Tripod Ladder - The best friggin' ladder you'll ever want or need to own.

[Dover]

If you are not familiar with tripod ladders, I believe they originated in Asia (Japan) and have
continued to be used there for all kinds of landscape needs. There are numerous reasons why a
tripod ladder is a vast improvement over regular varieties, but perhaps the least obvious one is
its sturdiness. You can do your own circus act on these ladders and you will feel remarkably safe.
The base is VERY broad and the third leg makes it easy to fit in unusual and difficult locations.
The leg is also height-adjustable so that steps and inclines can even be navigated easily.

Besides their sturdiness, the best part is how EXTRA light and easy to carry/set up they are...even the tallest ones. There are some American brand tripod ladders available at 1/3 the cost, but there is just no comparison. They are much heavier (even the aluminum ones) and awkward. I've tried! Like everything the Japanese do, these ladders are elegantly simple. And they are lifetime tools.

I hope they catch on in the states so the price comes down, but at this point very few people are aware of them. And you really can't fully appreciate the difference unless you handle them yourself.

Here's one source:

http://www.niwaki.com:80/