Pocket Grappling Hook by Maratac

To be honest, a grappling hook is the last thing I would think of when preparing for a backpacking trip. I’m not a ninja or Batman so what do I need a grappling hook for? That said, it is pretty cool.

I suppose you can use it to climb up a tree to get away from a bear or wolf assuming you have the grappling hook ready for use, have laser point accuracy and you can climb fast enough. You can also use it to catch a broken fishing line, tear down phone lines, reposition barb wire emplacements, disrupt wires, move packages and bags, rake and break window and tear down down blinds.

If you think really hard, you might come up with other damaging (or useful) things to do with a pocket grappling hook. Try using it to grab a coconut from the tree, it’d be fun.

Even though it was designed to pull trip wires and not for life support, the grappling hook has been tested at more than 350 lbs so unless you’re the Incredible Hulk, you can use it for climbing like the guy in the video below.

The warning on the site was probably just a precautionary measure to avoid a lawsuit.

The Pocket Grappling Hook by Maratac was originally built by EOD Robotics Inc. at a request of a Desert Warfare Operator. It measures 1″ by 5.5″ without the removable hooks which can be stored in the water-resistant o-ring filled body. You can also add weight to it by adding sand, dirt or water into the body.