So my neighbor had a little problem yesterday and it made me think about how trapped I would be if there was a fire anywhere in my house..... and how high up my windows are in my bedroom. I sleep at the end of a long hall that is pretty much attached to every room in the house. Time to make a ladder.

Step 1: Materials

Get 100 feet of 3/8th inch rope and a ten foot length of 3/4 inch electrical conduit. You will need some way to cut the pipe and de-burr it. Standard safety gear as well. Gloves, ear plugs, safety glasses, dust mask, steel toes.

Step 2: Prep Pipe

Cut one foot sections, de-burr and sand the pipe ends. Wear gloves for this for sure. Especially sanding. These are razor sharp!

Step 3: Wash Pipe Sections

Don't tell my wife I did this!

Step 4: Find the Middle of Your 100 Foot Rope.

Simple knot. Leave a loop. This knot doesn't look like much but there is no way to screw it up and it can only get tighter.

Step 5: Measure the Top End

You'll want to leave enough up top so the rungs are outside when you put it out the window. If your wife walks in on you with an armful of rope in the bedroom wiggle your eyebrows suggestively till she leaves or smiles.

Step 6: First Rung

Put one end of the rope thru one way and the other the other way.

Step 7: Knot It

On each side where the rope exits the pipe make a loop, tie the simple knot, and tighten it leaving one foot of rope between the rungs.

Step 8: More Rungs

Use the unused rungs as spacers to measure the next rung.

Step 9: Repeat

Keep going till your ladder is finished. Finish the bottom with a simple knot. Tape and cut off the extra.

Step 10: Find a Stud

You can use a magnet to find a couple screws to see which way the studs go.

Step 11: Kiss Your Damage Deposit Goodbye!

So $13 for the rope, $13 for the length of pipe and a couple hours of my time. It will holds my weight and even if it doesn't better to be on my ass on the lawn than trapped in my room. This ladder will only function in one direction so securing it's top to the wall before you need it is a good idea. That and I just saw a house almost the same as mine turn into a flaming shell in about ten minutes so faster is better in this case. I hope you find this useful. And I hope you never need this.