
I have no idea how I would hook it up 20 feet in the air.
It was ok to sit in. But it looks hard to shoot out of.
I think I will send it back. I am very disapointed in this product. Expecially the straps.

[Ack]

Fred...Sorry about your luck with the Treesuit. If you still want to try to hunt from a sling, try to find someone in your area that has a TreeSaddle and give it a try. I have tried my friend's out, and let me tell you, this thing is silent. The loudest part about using it seemed to be hooking the metal clip to the ring. The straps I believe are millitary grade nylon webbing, and it is pretty quiet.

Hooking up to the tree is pretty simple also, just criss-cross the strap that goes on the tree, loop it through itself and clip yourself in. There is also a lineman's belt attatched to the sling, so you are attatched to the tree at all times. The other plus to the TreeSaddle is that you can wear it to your stand like a safety harness, or kinda like a turkey vest.

From what my friends have told me, you will hate the sling the first few times you use it. But the more you get used to it and learn how to move slowly and silently around the tree, it gets a lot easier. I am sure that hunting from slings is not for everyone, but I do feel that they can give you a great advantage when used in the right situation. Good luck!

[Fred Bear]

Would it fit in a back pack????
yes, it would fit in a backpack. But I dont know where you might put the pack while in the tree. Maybe hang it on a tree step.

[ArrowFlinger]

I have looked at both the web sites. From what I see these give you good range while up in the tree, but how do you get to your elevation. Also they both offer screw in steps for support. So are these slings really only an option for private land hunters.

[bullcan]

To answer a few questions:

kbotta - yes, it will fit in a backpack, but it would have to be a fairly large pack

fred bear - yes, the straps do become less stiff after a couple uses, not even an issue any more for me

arrow flinger -you can get a climber with the tree suit, i have one and it works very will with it.

Overall I like my tree suit and I never use a conventional tree stand anymore. However I have no experience with the treesaddle so I have no way to compare the two.

[Ack]

Arrow Flinger...You can get to your elevation however you want...screw in steps, strap on tree steps, climbing sticks (lone wolf work great!), or branches.

As far as standing support, I have heard of guys buying 4 (or 5) strap steps, then taking three of them off of their straps, and putting all of them on one strap. You end up with 4 steps on one strap, which you just need to attatch to the tree at your desired height. You can also stand on branches if there are any, then you do not need to take anything with you to stand on.

[farmlegend]

I own 'em both and have used 'em both. I only keep the Treesuit just in case I lose my Treesaddle.

[Fred Bear]

well, I took the double D ring strap and soaked it in warm water and worked it real good. It did soften up quite a bit. I may keep it.
I just hate the stiff straps and the transport system but maybe I can work with it.
I still think that the treesuit is way overpriced for what you get.

[Mule Skinner]

I agree with what Bullcan said.
When I first got mine, It was just before the opener(Oct 1st) and well lets just say, It wasn't what I expected. Anyway,I intended on using it right away but It just sat in the box in my basement untill about the end of the month.I watched the video over an over again and finally went out and set up a tree with climbing sticks and 3 tree steps around the tree at the top one afternoon(This was my first time trying it out in a tree , so I brought my bow and drew back from all angles and felt good about it).
The next morning Oct. 28th,I headed out for my first hunt with it.I made sure I was up and in the tree plenty early due to the noisy straps and also used a head lamp to set up hands free due to total darkness and being so new to this concept.
Well A 5pt buck made its way by me and I had a good shot so I took it and put a good hit on him(recovered later 70 yards away).Not 45 minutes later, a nice 8 pt came at me dead on 40 yards and closing.Talk about getting caught off guard.I've never punched 2 tags in one day let alone 2 bucks ,so all kinds of excitement was running thru my mind :dizzy:
Well he veared off a little bit and came right behind me and as I made a dull bahha noise to stop him in has tracks,he gave me a perfect 10 yard butter shot broadside .
Well I biffed it :rant: and sent it right over his back.
This was truely my fault for the miss and not the tree suit in any way for I felt very comfortable shooting out of it and am convinced that it will be a great tool for me next Season as well.
As far as the transport method they show in the video....Well it stinks :bash:
I have a small waist and hunt in rough terrain climbing over fall downs and ducking under thick brush and it slides off my waist.
I already carry a pack on my back and its full of gear so theres no room for it in there ,so what I did is measured the dimensions of the seat and found a Med sized camo duffle bag at Wal-Mart for 10 bucks that works perfect.
It fits in there nice with room to spare and the bag has a sling so I can throw it over my shoulder even with my pack already on. I know it sounds like a lot but IMO it transports easier this way and is very light in weight.

[TnRidge]

Is it possible to wear the treesuit to your stand ,or is it too ackward to walk in ?

[Mule Skinner]

TnRidge,
Yes it is, but it didn't work well for me.They show how to wear it artound your waist in their instructional video. I transport mine in a camo duffle bag and slip it on at the base of the tree before I climb up into it.