Thanks again. Not sure if I will use one or not yet. Just wanted to throw it out there for some feedback.
You're absolutely doing the right thing gathering information and forming your own method based on personal risk tolerance.
Hunters coming from traditional stands are used to redundancy in the form of a harness. I don't think that's a bad thing. But a session or two of practicing at ground level when I started this mess made me realize that falling out of a saddle wasn't a possibility. Try it yourself. You can't simulate a fall, just a swing.
Also, saddles and saddle gear are MUCH stronger than conventional stands. You could take the webbing and ropes we use, hook them up to a tree stand, and use it to rip the thing apart! My tree will come down before my ropes fail.
Look at the Tethrd testing results. Cast platform failed at hundreds of pounds. Saddle didn't fail at thousands.
Under normal use and properly set up, a tether will not fail. Proper maintenance and periodic inspection/replacement make it the absolute safest way to hunt elevated. Buy good equipment from reputable dealers, replace it when it wears out, and enjoy the view up there.