The Climbing Stick Problem Nobody Talks About (Until Now)
Every saddle hunter has done the death shuffle. It's 4:45 a.m., the leaves are bone-dry, you've got your sticks tucked under one arm like a bundle of lumber, your bow in the other hand, your headlamp catching every branch at eye level, and you're waddling into a woodlot trying not to sound like a one-man construction crew. You move maybe thirty yards and something clanks. You freeze. The whole walk-in is already compromised before you've even touched a tree.
That's the problem Meredith Solutions showed up to ATA 2026 to fix. And they fixed it with something so simple it's almost embarrassing that nobody did it sooner.
What the Stick Holster Actually Is
The Meredith Solutions Stick Holster is exactly what it sounds like — a purpose-built carrier that mounts your climbing sticks on your body so your hands stay free from the truck to the tree. A standout at the Archery Trade Association show in 2026, the Stick Holster attaches directly to PALS/MOLLE webbing and allows one-handed, quick, and silent access to your climbing sticks — no more dealing with sticks clanking around or tied to your pack.
The sticks are individually strapped in, allowing you to pull one at a time. No backpack needed. That last part matters. One of the more underrated annoyances in run-and-gun setups is having to drop your pack, dig out your sticks, and re-organize everything on the ground — usually in the dark, usually on leaves, usually right when you least want to make noise.
Load your sticks onto your saddle at the truck or barn and get going. No more expensive backpacks to unpack in the leaves making noise when you least need it. That workflow shift is small on paper but massive in the field. You're trading a fumble-fest for a clean, dialed-in entry every single time.
Two Versions, One Simple Idea
Meredith Solutions came to market with two fitment options. The original fits any stick under 1.2 inches across — round or square — covering popular options like Latitude Carbon SS sticks, Tethrd One Sticks, and XOP sticks. The wide-body version opens that up to sticks under 2 inches, handling bulkier options like Tethrd Skeletors, Trophyline Hyperlites, and Arsenal Icons. That's a seriously broad compatibility window. Most hunters running a modern mobile setup will land in one of those two categories.
The cord and locking system can be operated with one hand, securing your sticks into place and removing any unwanted noise or play in your climbing system. One-handed operation is the key detail here. Once you're on the tree and moving up, you don't have two free hands. A carry system that requires two-handed fiddling to release a stick defeats the whole purpose.
Why This Resonated on the ATA Floor
For saddle hunters, the Stick Holster is a slick and simple tool that makes getting set up at the tree much easier — letting you load your sticks onto your saddle at the truck and walk in clean and quiet, with no bulky backpacks to unpack and no clanking gear in the leaves. That's exactly the kind of problem-solving the mobile community responds to. It's not a gimmick. It's a friction point that every hang-and-hunt hunter has felt, and this is a direct answer to it.
The broader theme at ATA 2026 for mobile hunters was refinement over revolution. Some products stop you in your tracks not because of flashy booths or marketing hype, but because they solve real problems hunters deal with every fall — and walking the floor at the 2026 ATA Show, there was a mix of proven brands refining their gear and a few newcomers bringing genuinely fresh ideas to the table. Meredith Solutions fits squarely in that second category.
The Bigger Picture for Run-and-Gun Hunters
Saddle hunting keeps evolving in two directions at once: lighter and smarter. The weight obsession is well-documented. But smart — meaning how efficiently you can move, set up, and get into position without burning time or making noise — that's where the real gains live now.
Think about your current stick carry. If the answer is "bungee cord through the pack'' or "under the arm like a newspaper,'' you're leaving efficiency on the table. The Stick Holster makes saddle hunting easier, quieter, and faster — carry your sticks with confidence, hands-free, gear secured, and pull one at a time when you reach your tree.
That's the whole pitch. It's not complicated. And the best gear rarely is.
- Attaches to PALS/MOLLE webbing on most modern saddles
- Available in original and wide-body versions to fit virtually any stick brand
- One-handed stick deployment at the tree
- Keeps both hands free on the walk-in
- Eliminates pack noise during setup
If your entry game is already tight and your saddle system is dialed, adding a Stick Holster to the kit is one of those changes that makes you wonder how you ever went without it. Send it.
