You know, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of saddle hunting. That rush of adrenaline, the sense of adventure, it’s unbeatable. Now, to truly enjoy this, you need the right gear. And when it comes to saddle hunting in 2023, climbing sticks are pretty high on that list. But with so many options out there, it can get a bit overwhelming, right? That’s why I rolled up my sleeves and I’ve sifted through the crowd, weighed the pros and cons, and finally, I’ve come up with this list of the absolute best climbing sticks for saddle hunting. So, let’s take this adventure up a notch, shall we?
Navigating the Choices Like a Pro
When it comes to climbing sticks, you’re usually looking at two main categories. On one side, you’ve got the mass-produced options that are pretty easy on the wallet. And on the other, there are the custom sticks, loaded with bells and whistles, but with a price tag to match. Now, I’m a firm believer in finding that sweet spot – that perfect balance of top-notch features without having to empty out your savings. So that’s exactly what I’m bringing to the table. Without further ado let’s dive in and check out these top picks for best climbing sticks that deliver without costing an arm and a leg!
The Tethrd Skeletors
The Tethrd Skeletors climbing sticks stand out as a top-tier choice in hunting gear due to their innovative design and practical features. With a unique folding dual step design, these sticks allow hunters more foot room during their ascent, facilitating a safer and more comfortable climb. The patented DynaLite rope and tab system enhances this product’s durability while maintaining a lightweight structure, which is ideal for long treks into the wilderness.
Critics praise the Tethrd Skeletors for their rugged durability and affordability, offering a set of four quality climbing sticks for under $250. Another beneficial feature is the StickLoc pin system that simplifies the task of stacking the sticks for transport, eliminating the need for extra cords or bungees. Plus, the fold-away step feature and ample standoff from the tree further enhance climbing comfort and ease of use. Overall, the Tethrd Skeletors are recognized as one of the best climbing sticks on the market due to their blend of innovation, durability, affordability, and user-friendliness.
Key Specifications:
- Length: 20 inches
- Weight: 2 pounds (includes the attachment rope)
- Weight Limit: 300 lbs
- Step Configuration: Dual steps
Top Features:
- Steps that extend from the tree, offering more foot room.
- Dynaloc Tab and Dynalight rope for quick, silent attachment.
- StickLoc pin system for secure transportation.
XOP Ultra Series Climbing Sticks
The XOP Ultra Series Climbing Sticks are highly regarded for their robust suite of features tailored towards enhancing hunting efficiency and safety. These climbing sticks offer an increased step stride, allowing climbers to comfortably ascend and descend with minimal effort. Stability is prioritized, ensuring a secure grip and foothold, reducing the risk of accidents. The lightweight and compact design of these climbing sticks makes transportation and setup a breeze. Equipped with slide-lock technology, these sticks allow for low-profile transport and hassle-free hanging. The unique arch step design further enhances foot support and stability, creating a secure and comfortable platform for each step. Hence, these characteristics make the XOP Ultra Series Climbing Sticks some of the best in the market, excelling in terms of comfort, stability, convenience, and support.
Crafted from powder-coated 6061 aluminum, the XOP climbing sticks offer outstanding traction, especially on crooked trees, ensuring a solid mount.
Key Specifications:
- Length: 18 inches
- Weight: 2.2 pounds per stick
- Weight rating: 350 pounds
- Step Configuration: Non-folding double steps
Top Features:
- Highly stackable, with two configurations – stacked or side-by-side.
- Value for money with feature-rich design.
- Four sticks included in the pack.
Muddy Pro Climbing Sticks
The Muddy Pro Climbing Sticks are praised for their robust quality and user-friendly design, making them one of the top choices for hunters. They are known for their sturdy construction, promising secure ascents while remaining exceptionally quiet for a discrete setup. Their rope and cleat design is lauded for being quick, simple, and reliable. The sticks exhibit a high degree of compatibility with several Muddy fixed-position treestand models, making them versatile for both straight and crooked trees. Additionally, the sticks’ independent installation and aluminum bark biters cater to a variety of tree types and conditions. The portability of these sticks is a standout feature, offering lightweight construction that is easy to transport, significantly reducing the time and effort required to hang stands. Overall, the Muddy Pro Climbing Sticks are recognized for their durability, versatility, and ease of use.
Key Specifications:
- Length: 20 inches
- Weight: 2.5 pounds per stick
- Weight Rating: 300 pounds
- Step Configuration: Folding double steps
Top Features:
- Unique rope cam system for quick, quiet installation.
- Budget-friendly.
- Four climbing sticks included in the pack.
Tethrd One Climbing Sticks
The Tethrd One Climbing Sticks have earned acclaim as some of the best climbing sticks available, owing to their range of notable features. Renowned for their lightweight design, each stick weighs only a pound, setting a benchmark for full-featured climbing sticks on the market. Despite their lightness, they offer a solid and stable climb, comparable to other popular options like the Beast Sticks. The Tethrd One Climbing Sticks also boast a quick and easy installation process, while remaining extremely quiet – a crucial feature for hunters. The StickLoc stacking system is another advantage, offering strength, silence, and an intuitive setup for efficient alignment and stacking during use. Built with Grade 9 aerospace titanium, these climbing sticks resist rust and corrosion, testifying to their durability. Lastly, their innovative design, incorporating a 6061 CNC precision machined step-standoff in a one-piece construction, optimizes strength. In conclusion, the Tethrd One Climbing Sticks are recognized for their lightweight, sturdy, and quiet design, along with innovative features that enhance ease of use and durability.
Key Specifications:
Length: 18.5 inches
Weight: 15.9 ounces (including the attachment rope)
Weight Rating: 300 pounds
Step Configuration: Dual steps
Top Features:
Extremely lightweight due to titanium tubes and 6061 aluminum machined steps.
Ideal for hunters who prefer quiet setup as it offers stealth strips on the hollow tubes.
Hawk Helium Climbing Sticks
The Hawk Helium Climbing Sticks are highly regarded among climbing sticks, thanks to a range of distinctive attributes. With each 30-inch section weighing only 2.9 pounds, they’re crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, which ensures they’re both lightweight and robust. The material, coupled with weight-saving cutouts, contributes to their easy portability and reliable durability. One of their standout features is the Silent Lock Technology, which uses a unique suction cup design for the steps to snap together quietly, providing a stealthy experience during use. Additionally, the dual-sided traction enhances safety by offering a secure grip on trees. In summary, the Hawk Helium Climbing Sticks are an excellent choice for hunters seeking a lightweight, easily portable, and durable climbing stick that delivers silent operation and secure traction.
Key Specifications:
Length: 20 inches
Weight: 2 pounds (with fastening strap)
Weight Rating: 300 pounds
Step Configuration: Solid double steps
Top Features:
Step off design conforms to any tree and leaves plenty of foot room on the step.
Angled Step for firm footing.
Relatively lightweight (not the lightest, but certainly not the heaviest).
Lone Wolf Custom Gear D’Acquisto Series Climbing Sticks
The Lone Wolf Custom Gear D’Acquisto Series Climbing Sticks are highly regarded in the hunting community for several key features. They offer a spacious step bed with extra separation from the tree for increased foot clearance, leading to enhanced comfort and stability during ascents. Their design prioritizes ultimate mobility, being lightweight and easily portable. Unique to this series is the Double Step™ Stick with exclusive offset step technology, which grants more standing room and a user-friendly alignment system for stacking. The Compact Climbing Stick impresses with its ability to compress to a slim 3/4” profile, enabling efficient stacking onto the stand. Constructed from 6061 American Made Metal, these sticks promise durability and longevity. Further versatility is provided by the Hang-On .75’s patented frame lock system, which accommodates optional gear and game haul. All these attributes make the Lone Wolf Custom Gear D’Acquisto Series Climbing Sticks a top-tier choice due to their comfort, stability, portability, compactness, high-quality build, and versatility.
Key Specifications:
Length: 17 inches
Weight: 1.75 pounds
Weight Rating: 300 pounds
Step Configuration: Single step
Top Features:
Built from lightweight, durable 6061 aluminum.
Features the lowest profile step on the market, a patent-pending design.
Out on a Limb Shikars Climbing Sticks
Out on a Limb Shikar Climbing Sticks earn their place among the top climbing sticks for a variety of reasons. They’re notably lightweight, simplifying transportation and enhancing portability. The design facilitates easy stacking, further aiding in packing and transport. Versatility is another key attribute as these sticks are well-suited for both saddle and traditional tree stand hunting. The sticks employ a secure and user-friendly Dynaloc Tab and Dynalight rope attachment method. Designed with steps that point away from the tree, they provide ample foot room and ease of climbing. The SHIKAR FXD takes it a step further by being ultralight, making it an excellent choice for mobile hunters. In summary, the Out on a Limb Shikar Climbing Sticks are highly regarded for their lightness, stackability, versatility, and secure attachment design.
Key Specifications:
Length: 20 inches
Weight: 2.4 pounds
Weight Rating: 300 pounds
Step Configuration: Solid double steps
Top Features:
Customizable to your preferred specifications.
Attracts attention for products geared towards mobile saddle hunters.
API Outdoors Hunt’n Sticks Climbing System
API Outdoors Hunt’n Sticks Climbing System ranks among the top climbing sticks due to a number of standout features. Firstly, they’re crafted from lightweight aluminum, enhancing portability and ease of transport. The sticks offer convenient portability and secure mounting to trees with the assistance of silent cam buckle straps, thereby providing a stealthy and secure climb. The same strap system facilitates easy installation, which can be an economic advantage. Constructed from high-grade aluminum, these sticks boast durability and strength. Furthermore, a pivoting V-bracket feature enhances ease of climbing. Overall, API Outdoors Hunt’n Sticks Climbing System is an excellent choice for hunters seeking a sturdy, lightweight, and user-friendly climbing stick.
I personally favor the API sticks due to the price. I acquired them on sale and made a couple of modifications to suit my needs. To enhance portability, I cut them down for a more compact size. Many hunters use these sticks and modify them into a Beast Stick. Presently, I employ a single API climbing stick, equipped with an aider, for my climbing needs.
Key Specifications:
Length: 32 inches
Weight: 9 lbs.
Weight Rating: 300 pounds
Step Configuration: Triple steps
Top Features:
Made of lightweight aluminum, these portable step sections mount securely to trees with silent cam buckle straps to give you a quiet and secure path up the tree.
Lightweight and easy to use step sections for treestand hunters.
As you can see each and every climbing stick has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the best one for you will depend on your specific needs. It’s essential to consider factors like weight, step configuration, spacing, and load capacity before making a decision. While price is a significant factor, the most expensive option isn’t necessarily the best.
Remember, safety should always be your priority. The weight ratings on these climbing sticks are generally conservative, but it’s better not to exceed them. Whether you’re a novice or a veteran saddle hunter, finding the right climbing stick is crucial to your hunting experience. The options we’ve listed are among the best on the market, and we’re confident you’ll find the one that suits your needs.
Happy hunting!
[…] gain a comprehensive understanding of these specialized climbing sticks, refer to this comprehensive guide on the best climbing sticks for saddle hunting. All you need is one climbing stick so find a brand you like and purchase […]
[…] breeding season of the local deer population. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the hunting season and the rutting patterns in your area. Local hunting associations and wildlife management […]
[…] One of the standout features of the Roll UP is its thoughtful design for one stick hunting. It’s purpose-built to hold 40′ of 8-10mm rope, a testament to its commitment to serving the needs of hunters. But the magic of the Roll UP doesn’t stop there. Its universal design allows for fast and efficient packing and organizing, no matter your climbing method. This isn’t just a product—it’s a tool that understands and enhances your climbing experience. […]