This is my DIY Lineman’s belt for climbing a tree to hang a tree stand or saddle and climbing sticks. A lineman’s belt of some sort is really a necessity to be able to safely and comfortably hang sticks while you climb a tree. Most lineman’s belts that you can buy from hunting companies, or get for free with your harness, only give you the bare minimum that you need to be safe. They aren’t very user friendly.
For this reason, I cherry picked my preferred components to come up with an ideal lineman’s belt for hunting. The mechanical ascender allows you to shorten or lengthen the belt while still maintaining three other points of contact (other hand and two feet). Most lineman’s belts use a prusik or other hitch which requires two hands to operate. Although more expensive, once you use a lineman’s belt of this style, you’ll never want to go back to anything else. Here are links to the components:
Rope: https://www.ombwarehouse.com/petzl-vector-8mm-rescue-cord.html
Ropeman MK2 Ascender: http://amzn.to/2Cu8V82
Black Diamond Positron ScrewGate: http://amzn.to/2CtrNEe
Black Diamond Neutrino WireGate: http://amzn.to/2EtgPg8
Arboriculture-style auto-locking carabiners: http://www.wesspur.com/carabiners/auto-locking-carabiners.html