It's advantageous to have a hang on with sticks (many have been suggested so far) so that you can get into some pretty funky looking trees. It's also advantageous to have a climber for ease of set up and quick climbing. I have both. Most of the time I take the climber since it's quicker to use. The Lone Wolf Alpha and sticks combo is a great one, which I bought 4 years ago after recommedations from here, but it takes a little more time to set up and doesn't pack down as nicely as my sit and climb does.