I know that many bowhunters prefer a hang-on stand with ladder sticks because they can be used with trees that have limbs which cannot be cut.

A question for you: how do you connect your safety harness to the tree while you are attaching the ladder/stand? I understand that in many cases the ladder and stand are carried in at the beginning of the hunt and then back out at the end of the day.

Do you simply assemble the ladder, attach it to the tree as you climb, and attach the stand at the desired height without using a safety harness, waiting until you are ready to get onto the stand before attaching the harness? Do you use a line-man's rope to secure to the tree as you climb? If you use the line-man's method, don't you need to have two ropes so that you can attach the second rope above a limb before releasing the rope that is beneath the limb? Or do you just take your chances?