Lock ons have their place and are effective. I prefer the climber for several reasons. One, it's easier to stay strapped in going up and down. With lock ons you'd have to buy a lot of descender ropes etc to accomplish that. Two, no one can hunt my climber. If I leave a hang on in the woods it can always be hunted without me knowing or worse yet stolen. I would think in Texas live oaks etc a lock on would almost be mandatory. Not to many trees to use a climber on.