The sticks can be a pain to tote around very much. My 16' sticks weigh 21 lbs. plus I use a 4' extension some. That weight isn't alot but if you have to pack it in along with a stand and a bow or gun, plus my day pack, it gets real heavy, real quick. However, I prefer to use the sticks if its some where close where I can get in and set up without toting them a long ways. I use them in stands I plan on leaving in one spot mostly like on food plots or areas or trails that produce year after year.

I prefer the steps if Im packing in a ways or somewhere where I worry about theft. Just unscrew the last steps and it'll be harder for someone wandering by to steal my stand.