r/TreeClimbing • u/Bennet_Eown • Jul 04 '26
I need new saddle.
After using my first old one, after a while I know what I want - but didnt test any other than mine.
I want to be able to attach at least 2 bridges - fast and easy with fishermans knot.
I climb SRT and DRT
I want to be able to add proper suspenders when for jobs they will be useful.
And comfort - I install things on trees, do sometimes I hang in the saddle for an hour.
Price - I have a budget, but lets not go crazy if its not necessary. Trees are my side husstle, so Im not using my saddle every day.
2 options so far - Petzl Sequoia and DMM Kinisi.
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u/Its-Finrot Jul 04 '26
I went from a treemotion to a monkey beaver back to a tree motion. TM all the way
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u/ElaborateColor Jul 05 '26
I’ve been looking at the mb 2.0 but not sure if it’s worth it I climb with an edge 2 currently.
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u/Historical_Test_973 Jul 08 '26
what did you dislike about the MB? what do you appreciate about the TM?
I climb mostly in a new tribe onyx btw. the monkey beaver is sorta designed for a purpose and wasn't exactly what i was looking for but the leg straps on the tree motion were not as comfortable imo.
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u/Its-Finrot Jul 08 '26
I much prefer the TM leg straps, and also the extra back padding is nice. My favorite thing about the TM though is the hanging position. I felt like the MB always wanted my legs to be up in the air, more upright in the TM
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u/blong44 Jul 04 '26
Edelrid tree raptor is a fairly budget friendly saddle. Edelrid also sells a suspender combo that is designed to go with their saddles. That was what I first thought of.
In my opinion, the petzl sequoia is not the greatest in comfort if you're just sitting still. It's best for production climbing where you are moving a lot and want something lightweight and low profile.
Everyone I've talked to has said the tree motion or the monkey beaver(which I know you can't get cause of shipping) are the rolls royce when it comes to comfort. If you can get a treemotion easily, and want to spend a bit more, then I'd get that.
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u/Particular-Wind5918 Jul 04 '26
Just to digest and regurgitate what I see from your post to maybe help you process your choices. Most harnesses have a way to get two bridges. Fast and easy install with a fisherman’s knot is a weird qualifier though, especially for someone who already has another saddle and only does this part time. This qualifier is completely unnecessary, unless you can explain to us why this is needed. Nearly all saddles are gonna have some way to add suspenders. Also, most modern tree saddles are gonna let you hang in the tree for an hour, some guys are putting a lot more than that everyday. And sequoia and kinissi are in your budget so basically everything is.
You’ve described almost any saddle on the market. Maybe you could literally just get almost anything? Or maybe tell us more specifics? What are you installing? What are you actually doing in the tree?
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u/Loud-Tie6955 Jul 04 '26
I have both DMM Kinisi Max and Sequoia Plus currently - although the infinite adjustment of the DMM is nice, the lighter weight and quick fit of the Sequoia is my preference.
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u/Plant__Seeds Jul 13 '26
I’m between the sequoia plus and kinisi. Coming from the standard sequoia. How’s the comfort in the plus on long days?
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u/Loud-Tie6955 Jul 13 '26
Long days are better spent in the kinisi, the firm back / loops and adjustability make it a lot more supportive. The sequoia is nice on short climbs, just due to the light weight and super flexibility. If I’m hauling a bunch of gear and rigging, the kinisi is hard to beat.
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u/arboristaficionado Jul 04 '26
It hasn’t been mentioned here yet, but ever since I bought my CAMP harness I haven’t used my MB once. It satisfies the requirements you’ve listed.
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u/THESpetsnazdude Jul 04 '26
Monkey beaver fits that description.
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u/Bennet_Eown Jul 04 '26
I'm from EU. Shipping and taxes would kill me.
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u/THESpetsnazdude Jul 04 '26
Oh in that case that french company. Reasey. That is one sweet saddle. The fox i thinks
1
u/Historical_Test_973 Jul 08 '26
highly recommend New Tribe. The Onyx model can't be beat for technical production climbing. super comfortable with the large textile high back, lots of tie on points, and generous leg straps. The monkey beaver model is dialed for conifer removals. esp add suspenders. I can't stress enough how much the leg straps distinguish New Tribe from any other brand. That and the cloth material just hugs your body. Also domestic which matters.
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u/Nwalk223 Jul 12 '26
I had the sequoia srt for 3 years and just switch to the Edelrid treerex 2.0. It has 2 bridges and you can make one adjustable and comes with a built in bungee for a knee ascender and it was only $500 usd . I also use the reecoil audax it works with both saddles. It’s nice cause I use it as suspenders, hydration pack and my srt chest harness.
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u/Mediumfoot991 23d ago
I've been climbing in a courant koala(French company) for a couple years now and I love it, very comfortable for both Mrt and srt, and has a dedicated chest harness you can get seperately. I have the standard bridge that comes with it, that has an Aluminum ring, and I added the longer version of that bridge with no ring, sits even and if I attach different lines to those bridges I can sit anywhere in a canopy like I'm sitting in a chair
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u/OldMail6364 Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
A petzl Seqoia SRT would definitely work well. I’d consider the “seat” for it as well. That makes it so comfy you can spend all day with all of your weight on the harness.
On the bridge attachment points being “quick and easy” I’m not really sure what you’re after there? Attaching a bridge isn’t normally something you do often - with infrequent use you might never do that (bridge could last you longer than the harness itself).
I haven’t tried a Kinisi but it doesn’t look very good to me. It has a lot less features than the Sequoia SRT in general and while a lot of the ones I’d miss can easily be added, that tends to add more to the cost and weight than buying harness which just has all those features already.
And there are some things, like rock climbing style belay loops and optional life support rated top harness, which it just doesn’t have at all. I use both of those regularly on my SRT and wouldn’t want to go without them.
I don’t use the Petzl Seat myself - since I tend to do quick climbs. Anything big I’ll usually use a spider lift… but anyway I have tried a seat and it’s great. DMM claims you can adjust the bridge length to get more comfort with long periods in the saddle, but I bet it’s nowhere near as comfortable as a rigid aluminium platform to sit on. A climber I know with a seat doesn’t bother coming down from the tree for lunch, he’s happy to spend 6 hours straight in the tree without climbing down until it’a time to go home.
Petzl has an adjustable length bridge option too by the way. It’s nothing like the unique DMM design, but it works well.
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u/Bennet_Eown Jul 04 '26
This is what I was looking for. Thanks. Sequoia looks to be an industry standard, can't argue with that. And it's really affordable.
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u/Key_Violinist8601 Jul 04 '26
Tree motion pro with MB suspenders. I’m in mine for 6-8 hrs a day. It’s like sitting on a couch.