I like the idea of being tethered in all the way up, but having to girth hitch the rope around the tree, when I'm hunting trees with some branches, is a total pain.
the tethered es double is most likley a step up from the recon. Reason i say is i doubt Johnny E would have junk with his name on it. the thing is i hated with a 2 panel is the outer panel would sag on me from having no butt. The ESS is VERY GOOD quality! Mine came with 2 clips to hold the panels together.
And, ALWAYS be securely tethered to the tree before transitioning to any platform or ROS regardless of how its attached to the tree. Thanks for watching and I hope this helps some of you that are struggling with the cam buckles like I have.
I love my tethered one sticks so much I sold my LCWG doubles steps, and used the funds to buy a .5 lol, I haven't had any issues with my one sticks but if the 2.0 is somehow even better I would definitely recommend them.
And I have to mention, if you aren't hanging stands with a saddle and tethered (instead of using the lineman's belt) you are missing the boat. With a tether, you can sit back and rest if need be, prune, scrutinize the position, etc.