Those were some of my initial thoughts. I actually like my rope bridge now. It is adjustable via a prussik which I mostly only use to extend it far enough so it can ride over my shoulders for the walk in/out.
My only wish now is that it was openable, but I can't seem to find a carabiner that will fit that small hole in the bridge plate.
Overall the Recon is pretty sweet. I finally flipped the panels a la
@Allegheny Tom and I like that better. I also stripped every accessory off if it (no pouches, stick hangers, etc) and I find it works much better just bare like that.
I stil haven't gone down the bungee belt mod path yet. I upgraded to the now standard (I think) web belt with the buckle (mine originally came with the "speed buckle" which I didn't like). This belt works good.
The leg straps are a little fiddly and I've gone back and forth with using them. I like the security of that bottom panel fixed to my legs when hanging, but it is much more streamlined to remove them.
Sorry for the long reply. You asked one question and got me going into a broader review. One of the problems with reading older posts is that people's experiences and thoughts change a lot over time.