The Top/Mast Climber has everything in one package. It's a seat so comfortable for hanging around for long periods. It uses Ascenders for the seat and foot straps. So far, and that's about 30 times up the mast, hasn't chewed up my main halyard at all. The foot strap can either have the foot loops connected or separate. Can't see any reason to separate them, though. The Top Climber ascenders have to be threaded on to the end of the line. Etienne says it only works on 1/2" line though he forgot to tell mine that as it works just fine on 3/8" vectran cored polyester line. The Mast Climber is claimed to work with 3/8" to 1/2" line and has a removable pin that allows the hardware to be attached anywhere on the line. The storage bag doubles as a tool pouch to carry your tools and hardware up the mast. I looked at going with climbing gear but nothing I found exactly fit my needs so would have required some modification. The Top Climber was ready to use out of the bag and has worked most excellently. It's been a necessity in working on my boat. No hassles tracking someone down to hoist me up the map. No fear about them dropping me. It saved my mast. When I got the Top Climber, went to the top of the mast to test it out. Found two broken strands on my forestay at the masthead swage fitting. The owner had told me all the shrouds and stays had been replaced. What he meant was everything but the forestay.