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Homemade Ladder Aiders

Original Post
James F · · Millbrook, NY · Joined Jan 2020 · Points: 0
          I searched around and didn’t find anything on this, will delete if a duplicate or just a dumb idea. I made up a set of ladder aiders, no sewing required, and wanted to put the concept out there for anyone who sees utility in it, or to hear if there is a reason why this style seems less popular than the offset step homebrewed design.          
           1: You need two twenty foot sections of 9/16 webbing, 8 20 inch sections of 9/16, and 10 8 inch sections of one inch.            
            2: Thread a piece of one inch webbing to the center of each of the 20 foot sections, then fold in half. Neatly tie an overhand on each leg thus formed, at 14” or preferred step height, working upwards and equally from the center.          3: Thread a piece of one inch webbing onto the center of each of the 20” long pieces of 9/16 tubular. Then follow back the opposing overhand knots at each step location, forming a water knot.
          4. Tighten up each water knot, taking care to make each step neat and symmetrical, and to leave a two inch tail. Then, tie the free ends of the 20 foot section with a water knot, overhand, frost knot, etc, to form the top of the aider as you desire. A spreader bar may be incorporated here, or clip in points, a grab handle, etc.
           6: Carefully weight to test and weld knots.  
           
James F · · Millbrook, NY · Joined Jan 2020 · Points: 0
James F · · Millbrook, NY · Joined Jan 2020 · Points: 0
Sam Skovgaard · · Port Angeles, WA · Joined Oct 2017 · Points: 208

With repeated loading, a water knot tends to creep over time.  Keep an eye on those tails

Ben Williams · · Van · Joined Sep 2015 · Points: 40
Sam Skovgaard wrote: With repeated loading, a water knot tends to creep over time.  Keep an eye on those tails

I bet you could hand stitch the tails into the main piece to keep from potential slippage. 

This is probably my favorite diy ladders ive seen so far, and with an incorporated pvc spreader up top could prove to be rather practical. .Nice work OP
Nathan E · · Innsbruck · Joined Oct 2005 · Points: 105

Here's a photo of one I made ~15 years ago with spreader bar and sewed the tails down.  Should have added an extra step at the top- for that reason it's mostly sat in a bin somewhere since.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Big Wall and Aid Climbing
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