I agree, a ladder stand is the safest for a novice. The drawback is that they are heavier.

With any treestand I always buy extra ratchet straps, as it seems the straps that are included with the stand are not of high quality. I'd rather lug in extra straps than have my buddies lug me out on a stretcher.

If you do purchase a hang on, don't forget to buy a ladder, otherwise know as climbing sticks or tree snake. For those, I also add extra ratchet straps, since the ones that come with the ladder don't get tight enough for my liking. You usually can't "ratchet" them, thus the laddertends to move a bit. YIKES!

To help acclimate to climbing in and out of a hang on tree stand, I'd suggest using only the first 4 or 5 foot section of your ladder. Wear your harness and practice getting in and out of the standand attaching the harness to the tree. It can be tricky for those not used to doing it.Once you've got that down, attach the next ladder section and practice at that height...and so on.

Hope this helps. Good luck!