In this paper the buckling and post-buckling behavior of slender bars under self-weight are studied. In order to study the post-buckling behavior of the bar, a geometrically exact formulation for the non-linear analysis of uni-directional structural elements is presented, considering arbitrary load distribution and boundary conditions. From this formulation one obtains a set of first-order coupled nonlinear equations which, together with the boundary conditions at the bar ends, form a two-point boundary value problem. This problem is solved by the simultaneous use of the Runge-Kutta integration scheme and the Newton-Raphson method. By virtue of a continuation algorithm, accurate solutions can be obtained for a variety of stability problems exhibiting either limit point or bifurcational-type buckling. Using this formulation, a detailed parametric analysis is conducted in order to study the buckling and post-buckling behavior of slender bars under self-weight, including the influence of boundary conditions on the stability and large deflection behavior of the bar. In order to evaluate the quality and accuracy of the results, an experimental analysis was conducted considering a clamped-free thin-walled metal bar. As this kind of structure presents a high index of slenderness, its answers could be affected by the introduction of conventional sensors. In this paper, an experimental methodology was developed, allowing the measurement of static or dynamic displacements without making contact with the structure, using digital image processing techniques. The proposed experimental procedure can be used to a wide class of problems involving large deflections and deformations. The experimental buckling and post-buckling behavior compared favorably with the theoretical and numerical results.