Long story short...I find myself about to do some (theatre) rigging. I'm a climber and have some gear and have seen the riggers with their stuff. Took the time to get some 'new toys'... a Chest ascender and a double pulley.

When up on the 'grid' (theatre reference) you need to haul the chain up about 100 feet. the pulley and ascender make it possible for one person to haul it up and the ascender prevents it from dropping back down.

Thinking about this, I thought why in the world haven't I had this for years. It is JUST the type of thing to have for emergency prep! And with a second pulley (and enough rope) and easy mechanical 3:1 advantage! Seems like the type of thing other might be interested in. No power required and it would allow one person to haul/lift loads to a height MUCH more easily.

Are you talking about a "Z" rig? - needs about two pulleys, a couple of prusiks, and ideally,an ascender. Technical rigging ability is a useful skill, in lots of ways....

DISLAIMER to those unfamiliar: I refer ONLY to Certified climbing/rigging gear. A 'strap' is a generic term. The straps we use are certified to hold weight it tons. I am NOT referring to improvisation gear.

Not familiar with the term "Z" rig. No prusiks 'needed' with this. The ascender takes that place. Right now the setup I'm using is a tie in (strap over beam) with the pulley attached and the ascender attached (carabiner) to the pulley. Rope run through to allow for hauling and no back sliding. Realized I should get a second pulley (and more rope) for mechanical advantage. Right now no advantage is needed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-drag

A picture (diagram) is worth a thousand words. Ascenders can be substituted for the prusiks, although a properly tied prusik with good rope is usually stronger. This is a standard rig in SAR, typically employed is moving a loaded stretcher up a slope. There is a theoretical 3:1 advantage, although friction does take its toll, especially if you have no pulleys and have to substitute carabiners.

Yes a "Z" rig. Our setup is much simpler... and no prusiks.

So what do expect to haul up? I certainly have hauled people up and once hauled a van out of the snow, but not something I expect to do randomly?

(microtraxion is my pulley with progress capture of choice for small stuff)

If you don't already, overhead lifting should have some sort of secondary belay.

arborists have some interesting stuff for raising and lowering people and branches.

A prussic minding pulley with a short prussic also works amazingly well.
You can get heat resistant prussics now too,
https://www.bluewaterropes.com/product/vt-prusik/
tho the ones I carry climbing are a Dynamic nylon so they can also be a stand alone leash with dynamic properties.
https://www.bluewaterropes.com/product/dynamic-prusik-cord/

The system is used for hauling up motors. For example... we 'rigged' 51 points plus 6 'inverts'. The 51 points were simple... the motor remains on the deck and the chain (with the hook secured to a loop of cable) is hauled up (100 feet) and a steel pipe is placed and secured through the loop of cable. No 'gear' other than the rope we use to pull. One guys pulls the second places pipe.

The 'inverts' are the same motors BUT the MOTOR is hauled up instead. The motors we hung the other day were One Ton motors. The motors are where we use the pulley and 'ascender'. Motor weight (VERY ROUGH WEIGHT) can be 150-300 lbs (too many companies make too many to give a good weight). The pulley/belay device is hung from an overhead beam. Rope is dropped to deck and the working end is dropped to the grid (we are standing on) to another pulley to allow 4-6 people to haul the line at about waist level. Similar cable loop is on the top of motor and the pipe is placed through that.