Best Hunting Saddles and Accessories for 2024

Although several options are available to the mobile hunter, one that really grabbed my attention is the tree saddle. 

What's to love about hunting saddles? Which is the best one for a better hunt? Today, I talk about my love of hunting from a tree while using a saddle and some HuntWise recommendations if you're ready to get up in a tree and hunt.

Why I Love Hunting  From a Tree

Personally, I loved the idea of hunting with a tree saddle because it was a lightweight way to get into the woods. As someone who's dealt with a fear of heights my whole life, the design of a saddle made me more comfortable getting in the tree. 

Later, I learned that what I really love about the tree saddle is the ability to get into nearly any tree; this, in particular, has really helped to improve my hunting immensely.  

For those unfamiliar, a tree saddle, or more simply a "saddle," is a harness a hunter wears around their waist. Think of the type of harness you'd wear for ziplining or rock climbing – but with less rigidity and a higher focus on comfort. 

The best saddles are designed to be worn all day, with several ways to adjust areas that might bother some individuals. However, much like tree stands, or any other hunting item for that matter, not all saddles are created equally. 

With that in mind, I'd like to tell you about a couple of my favorites and the accessories you'll need to get started.  

Best Hunting Saddles and Accessories for 2024

One of the leaders in the saddle hunting space and a company we are lucky enough to call a HuntWise partner is Latitude Outdoors. They're a Michigan-based company, so I'm more biased toward their saddles.

Beyond that, their saddles are well-made and extremely comfortable. They also have several resources available to their customers, including a really great YouTube channel. In the world of saddles, they've got everything you'll need to get started, from saddles to sticks and platforms, all the way to ropes and carabiners.  

1. Latitude Outdoors: The Method 2 Saddle Kit

One of the options they offer – and my recommendation for anyone looking to start saddle hunting or for someone with years of experience – is the Method 2. 

Specifically, the Method 2 Saddle Kit is an excellent option with everything you need to get up into a tree safely. Within this saddle kit, you will get a lineman's belt with carabiners, a tether with a carabiner, a dump pouch for your ropes when they're not in use, and, of course, the saddle.  

The Method 2 is a two-panel saddle, something that Latitude revolutionized to help ensure all-day comfort for the user. Most saddles in the industry are a single panel, meaning they're one piece of fabric that will sit from your belt line down under your butt.

However, with the two panels, you have one under your butt and one that you can adjust up and down your back for maximum personal comfort. This also allows for an extremely compact design that will travel really well in your hunting pack and be very comfortable to wear on your walks into and out of the timber. 

The Method 2 Saddle Kit costs $429.99, including the ropes and dump pouches I mentioned. When you consider that ropes can cost north of $80, that $430 price point seems like an even better deal. 

Check out the Method 2 in the video below!

2. Tuebor Outdoors: Hemlock

Before I get into climbing sticks and platforms, I'd like to shout out to another Michigan company that makes a great tree saddle. For a few years now, I've hunted out of a Hemlock from Tuebor Outdoors.

The Hemlock is technically a single-panel saddle, but Tuebor added additional adjustment points that make this saddle operate like a two-panel, with a built-in back-band for another layer of comfort. Its hammock-style design covers a large area from the middle of your back down to your thighs. 

Comfort is not an issue with the Hemlock, ever. I've personally done fourteen-hour sits in this saddle. However, the straps added to this saddle add a little bit of extra weight and make it a little bit tougher to pack. 

Regardless, I'm a fan of the Hemlock and would recommend it to anyone. At $299.99, it's a very reasonable price for an American-made product. 

3. Climbing Sticks: Lattitude Carbon SS

Much like hunting with a hang-on tree stand, saddle hunting requires some additional tools to get the job done. The tools I'm referring to are climbing sticks and platforms specifically. 

Climbing sticks are miniature ladders that attach to the tree and allow hunters to climb safely up to their hunting height. Typically, they'll be between eighteen and thirty inches long and have steps on both the top and bottom and occasionally in the middle. 

On the other hand, platforms are just that: a platform you stand on. Picture a hang-on tree stand without the seat, and then trim it down in size significantly. A platform allows the saddle hunter a firm place to stand rather than swinging from their saddle without a solid base. 

In addition to their saddles, Latitude Outdoors also offers fantastic options in these gear categories. For climbing sticks, the Lattitude Carbon SS are the best sticks I've had the pleasure of using. They're double-step sticks made from a single, continuous piece of carbon fiber.

 They're extremely lightweight and pack tightly together to make travel to and from the tree easy at only one pound a piece. Instead of straps with buckles to attach to the tree, like many other climbing sticks, the Carbon SS attaches to the tree with a small but strong piece of rope, so these sticks are completely silent.

You can get a three-pack of these sticks for $249.99 or a single stick for $84.99. Considering this is aerospace-level tech, $250 is a steal of a price for these.  

4. Saddle Platform: Latitude X-Wing Speed Series Platform

In addition to climbing sticks, we'd like to highlight a fantastic platform that Latitude offers, their X-Wing Speed Series platform. At only two and a half pounds, this platform is the perfect combination of lightweight, packable, and sturdy.

Latitude notes this platform has been "meticulously engineered to enhance maneuverability in the tree." Because of this, users of this platform will have easy shooting options all around the tree.

The unique design of the X-Wing also keeps comfort in mind. The "wings" on either side of the platform help the hunter stand comfortably in an athletic stance.  

You could certainly saddle hunt successfully with the gear we've highlighted today! We've covered all the essentials. However, just like a heater in a ground blind, there are other pieces of gear to make your saddle hunting experience more enjoyable.  

5. Climbing Accessories: Wild Country Ropeman Ascender

One such piece of gear is the Wild Country Ropeman Ascender. There are several versions of the Ropeman now, but I use the Ropeman 1.

This brilliant tool clips onto your carabiner and is a tensioning device for your rope. I use mine on my lineman's belt to help me climb up and down the tree as efficiently as possible.

When I first began climbing, I used a prusik knot, another form of tensioning that helps hold a rope adjustment in place. However, one climb with the Ropeman and I knew I'd never go back.

It allows for single-handed adjustment to the length of your lineman's rope, making climbing the tree and hanging your sticks a breeze. At $54.95, this piece of gear is a no-brainer to add to your wishlist going into this season. 

6. Bonus Accessory: Latitude Bite Bow Hanger

A final piece of gear that will significantly improve your experience is a good bow hanger. Latitude's Bite Bow Hanger is the perfect rendition of this tool. 

It's collapsible so that it can be packed very easily. However, more impressive is the way that Latitude designed this bow hanger to be compatible with any gear strap. If you already own another gear strap, all you have to do is buy the $29.99 Bite, and you're ready to hang your bow.

As with everything Latitude does, this piece of gear has an industry-leading design and will set the standard for the rest of the mobile hunting industry.

HuntWise and Hunting Saddles Make for an Ideal Hunt

The cliche goes, "There's more than one way to skin a cat," and while that may be true, in my experience, there is no way to hunt deer better than in a saddle. In fact, in the last few years, my favorite thing to do has been jumping on HuntWise before leaving the house and finding a brand new piece of public land.

I'll then do a quick e-scout and pick my spot. I'll check the wind and predicted deer movement times and head out the door. Once I get to the section of public land, I'll scout my way in with my saddle on and my sticks and platform strapped to my pack. Sometimes, I'll make it all the way to the spot I marked before leaving the house, and other times, I'll find signs that I feel have to be hunted on the way to the spot I had marked.

Either instance is fine with me because I can comfortably hunt any tree with the saddle. A saddle has gotten me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to explore the woods more, something we can all do more of as hunters. 

We hope these hunting saddle and accessory recommendations have been helpful! Make sure you have the HuntWise app to make the most of every hunt. Download it and try every feature – map layers, markers, HuntCast, WindCast, RutCast, and more – free for a week!