A lot of useful info has been dished out. I would like to reiterate that you need to tie the top and bottom pieces together. Also, practice putting on your outerwear on you stand...attach your stand to a tree, get in and try it out. You can do it just as effectively after climbing as you can with it attached at the bottom of the tree. If you can get your heavy clothes on once in the stand, I recommend it. This is what began doing last year, and it has helped me stay warm since I am able to keep from sweating on the way in. I keep whatever calls/equipment I am confident I will use on my person in pockets/vest/whatever and screw in a holder to hang my pack on. That way, if I do end up needing additional equipment, it is there for me. When bowhunting, climbers are the way to go, in my opinion. You can pattern the deer and move accordingly throughout the season.