Is OP still around?
I've been researching personal escape systems for the past few years and have come to the following conclusion regarding grappling hooks:
1) Grappling hooks are attractive but not very practical. It's difficult to throw a hook upward for multiple stories without some kind of launching mechanism.
2) A fishing weight on the end of your rope will allow you to take advantage of the Capstan Equation (not "Capstan Effect" as previously stated by another anon)
3) Rappelling often doesn't require a hook of any kind. You can tie your rope down to a load-bearing anchor.
If you find yourself trying to get atop a 1 or 2 story structure and can easily spot a load-bearing structure for your hook (such as steel beams, thick tree branches, or fire escape ladders), then it might be applicable.
However, anchoring to a structure you can't see is extremely dangerous regardless of how high you will be climbing. Say you try to get atop a 1 story abandoned building in order to explore it. You hook something and it seems like it will hold your weight, but then you start to climb and the hook slips off - now your hook is coming at you fast, and you're stunned from the fall. Guess who's getting impaled?
All the safety and reality talk aside, a grappling hook is a very cool idea and has inspired many people to try and create a Batman-like device:
Colin Furze:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OyoWAZEcIEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arbNxONg88chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESFewdU0JcABYU Students:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWrEfczSNE8Mike S:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-kPGOR2gsQHope this was helpful. Please don't die!
