If you think about it, we’ve gotten pretty spoiled when it comes to options for getting in and out of a tree in pursuit of whitetails.
Ladders, climbing sticks, aiders; aluminum, composites, carbon fiber; 4 sticks, 1 stick, no stick!
Long gone are the days of having to rely on screw-in steps, or even worse, a kamikaze 2×4 held in with a couple nails.
With mobile hunting at an all time high, there’s a pile of companies jockeying for their position in the market.
We were able to get our hands on a bunch of new options for this fall. From high-end, ultra-light, carbon weaves, to economical, tried-and-true designs, let’s take a look at what we found for 2026.
Watch our video on new climbing sticks:
Micro Double Step Climbing Stick
from Lone Wolf Custom Gear - $149.99 ea
Lone Wolf Custom Gear is kicking things off in the elite weight-saving category with their new Micro Double climbing stick. This tiny 14-inch stick weighs in at an exact 1 pound.
Unlike traditional, rigid aluminum or carbon fiber tubes, Micro Doubles are cut from an ultra-thin, high-strength alloy that features some built-in flexibility. This allows it to contour to the tree’s natural shape, and lock the stick down tight, even on crooked or uneven trunks.
For attachment, Lone Wolf engineered a specialized half-inch buckleless webbing strap, which they contend holds up better to damage from abrasion over time than Amsteal.
This setup packs incredibly clean. Each stick features an ultra-thin quarter-inch profile, and sports a threaded nylon alignment studs help to lock the sticks together. A full 4-pack stacks down into a microscopic 1-inch profile, plus the stand-offs.
The Micro Double integrates perfectly with aiders using standard webbing loops or you can opt for their patented cable aiders, which bolt directly to the frame and feature a rigid metal memory that keeps the loop held wide open for your boot.
While these are incredibly light and packable, the shorter 14” step height is going to be noticeable to some folks.
Built in the USA and backed by their transferable lifetime warranty, the Micro Double sells individually for $149.99.
Carbon Synergy Climbing Stick
from Latitude Outdoors - $399 3-pk
Latitude Outdoors just released their new Carbon Synergy climbing sticks coming in at a jaw-dropping 14.9 ounces per stick, claiming the crown as the lightest climbing stick on the market.
This project is an engineering collaboration following Latitude’s acquisition of the Tree Sticks brand.
The main post is constructed from a long-fiber aerospace-grade carbon fiber tube featuring a custom weave to maximum structural rigidity under load.
Their wide 9-inch steps and 4.2-inch standoffs are molded from a high-strength short-fiber carbon composite, providing a system that feels weightless on your back but stable and comfortable on the climb.
At 17 inches step-to-step, they provide a good amount of height with each stick.
Latitude engineered an interlocking connection that allows you to secure the entire pack of sticks inline and provides a rigid and quiet bundle that you can hang directly on your hip or strap to a pack.
It comes out of the box with custom-cut noise-dampening silencers at all contact points, integrates perfectly with standard Amsteel step aiders, and is made right here in the USA.
A three-pack will retail for $399, with a four-pack available for $499.
CarbonLITE Climbing Stick
from Arsenal - $299 3-pk
Arsenal just released their new CarbonLITE climbing sticks.
The main tube is built from true high-modulus carbon fiber, that’s a fancy way of saying it’s exceptionally stiff, and is paired with standoffs and steps made from the same, CNC-machined 7075 aluminum that their RZR platforms are manufactured from.
Despite its light weight, the CarbonLITE doesn’t skimp on step size. Each step is 9.5-inch wide with a 10-degree upwards angle to help keep you on the stick in wet or icy conditions, and a full 4-inch standoff from the tree gives your toes plenty of room for the climb.
Coming in at just 1 pound 1 ounce per stick, they are rock-solid, with what they call their Extreme Tree Bite traction system on the standoffs, and their simple RopeLok attachment system.
Arsenal also includes a number of small but thoughtful features that many hunters will appreciate like built-in glow-in-the-dark rubber and silicone connection points that keep things quiet and grip the sticks together in-line for compact carry.
There’s even little built-in-reflectors in the top of each step to help you see on the way down at night, and since they’re recessed, there’s no need to worry about them alerting other hunters if you happen to leave your set overnight.
The CarbonLITE system features a 17-inch step-to-step distance and a 300-pound weight capacity. They retail $299 for a three-pack, and are available now.
Mile 2 Climbing Stick
from TrophyLine - $329.99 4-pk
Trophyline’s Mile 2 serves as a refined, minor evolution of Trophyline’s highly successful Journey stick series.
They didn’t reinvent the wheel here, but they made a couple updates to enhance usability for mobile hunters.
First, they broadened the step footprint to an ultra-wide 9.75 inches, and paired that wider step with a deeper standoff bracket design, to increase foot clearance off the tree, giving plenty of space even for late-season footwear.
The main update on the Mile 2 is the departure from the versa button and cam buckle system their older models had in favor of their new, proprietary Z-LOC attachment system.
Utilizing a specialized “claw cleat” design at the center of the post, you simply wrap the included 6mm ultra-high-strength rope around the tree, weave it through the cleat’s grooves, and let the stick’s teeth bite with your weight.
This eliminates heavy, noisy metal hardware, speeding up your setup time while remaining entirely silent in the dark.
Constructed from durable square aluminum tubing, each stick weighs a manageable 1.75 pounds with an 18.5-inch overall length and a 17-inch step spacing. It supports up to 300 pounds and retails at $329.99 for a four-pack.
In an interesting bit of industry here: Hunter Safety System officially acquired Trophyline earlier this year, so it is going to be interesting to watch how these two brands integrate their engineering strengths across their respective lineups moving forward.
Bowhunter Climbing Sticks
from Hunter Safety System - $60 ea or $220 4-pk
Speaking of Hunter Safety System, they’ve stepped into the game with their very own Bowhunter Climbing Sticks.
In a market where high-end stick packs are starting to rival the price of a bow, HSS wanted to provide an option accessible for more hunters.
A four-pack of the Bowhunter sticks run just $220, and you can pick up a single stick for $60.
Built from high-grade square aluminum tubing, these sticks ditch the exotic materials and complex design features in favor of a straightforward, more traditional approach.
For attachment HSS relies on the tried-and-true pairing of a versa button and cam buckle strap that securely cinches down to bite into trees ranging anywhere from 4 to 22 inches in diameter.
At 18.5 inches in total length, a comfortable 17-inch spacing between steps, and a generous 9-inch step width, these sticks offer a comfortable climbing platform.
Even without the exotic materials, each stick only weighs a highly respectable 1.6 pounds, and at less than half the price of some of the sticks we have here.
Hunter Safety System has built its entire multi-decade reputation on saving lives. These sticks are fully tested and certified to rigid Treestand Manufacturers Association (TMA) standards with a 300-pound weight rating.
For the hunter looking to get off the ground safely without draining their savings account, the Bowhunter Stick delivers unbeatable peace of mind.
Shadow 16 Climbing Sticks
from Versa Outdoors - $160 ea
Versa Outdoors has burst onto the scene with their Shadow 16 climbing stick. Boasting four different pending patents, its a masterclass in out-of-the-box thinking.
It starts with their Overcam bracket which folds down flat to allow an ultra-slim packing profile of just 1 inch per stick.
When deployed, the bracket extends past perpendicular and angles upward, a strong and secure set on the tree.
The stick uses a mini aluminum Versa Loop n’ Lock bracket paired with an included 1/8-inch by 8-foot Amsteel rope for fast, micro-adjustable attachment. It provides a massive 5-inch standoff distance, one of the roomiest clearances in the industry.
The Snub Plug system lets you simply press the sticks together, and they lock tightly in-line with zero noise, and completely eliminating the need for additional cam straps or gear ties to hold your sticks together.
The multi-process baked Sound Tamer Cerakote finish not only looks sharp in their Shadowflage camo pattern, but it also has sound deadening properties for those accidental bumps. The finish is also warmer to the touch than standard aluminum.
The stick has a 16-inch step-to-step distance and weighs roughly 1.5 pounds. It features flush-mounted aider containment slots that don’t interfere with the slim packing profile.
Versa offers custom single step webbing, or semi-rigid cable aiders, as well as Amsteel aiders in single, double, or triple steps. Both the sticks and the aiders are fully third-party certified to TMA and ASTM standards at a 300-pound capacity.
When folded, the brackets double as an integrated gear hook so you can hang multiple sticks quietly from your saddle loops or pockets as you ascend.
The Shadow 16 is the highest priced stick we looked at, with a single stick running $160. There’s a slight savings when adding additional sticks, but a 3 pack is going to run you $480.
The sheer amount of engineering packed into the Shadow 16 makes it a company to watch, and you can expect their prices to come down as manufacturing volume increases.
Hangtime Ladder
from Trophy Treestands - $179.99 ea
You may remember seeing us cover the Trophy Treestands Hangtime Ladder in our recent saddles and platforms video, but this unique setup deserves another look as a viable standalone climbing system.
This 18-foot tall steel ladder system terminates at a built-in platform measuring 12 inches wide by 9 inches deep.
The Hangtime Ladder is great for hanging and accessing traditional treestands safely. You can hang a stand off either side for a double set.
It also could function well as a permanent or semi-permanent saddle hunting alternative to mobile sticks, using the platform itself or hanging your saddle platform to the side providing a ton of standing room.
The system utilizes the Trophy Drawtight Cable System to cinch the entire ladder rock-solid to the trunk, supporting a 300-pound weight capacity.
Retailing at a competitive $179.99, it provides an incredibly cost-effective solution for those less mobile, more permanent locations.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are trying to save weight or save money, the 2026 climbing market has something for you, but the diverging paths of these options bring up a massive question for the future of mobile hunting.
Where do we go from here?
Are there specific problems you face in the field that companies still haven’t solved? Or are you simply sitting on the sidelines waiting for manufacturing technologies to mature so all these premium carbon and alloy prices can drop to a more wallet-friendly level?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let us know which of these systems piqued your interest for this fall.
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And don’t forget, Bowhunt or Die.
