I love testing new hunt gear. Here’s three items I’m adding to my 2026 gear list. I suggest you do the same.
by Jace Bauserman
I’ve been penning articles about my outdoor adventures and the gear I use for nearly two decades. Of course, most years, hunting gear manufacturers devise new-for-the-year gear. A particular manufacturer may upgrade an existing product by adding new bells and whistles. Other times, a manufacturer will breathe new life into something that started as a sketch on the back of a napkin.
While there’s always new gear to test, like many of you, I’ve got brands I favor over others. However, I set a goal for 2025 to find three new outdoor brands and test products from each. The thought process was to use each product enough to decide whether I want to keep them in my 2026 starting lineup or start prospecting for something else.
Here we go!
Novix Outdoors Raider Hunt Ready System
Though my love of hunting from a saddle is growing, I still prefer a lock-on treestand with lightweight climbing sticks.
Why?
Frankly, I haven’t gotten fully comfortable letting my body hang away from a tree while attached to a single tether. I prefer my feet under a platform, a comfortable seat, and one with an on-board leveling system. I spend a lot of time chasing whitetail out West, and if you’ve roamed the river and creek bottoms of this region of the country, you know that straight trees are few and far between. Comfort matters.
In July, I spent time setting up a new lease in Illinois with some good friends. I was there at their invite, and though my plan to return for a mid-November hunt was foiled by a serious battle with the Norovirus, I was still able to hang three Novix Raider Hunt Ready Systems during July.
The Novix Raider comes fully assembled, which I love. I’ve wasted half a day turning nuts and bolts all in hopes of creating a tree fort I can depend on. The Raider is ready to go out of the box, and four—not three—32-inch Single-Step Climbing Sticks come with the system. The steps attach to the stand via four buckle-style straps, which makes this in-the-tree system effective if you want to roam a public-land tract in search of a killing tree. It’s also ideal for tossing in the back of a truck or buggy for a close-to-home hunt.
Novix coats all metal parts with a Frost Coating that eliminates shine and boosts grip. The pivoting V-Bracket on each climbing stick rotates, keeping each stick level while gripping into the bark. I never had a single stick slip out, and I appreciate the oversized wheels on the stand and sticks. The stand has an upper and lower wheel, which means two suck-down attachment points.
Another feature that makes this 19.1-pound Hunt Ready System excellent is its leveling system. Integrated into the aluminum bar that attaches the seat to the platform are four platform leveling locations. Each location angles the platform from front to back to ensure a leveling, even when hanging in crooked trees. The seat’s angle is also fully adjustable via a hand-tightening bolt located under the seat.
Though not an ultra-light system in terms of other hunt-ready systems, I do appreciate the 30” x 19.5” x 1” platform dimensions, and the air-mesh style seat is comfortable and quiet. Rated to 300 pounds, the stands and sticks are easy to tote on a backpack. I also appreciate that the stand comes with four 32-inch-long climbing sticks, each with three steps. Each step on each stick provides solid footing, and the steps rotate right or left to allow for customization. The problem I’ve run into with three-stick systems is twofold. First, I can’t get high enough in a tree. Second, because most trees I climb aren’t straight, I typically end up using one stick that keeps my already gnarly ascent/descent safe, but doesn’t help me with height.
For me, the Novix Raider Hunt Ready System will become a crucial piece of my whitetail arsenal in 2026. I appreciate the durability the all-aluminum construction adds, and though Novix has some lighter weight systems, the Raider hits an under$580 price point that I appreciate.
Latitude Outdoors Method 3 Starter Kit
I realize I told all reading this that I prefer a lock-on treestand over a saddle. However, my love affair with Latitude’s Method 3 Starter Kit is growing. Having only tinkered with this saddle system for less than two weeks while prepping for my final hunt of 2026, I can write with total confidence that the Method 3 will be in my whitetail starting gear lineup going forward.
My first experience with a saddle was a bad one. Not only did I not love hanging away from the tree with my feet perched on a miniature platform, but my legs also went numb within 3 hours. I’d planned for an all-day sit and had to pull the ripcord and bail at 9:40 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., my target buck walked by the tree I was hanging in. Naturally, this experience put a bad taste in my mouth.
Before you tar and feather me for not “toughing it out,” know that I had a herniation at L5-S1 and was less than two months out from surgery. One of my immediate noticing’s with the Method 3 Saddle was the pair of white cords on the right and left side of the saddle. Pull down on the cords to convert the saddle into a two-panel system for increased comfort. Pull the cords up, and the panel comes back up. I love the drop-down panel’s support. However, when hiking to and from trees, I appreciate the ability to quickly and quietly pull the drop-down support panel back up. A continuous magnetic strap replaces clips, snaps, and other straps, making panel management a breeze.
The Method 3 Starter Kit includes the Method 3 Saddle in Regular and XL sizes, the Vapor Line Linemen Belt, the Vapor Line Tree Tether, and the Method Dump Pouch. I also discovered that the white drawstrings work well as totes. I tied everything from Latitude’s Bite Bow Hanger to extra screw-in (hunting private ground) steps to my backpack holder using the drawstrings. To date, the longest I’ve sat in the Method 3 is four hours, and it was four hours of breathable comfort. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to adjust the saddle, and the Method 3 pairs perfectly with Latitude’s Profile Saddle Platform.
Available in XL and Regular, I prefer the larger 16” x 14” x 1” XL 4.9-pound die cast aerospace 6061-T6 aluminum with hardened steel fixtures on all contact points. If you opt for the regular platform, you save 1.5 pounds but have a considerably smaller platform.
Pair this second generation of the Profile Saddle Platform with Latitude’s uber-light Carbon SS Climbing Sticks, and you’ve got a hunt anywhere, anytime system that’s comfortable, bulletproof, and quiet. The carbon sticks eliminate metal-on-metal noise, stack and pack easily, and when temps are ice, your hands will appreciate how warm to the touch they are. Latitude includes step attachment ropes. Be sure to scan the available QR code to watch exactly how the ropes securely fasten the sticks to the tree.
Lumenok X Lighted Arrow Nock
Concerning lighted arrow nocks, I’ve dabbled but never committed. Sometimes I run an arrow with a lighted nock, other times, I leave the standard nock that comes with the arrow. For 2026, I’m committed. Never again will I sling carbon at an animal without a lighted nock. As for what lighted nock I’m going to hang my hat on, Lumenok’s X Lighted Arrow Nock will be my go-to.
Why?
Lumenok X Lighted Arrow Nocks fit my two current arrow choices—Easton’s 5.0 and FMJ Max. Installation is easy. Remove the standard nock and square the arrow using a standard squaring tool. Next, add a touch of bow wax to the open hole where the nock was and use a lighter to slowly melt the wax. A little wax goes a long way. This wax allows the X nocks, or whatever size Lumenok your arrow requires, to insert easily.
When the Lumenok disengages from the string, the light is activated. Though I’ve tested many lighted nocks over the years, you absolutely can’t beat the brightness of a Lumenok. Battery life is solid, and the nocks themselves are durable and easy tto tune. The only color I go with is what Lumenok Orange. The nock is easy to see in flight, and easy to find should you miss a target or pass through an animal.
In 2025, I shot five big-game animals with Lumenok X Lighted Nocks. I found every single arrow. I even retrieved one that disappeared into an ultra-dense Oklahoma wild plumb thicket. Lighted nocks help detect horizontal and vertical nock travel, don’t add too much weight to the backend of your arrow, and help you find your arrow after impact. Once you shoot a Lumenok, you’ll never go away from them. Though you can distinguish a Lumenok by wiggling it side to side, I highly recommend the under-$12 Lumenok Extinguisher. The Extinguisher doubles as an arrow puller and makes turning a nock off super simple.
Now is the time to start thinking about what gear you’ll add to your 2026 hunting arsenal. These are three no-brainers that I would recommend to anyone who spends time chasing North America’s favorite big-game animal.
