I used a rack for years and eventually got tired of dealing with it. Plus I started to prefer the look of a kit with stands (not to mention sizing down from a 12 piece double bass to a 5-6 piece at most!). If you opt for stands, all you have to do is get an outdoor rug and mark with tape where your stands go. That way, placement and angles are saved for quick set up. Using "codes" or "notes" is another effective idea. For instance, to differentiate between a crash stand, ride stand, bass drum spurs and rack tom stand, the tape surrounding those stands would be marked CS, RS, BS and RT. Whatever helps you remember is fine; it works for me at least. Also, memory lock your stand legs, boom angles, etc. as much as you can.
After that, going rack or stands comes down simply to personal taste.