I like
@Kenbama ‘s set up, maybe he’ll share a picture of it. He has a dedicated stick with a cam cleat and two step aider for climbing. It has double steps on top and bottom. He uses the stick to climb and a separate platform such as a predator or fix to hunt off of. Placing the top of his stick next to his platform gives him the ability to push around the tree a little more if needed.
The two seasons that I used a one stick to climb and hunt out of I used a 18-20” stick with a OOAL Scout on top and a double step on bottom with a 3 step aider. It is all you need to hunt from a saddle comfortably but it requires some twisting and fancy footwork for a offside shot. The foot room of a dedicated platform can be really nice. I have not owned a EWO one stick but I think there is a lot of metal on the top platform that wouldn’t get used by me.
Just some different ways to go about it.
@Dyehard what part of north Alabama you hunting Sam R, Bankhead, wheeler, skyline, swan creek, etc? If you’re only hunting private then my suggestions would change a lot.