Fourth Arrow's Carbon Arm: Self-Filming Has Never Been More Simple

The Fourth Arrow Carbon Arm makes self-filming your hunts a piece of cake.

Filming hunts has caught on like never before. Everyone wants to relive those hunts and add an extra challenge to their hunts. Fourth Arrow is taking over the camera arm market, and for good reason, as their products are second to none.

If we're being honest, the thought of self-filming always seemed cool, but when I'd actually think about doing it, it just stressed me out. It just meant more equipment to drag around, more noise when trying to get in the stand and more time before you're set up and ready to shoot. And, the thought of missing an opportunity at a buck because I was busy trying to film is terrifying.

In a nutshell, it boiled down to laziness. But this past season, I dove in. Based off of marketing presence and word of mouth, there was no other camera arm manufacturer I needed to even look into. Fourth Arrow was what I needed.

Before I get into my review, I believe this video from Growing Deer TV is a great depiction of their product line, as well as what might be the best fit for your style.

So, now you have an idea of what they offer. From those options, the Carbon Arm made the most sense for my style of hunting, as it was small, light and efficient. I'm not out to make award-winning television, but rather just capture the moments I love for my own viewing and an occasional social media clip.

Revolutionary Base and Leveling System

Although the base and leveling system isn't specific to the Carbon Arm, it's what really makes all Fourth Arrow camera arms so incredible. Leveling a camera arm for smooth operation can often be a difficult, sometimes impossible task. Each hunting setup is different, and you're dealt with what you find in the wild.

The base attachment and leveling system allow you to level your camera arm no matter what. As long as you can strap the base mount to something securely, the leveling of the camera won't be an issue.

Whether I was on the ground or in a treestand, not once did I have an instance where I couldn't get my arm leveled and ready to film.

The bases are designed where you can leave them in your tree, so all you have to bring is the camera arm and shoulder. However, because I was using so many treestand locations, I chose to just stick with one base and take it in my pack for each hunt.

The base can be a bit loud with your ratchet straps clanging around as you mount it to a tree. I wanted to try to minimize the noise as much as possible, so I put camouflage tape around the strap attachments and it made a world of difference.

This isn't necessary, but it definitely helps. It'll significantly quiet your setup process and also speed it up quite a bit, as you aren't moving slow trying to stay silent.

I highly recommend doing this if you don't plan on leaving your bases in the tree.

Carbon Arm's Design and Specifics

As I said, I went with the Carbon Arm for a few reasons. For one, the carbon fiber material is quieter to the touch than other metals, which greatly improves stealthiness.

The material is also super lightweight, and the arm itself only weighs 1 pound, 10 ounces. Then, with the whole kit—which includes the shoulder, the base, the ratchet and the camera arm—you're looking at 4 pounds, 14 ounces, which is a very reasonable weight for your hunting pack.

The carbon fiber is also warm to the touch, which is nice on a cold, late-season hunt.

I only run a small video camera or my DSLR, so my camera equipment itself isn't all that heavy. So, the Carbon Arm was perfect for my setup, since it's rated for 7 pounds. With the length of the arms being 32.5 inches long (with a total reach of 38.5 inches), it was perfect for self-filming my hunts this fall, as I could reach around and cover as much area as I needed to.

I use Fourth Arrow's Fluid Head, too. This head was top-notch as well. It took a little while to figure out which settings made for the smoothest transitions, but once I figured that out, I couldn't have been more pleased.

Efficient, Effective and Worth the Investment

All in all, the Carbon Arm fit every need I was seeking in a camera arm. It doesn't break the bank, but still gives you industry-leading quality hunt after hunt. You can own the whole setup pictured below for right around $200.

Not only is it effective, but it changed my perception of self-filming. My camera arm was as important as my bow itself this past season, and I didn't head to the woods without it. The Carbon Arm's weight and size made it a no-brainer for what I was looking for in a camera arm.

Fourth Arrow's leveling ability makes it the hunters' choice for filming, and the user-friendliness will keep me coming back.

If you're going to start self-filming, I believe the Carbon Arm from Fourth Arrow is the best possible choice out there.

NEXT: SHED HUNTER FINDS ENORMOUS DEER HEAD IN PENNSYLVANIA