There are a lot of good safe hang-on stands available. About the only thing that raises the price of one so much above the next is materials and weight. If you need light, you'll pay more for the aluminums. Steel is cheaper and heavier. The sticks are the same pretty much. The simpler the design...the cheaper they are. Are far as "SAFETY".... with hang ons you're never really safe unless you're hooked up from the minute you leave the ground. There are only a couple ways to do this. I guess the "Climbing System" with the descender ropes made by (I forget) is the safest...but it'll cost you a few bucks. You can get a decent climber for $200-250 with the more Brand name jobs running up to $350 with all the bads and seats etc. If you can put them in there are ladders for probably $150 that are fairly comfortable but you're restricted with height. Even with climbing sticks I often end up with some screw in steps above the sticks. Anything you use you have to be hooked up the minute you leave the ground to be safe. 90 percent of treestand accidents occur when people are climbing up to or climbing down from and not hooked up. 90 percent is a pretty eliminateable statistic if people would just hook up, but they always figure it won't happen to them. Every guy who ever fell thought it wouldn't happen to him.