Yesterday I was reading a little more about hook ladders. The hook ladder is a masterful piece of lateral thinking: You cannot carry a ladder long enough to reach where you want to go? Carry enough to reach a ledge or balcony. Climb up to that and then use the ladder to reach higher. A typical ladder would be 4 metres/ 13 ft long.
![](http://survive.phillosoph.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/hook-ladder_im_Einsatz-200x300.jpg)
![](http://survive.phillosoph.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/800px-Scaling_ladder_PSF-227x300.png)
It just so happened that the same day I came across this image. If provision is made to carry or retrieve the painter’s pole such a device can be used to “climb in instalments” in the same fashion as the hook ladder is used.
![](http://survive.phillosoph.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/100_skills-hook-ladder-189x300.jpg)
Below are some images of the ninja kumade, effectively a folding hook ladder.
![](http://survive.phillosoph.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ninja-tools14-300x225.jpg)
![](http://survive.phillosoph.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ninjarake-292x300.png)