I was in this position last year and chose the Lone Wolf Assault 2 with a set of three sticks. I was able to hunt many locations that weren't even an option with a climber. Also the whole setup was very light and easy to setup and takedown.

I haven't tried them all but the Assault is a good piece of gear to have. The seat leveling feature was handy. The only negative was the seat pad is pretty stiff and thin for long sits, I took along an extra 1" thick foam pad to provide a better seat for long sits.

I use hang-on stands exclusively, but have never seen the need for climbing sticks. I have used the Cranford EZ-climb screw-in tree steps since the mid-1980s, as have all my friends.  I'm always kind of amazed that people are hauling all those sticks into the woods.

As for a stand that is lightweight, quiet, easy to set up and take out each time you hunt, the Lone Wolf Assault II is what I bought last year for "in and out hunts". Buy 10 tree steps and you're set.

I replaced all my hang on stands with Chippewa's. As mentioned above they are very easy(and safe)to hang and are very stable. They are also very light weight and easy to carry.

LW is the best I have ever used for mobile hunting and fast, easy, put up/ take down every time. Also the quietest and most forgiving stand out there. Can hang in the nastiest trees level, safe and quiet.
The chippewa stands are great if you are gonna hang the chains ahead of time at pre determined trees and leave them. Otherwise the Chippewa is a pain to be mobile with due to the seperate chain system. Had 3 Chippewas and an aero space stand (same system on both) and soon sold them all once I started hunting different spots.
A buddy has the muddy stand that is similar to the LW but nowhere near as easy to hang.
 For climbing sticks the LW sticks are great and light weight and stack nice. I have 2 sets and use them for long hikes. Personally I like double rung sticks better as they are easier and safer. They ate a little heavier but for any stand less than a half mile in I prefer the double rung.
 The most important part of a hang on system is the lineman belt. With out a lineman belt none of this is safe or easy.
I like my lineman belt to use an ascender rather than a prussic knot so I can adjust with one hand both in and out.

1. Screaming Eagles are excellent stands--to leave in one place for the season. No way would I hump one in and hang every day.

2.  Screw in steps are not allowed in many places.

After reading this thread and walking my property I'm really debating my choice to buy a climber over the winter....keep it coming, I'm liking all these different setup ideas.

I have both the Lone Wolf Sit and Climb and the Lone Wolf Alpha hang on (4 actually) as well as a set of 4 climbing sticks.   I'd say I probably use the climber 20% of the time and the hang on 80% of the time.  If I'm hunting a state that allows screw in steps and I'm hunting a long ways in, I'll throw in a dozen folding Cranford screw in steps and leave the sticks in the truck, but most of the time I just use the sticks.  

I also have a Muddy hang on, but I much prefer the Lone Wolf.

Like KS Dan and LB hntr said, with the use of a lineman's belt and with a little practice you can hang the sticks and hang on just as quick and as quiet as you can climb with the climber and you have many more options on which trees you hunt.

Just fyi...Instead of using the stabilizing straps on the sit and climb, if you wrap a bungie around the tree and around the belt you can use the seat section like normal and just lower it when you see a deer (like you would raise the seat on a hang on).  I actually have more clearance doing that with my sit and climb than I do when raising the seat in my Alpha hang on.   I can't help you with getting busted due to no cover though.  I have the same issue.  By the time I climb high enough to feel hidden, my shot angle is bad.

I use a Lone Wolf and sticks or steps.  With a little practice you can be up in a tree pretty quick. The safety part is up to you.

LB, we each have our own needs.  I, for the life of me can't understand how the Chip is a pain to set up ?  But I do it all the time.   To me it is way easier to fuss with a chain (or strap) with no heavy stand attached, then just slide the stand in place.

Tall Paul. .  I can't use screw in steps on public in Wisconsin.
ChuckC

Yep, with the Chippewa we just fasten the chain around the tree and the stand just drops in and wedges in place.

QuoteOriginally posted by ChuckC:
LB, we each have our own needs.  I, for the life of me can't understand how the Chip is a pain to set up ?  But I do it all the time.   To me it is way easier to fuss with a chain (or strap) with no heavy stand attached, then just slide the stand in place.

Tall Paul. .  I can't use screw in steps on public in Wisconsin.
ChuckC

The Chippewa is an amazing stand. Light weight, strong, stable and easy to set up. Especially for anyone not wearing a lineman belt.
But the ones I owned had chains that are a separate assembly. Witch is amazing for people that hang the brackets in a bunch of trees and then just slap the stand on when they hunt there.
 For myself, hunting mobile and carrying the whole set up in and out with me it was very difficult to keep the chain quiet. It was difficult to get the chain assembly off of me to hang while I had the stand on my back. I had to use 2 bungie cords to keep the stand closed and not rattling because there was no strap to close it.

The Chippewa is a fantastic stand for what it is designed for ( multiple brackets in different trees and one stand). But for my stylt of hunting its harder than a lone wolf. If Chippewa made their stands with a versa button and a lone wolf type strap it would be my second favorite stand!

Side note. On the Chippewa harnesses if you wrap a piece of duck tape around the rubber pucks it will help keep the squirrels from chewing on them. Not sure how it works but it does.

Before i bought the Lone Wolf last year, I used a Loc-on Wind Walker for my "in and out stand". Its less than 6 lbs, but since I'm getting older I decided I wanted a larger platform to stand on. My wind walker is probably close to 20 years old now, and I'm starting to get a little scared of it!   :rolleyes:

Thanks for all the replies! It looks like my options have been rounded down to a select few.

From the replies it seems I should be able to use the hang on in place of my climber with no problems.

I will read more into several different stands and make my decision from there.

Thanks again!SS

QuoteOriginally posted by Nuctech:
Kentucky TJ, that makes sense to me thats why I have been using the muddy outfitter lite for awhile. its really easy to put up and climb into. I used to use a cheaper wide platform stand and I felt like a circus acrobat climbing into that thing in the dark.

Gabe

Gabe, I have two of those also. Great stands.

I guess it depends on the property you are hunting.  For public land I can see the desire to hang/remove each time you hunt.  For my limited hang/remove applications I've been using a Windwalker for 20 years.  Really nice lightweight stands, I have several, because often what I think will be hang/remove ends up hang/leave.

For hunting private ground where you can leave stands up (which is where I'm at) I need WAYYY to many stands to buy expensive ones.  I'm usually at 30-40 hanging each year, I can't afford to buy that many lone wolf stands.  I use the cheaper ones ($30-40 stands) and modify them for safety (mainly different straps to attach to tree and changing out the cheesy platform cables to chains).  As to using a climbing stand, last time I checked out of about 35 setups I had out you could have gotten into 2 of them with a climbing stand....I would hate to be so limited.

All that being said, with a place I'm worried about theft I've compromised by hanging home made chain and cable Chippewa type harnesses, and I currently have one new (REALLY NICE!, I mean first class stand) Chippewa stand and one older one I picked up for free. Also I'm having parts fabricated to convert about 10 other stands to Chippewa type hang-on brackets so they will all work with the home-made harnesses.  I'll have around 10 harnesses in that area and enough stands to carry in one time, for the 2 weeks or so I'm there, and leave them to just pull them all at the end of the hunt.

R

Love my Chippewa and if you go that route get extra harnesses, have a L/W climber and between it and the Chip. I now look for the perfect spot instead of hunting the perfect tree.