I have hang-on stands that I leave out all year. On all my stands I use a short chain with a turnbuckleto make the stand more solid when I'm using it. After season I remove the seat cushion and the straps leaving the chain and turnbuckle to hold the stand in place. It doesn't hurt to loosen the turnbuckle a little to allow for the tree growth. A couple of weeks before season I go back and put the seat cushion on and install the rachet straps. Anything not metal will be chewed up by rats.