Why don't you use "selection to path"? once your have a selection go to the path tab and click "Selection to Path" icon (red arrow)
Then when you need your selection, just click on the icon "path to selection" in the path tab (blue arrow), you don't need to put the eye on to see the path, just select the path you want and "Path to selection"
Advantages , you can get back to your selection when you want on ANY layer as it is saved as a path, no need to use alpha to selection especially when you have something else on that layer, many different selections can be saved and recovered as you wish, but most important, is because now your selection is a path, you can move/add some nodes, adjust a path's curve with control points and so ... then "Path to selection"
Then when you need your selection, just click on the icon "path to selection" in the path tab (blue arrow), you don't need to put the eye on to see the path, just select the path you want and "Path to selection"
Advantages , you can get back to your selection when you want on ANY layer as it is saved as a path, no need to use alpha to selection especially when you have something else on that layer, many different selections can be saved and recovered as you wish, but most important, is because now your selection is a path, you can move/add some nodes, adjust a path's curve with control points and so ... then "Path to selection"