Safety is key! Wear a harness and having a buddy with you is always a good idea if god forbid you ever took a spill out of a tree and needed help. We use mostly lock on stands at our place and once i make sure the chain is tight and the stand is locked in place i will secure it with at least one ratchet strap. This make the stand a little more stable and gives a little piece of mind. I also recommend getting a handful of screw in tree steps to put in the tree above your latter so you have some extra hand holds when getting in and out of your stand. Good luck and be safe!