Tactical ladders…Really? This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen… WTF? :jester:
Ridiculous? Really?
Slap that on an ALICE frame and it is one of the most versatile and fast climbing systems available.
Those would have come in real handy for the 1st MarDiv on 15 Sept 1950…
For me…They also would have helped me when I was the lead assault climber for our smallboat company. Especially running a company up a soft earth cliff…
For what I’m doing now…yeah, it would be ridiculus for me…
A ladder is a tool. Have you read the media accounts of the OBL raid? After a SNAFU with one of the “stealth” helos the other bird was forced to land outside of the compound. The assaulters then had to contend with a 12 foot high concrete wall topped with barbed wire.
Ladders are useful in assaults and breaches in certain situations. SWAT teams the world over use them to take buses, trains, plains, etc.
Here is a good read on ladders.
I could use one to assult my roof and the guy’s next door with the 18 year old daughter so I want one.
A ladder is a good piece of kit to have.
I’m sorry I guess I should have been more tongue in cheek!
I know and realize that a ladder is a useful tool, so are sledge hammers, drills,cutting torch, carabiners…rope, etc.
What I was laughing at and making fun of was the term " tactical" :ph34r: as being applied to an extension ladder that I’ve seen available at Lowe’s for years!:jester:
Capiche?
Good article and valid points, but even in the article the military has realized that ladders aren’t very “tactical” that is why DARPA is currently testing the PowerQuick personal lifting system in Afghanistan.
Cheers!
The perfect tactical tool, for the tactical peeping Tom! :rolleyes:
HK51, sry my ability to detect internet sarcasm is lacking.
However, there are one of the better tactical, non lacking, climbing systems out there, and DARPA is well behind what Yates and CADEX are already doing. Maybe it will work well for fatty National Guardsmen that need help to climb a wall, but the ladder systems that are already out there work pretty dern well.
And WW … very nice, that is a great example of the proper use of tactical climbing equipment!
When you need a latter you got to have one that is for sure.
I only have one reservation that thing is only rated for 300lbs one PT-Stud loaded down with gear is going to max that thing out.
I have seen multiple latter’s fail including A-frames and one[ brand new not even one day old ] 12’ extension latter with a 180 lb dripping wet man. I sure hope that the extension locks on that thing are top notch.
Honestly, never seen one of the tele-steps fail, and I defiantly fall into the ~300 category with armor, green radio and 7.62 rifle doing a sketchy 2 stage climb on some sketchy construction.
Have even used them for bridging and they worked well, just know their limitations, possibly one of the best “tactical” ladders on the market.
I don’t have any experience with that specific ladder . But I have seen a Werner A-frame split with 300+ pounds on it and the unfortunate guy being strapped to a gurney saying he couldn’t feel or move his legs. It was also rated at 300lb. I don’t know what specifications they use to rate ladders. But I would be careful not overload them by much. I don’t know the brand of the 12 ’ that broke with 180lb on it but what a POS the fiberglass split in hundred pieces. The guy was lucky that it didn’t give away all at once.
that would be scary being 12ft or more in the air and have a ladder crap out of you, especially in full kit.
You know what else would be scary? 
falling and then waking up to this!
I worked in the green energy market for a time building windmills, we always had one of thouse ladders very usefull and they can hold a hell of alot of weight.
When I was in the Navy(pre Army days) I was on a VBSS team and we had these little cable jobs we would attach to the end of a pole drive up along side of a ship hook it on the rail and climb up. I wish I had a pic of one they are pretty cool light as all hell. Made from cable and alluminum just wide enough for you to get your foot into.
Jon
Well, I think that pretty much sums it up.
My depts SWAT team uses these ladders.They work pretty well for getting snipers into position.
I got it and thought tactical rebranding to be cool 
Ditto the lowes
Off to lowes to look for more tactical products
My favorite “tacticool” product is still the Tactical Tomahawk:
When the Marine House was in the Embassy in Prague, we had escape ladders.
The bedrooms were on the 3rd & 4th floor of the embassy. The Det Cmdr used to hold ‘fire react drills’ on us the morning after a pub crawl of tram rental…we knew it would happen yet we still did the crawl & tram many times. Anyways, about 06 in the morning our hungover, half naked assess would be climbing down the side of the embassy on the ladders.
It weighs 22 lbs and breaks down small enough to put on a pack and can support a 300lb dude up a 12 foot wall? Sounds pretty sweet actually.