RE: Treestands?
is this stand on your land or public lands?
if on public lands i would check local regualtions on what they allow,
some states dont allow custom stands, or homemade platforms,
also some states have regs on leaving stands on public land,
overall i would reccommend a climbing stand, for the reasons others stated, and for safety,
homemade stands are more prone to fail,
either way enjoy and be safe