Part of the myth and mystique of the ninja involves their ability to fly, scale walls or travel huge vertical spaces seemingly without a lot of effort. This physical prowess of the ninja has made them very popular mythical figures.  But have you ever wondered how they really travel from one distance to another?  Many modern-day ninjas can tell you but they don’t necessarily need to have superpowers.  The answer to their seemingly superhuman ability actually lies in a simple tool – the ninja grappling hook.  If you’ve always wanted to unleash the real ninja in you, this is an important gear to have.

What is the grappling hook?
The ninja grappling hook is a tool made from metal.  It usually has three or four hooks arranged in a circular fashion for balance.  The hooks have one handle, which is attached to a rope.

The ninja grappling hook is used to scale vertical obstacles such as walls, rocks, concrete or trees.  They were traditionally used by ninjas to help them transfer from one location to the next, usually to climb up or down with the use of the attached rope.

Uses
The grappling hook is not just for ninjas alone.  They also have many practical uses for rock or mountain climbers, hikers, adventurists and even the military.  Grappling hooks can, for example, be used to move distant objects or create makeshift bridges across deep chasms or crevasses.  They can also be used to attach to objects and drag them from one place to the next.

Buying the ninja grappling hook
When buying the ninja grappling hook, look for a steel make.  This will help ensure solid stability and longevity of the tool.  After all, what’s a real ninja if the hook gives due to corrosion in the middle of a climb?

Inspect the length and material of the rope attached to the hook as well.  In general, ropes are made of nylon, which is sufficiently strong and can hold up to a few hundred pounds of weight.  Look for a good length as well.  Most retailers offer ninja grappling hooks with at least 30 feet of rope.  If you need a longer rope, you could purchase additional length and attach this instead.

Using the ninja grappling hook
To use the grappling hook, hold the tool firmly by the end of the rope nearest the end of the hook.  Swing this rope around until you obtain a sufficient momentum.  When you’re ready, you can release the hook so that it reaches and attaches to your target.

An important thing to remember: always practice on using the ninja grappling hook.  You have to be confident enough to use it efficiently and safely so that when you truly need it for an emergency, it won’t fail.

ninja grappling hook image

Tags: climbing equipment, grappling hook, tools

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 15th, 2009 at 2:33 am and is filed under Cool Gadgets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.