Greetings Tethrd Nation First of all, let me apologize for the delay of information. We didn’t want to keep kicking the can down the road with updates that didn’t have concrete answers. We wanted to provide solid information with details. That’s why communication has been a little slower. However, I’m cautiously optimistic to report the first 50 saddles will be shipped on Saturday morning. The manufacturer has promised a phased delivery beginning on Friday, September 7th. I say I’m cautiously optimistic because I haven’t seen the saddles yet, and I won’t fully relax until Ernie sends a picture of that first delivery. Believe me when I say there’s no one else on the face of the planet that is ready for these things to ship more than myself and Ernie. Once we receive the first batch, we'll immediately post the photo to our social media (you can follow below). The first 50 will be delivered to us on Friday with the balance delivered in phases over the next couple weeks. We will be shipping them as soon as we receive them. Ernie has an army of magical saddle hunting delivery elves that will work under his whip without food, water, and shelter until their task is complete…or until Mrs. Ernie puts her foot down. These first 50 will be mostly size XL. It was more efficient to manufacture all sizes at once and then re-gear the machinery for the next size. We’ll still be shipping based on order of purchase, however, that will be phased by size as well. Concerning the Predator platforms – we’ve shipped a whole bunch of them and will continue as we get more in stock. Our next shipment is due in about three weeks, but we have a few left in our current inventory. Concerning the ZipCam Strap for the Predator – a small number of people have had their strap snag a little bit in the buckle. While it’s a little annoying, it won’t affect the performance or safety of the strap. To solve the problem, grab a pair of needle nose pliers and bend the spring end backwards away from the strap. Then you can hit the frayed edge of the strap GENTLY with a lighter and it will be good as new. Concerning the SYS Haulers, Mantis Recliners, and SBW Heaters – we’re waiting on these sewn goods as well. However, WE WILL ship your Mantis saddle without these items. We’ll ship the accessories as soon as we receive them. Concerning ropes, carabiners, and Ropeman – these items are in stock and will be shipped. We decided to use a phased delivery and ship everything as soon as we had it in stock as opposed to waiting for an order to be completely ready. This creates a troublesome financial scenario because we’re paying shipping costs 3 or 4 times per customer and incurring thousands of dollars in unplanned costs, while not charging the customer any shipping fees. However, we want everyone to receive your gear as early as possible, even if it means we take a big hit to the bottom line. These delays suck for everyone, but we’re trying to eat as much of the suck as we can, and pass on as little to you as possible. Many of you have received partial orders and the feedback has been incredible. We expect to be caught up with all orders by the end of September assuming our supplier follows through with their promises. Fingers crossed. If you send an email, a facebook message, an instagram message, or a Forum PM...I'm getting to it as fast as I possibly can, but I'm backed up by several days. Don't take it personally. Most questions can be answered with the FAQ or Saddle Hunting 101 section at TethrdNation.com. If you have an order issue, I promise we'll get to you, just be patient. We're not Realtree Outdoors with employees and customer service agents. We're just a couple of saddle hunting maniacs like you trying to create something that didn't exist. You guys and gals are going to love the Mantis. The Tethrd Team can’t wait for you to get your hands on it and start hunting. SEND PICS! We want to feature you guys everywhere we can…after all, there is no Tethrd Nation without you! This process has been a whirlwind of ups and downs. We’ve received TONS of support and “atta-boys” and few “screw yous” along the way. At the end of the day, we’re humbled you trusted us and believed in Tethrd enough to invest your hard earned dollars. That’s how we look at it. These delays are simply investments in the most ultralight and versatile hunting system ever created. We won’t let you down. Stay positive and stay patient. Greg & Ernie.
Not sure if anyone follows the wired-to-hunt podcast or Mark Kenyon himself. He made the switch to a saddle this year and with very minimal time to practice he took it out west to Wyoming I think it was and used it for the opener this week. All public land, all hard to access spots, and he ended up shooting a real nice 11 pointer out of it 2 days ago. The videos of him using it were pretty cool. The whole trip was very inspiring.
