Attachment: 103 ½ inches of Amsteel DynaLite rope.Packed Dimensions: 22-inches long, 7 ½-inches high, and 9-inches wide.Weight: 4 pounds 3.8 ounces (four sticks) about 1 pound 1 ounce per stick.This was judged by seeing how well the sticks bit into the trees, noting any significant slipping or twisting experienced during the climb. A climbing comfort score was built on a one-to-five scale, with five being most comfortable. The perceived sound made while setting was given a score of one to five (five is the quietest).Īll sticks were used to climb a variety of trees throughout the test.

Most noise is derived from the combination of the climbing stick and attachment materials. No matter how careful you are, you’re bound to make noise when setting up your sticks. The score was from packed height, length, and width dimensions as well as ease of packing, how well they stay packed, and how quiet they were once stacked. I scored each stick for their stackability from one to five, with five being the best. Stackability The author measured the stacked dimensions and evaluated any noise.

I used a kitchen scale to weigh each stick to the nearest 1/10-ounce and measured length from step-to-step. The test focused on the key factors bowhunters consider when it comes to spending their hard-earned cash: weight and size, stackability, attachment method, material, noise, and climbing comfort. I conducted the test on various trees on a state-owned property that’s open to public hunting. Laden with various species of oaks, walnut, and maple trees with interspersed cedar thickets and agricultural transitions, the region is representative of classic whitetail habitat. The rolling topography and vast hardwood ridges that makeup southwest Wisconsin’s Driftless Area is one of the most prolific big buck hunting areas in the country.

Most Compact: Lone Wolf Custom Gear D’Acquisto Series Double Step.Best Overall: Tethrd One Climbing Stick.This means hunters you have a lot of options when it comes to shopping for your next set of climbing sticks, so I spent time comparing the best of the best to create a guide to buying the best climbing sticks for you. Modern climbing sticks are purpose built with the mobile hunter top of mind, resulting in climbing methods that are lighter, quieter, and far more mobile than their clunky predecessors. The days of hauling heavy, noisy climbing sticks through the woods are behind us.

Sticks & Stones by Abigail Roux