Treesuit with cam cleat, thoughts?

[beej32]

I've taken to climbing with the treesuit and a 3-step aider, but like many have stated, the biggest hassle is dealing with the buckle. I've since rigged it up with a cam cleat and HTP as shown. Anyone know if this config is a bad idea with the forces on the aluminum? Specifically, I'm curious about 1) the rope pressing against the bent tubing on the back side of the platform, 2) the rope running over the expanded metal, and 3) the pulling force on the cleat mounted to the support arm, essentially pulling it straight away from the tubing it's welded to.

It's still TBD if this can even get tight enough to the tree- it didn't with the rope running entirely under the platform. But with the rope running over the top as pictured I'm somewhat optimistic, though I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

 

[beej32]

Gave this a try this morning with so-so results. Climbed a giant oak, so big I wouldn’t have attempted it with the OCB I’ve previously used. The cam cleat worked well for climbing, but it’s not tight enough at hunting height. I suspect it’d be much better on a more reasonably sized tree, but I’m thinking I’ll do a “belt and suspenders” approach going forward- using the cam cleat for climbing but then pulling out an OCB once at height