Pole Stretchers

The oldest stretcher design for a reason: a fabric bed on two carrying poles, the lightest, simplest, most affordable patient carry in the catalog. Two models with full specifications.

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Pole Stretchers: The Simplest Patient Carry in the Line

A pole stretcher is a fabric bed stretched between two carrying poles, and everything about it follows from that simplicity: it is the lightest full-length carry in the stretcher catalog, the least expensive, the fastest to teach, and it rolls or folds around its poles into a slender bundle for storage. Militaries, first aid organizations and workplaces have staged this design for a century because a two-person team can deploy it with almost no training. The two models below list bed material, pole construction, rated load and rolled dimensions on their product pages.

Shop Pole Stretchers

Everything MSEC carries in Pole Stretchers, shown in full. Specifications are supplied by the manufacturer. For current pricing, lead time or a quote on a purchase order, call toll free 877-706-4480.

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Lightweight Aluminum Break Apart Pole Stretcher
Item# 016JSA Units: single $134.29
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Lightweight Aluminum Medical Corps Pole Stretcher
Item# AN-105JSA Units: single $180.00

Choosing Between Models?

The Portable & Break-apart Stretchers Buying Guide walks through the decisions behind a pole stretchers purchase: a comparison method, the mistakes that cause returns, and a pre-order checklist, with downloadable PDF guides.

Read the Buying Guide

Where Does a Pole Stretcher Fit Today?

It fits wherever the requirement is a basic flat-ground carry at minimum cost and weight: workplace first aid stations, first aid posts at events, training programs that consume stretchers in drills, and as the high-quantity readiness layer in large facilities where staging a unit in every zone matters more than staging the most capable unit anywhere. Organizations that expect stairs, terrain or spinal packaging step up to the foldable, basket or backboard families instead; the pole stretcher’s job is the simple carry done cheaply and reliably.

What Are the Real Limits of the Design?

Two honest limits shape the purchase. First, the flexible bed provides no rigidity, so any situation calling for spinal precautions calls for a backboard, not a pole stretcher. Second, the arithmetic of the carry: two rescuers manage flat ground, but stairs and distance make it a four-person tool because the poles concentrate load at the ends. Buyers who plan around both limits get exactly what the design promises; buyers who expect a pole stretcher to do a basket stretcher’s work do not.

What Should Buyers Check on Bed and Pole Construction?

The bed fabric and its attachment to the poles carry the entire load, so the specification points that matter are the fabric’s coating and fluid resistance, the stitching or sleeve construction along the poles, and the pole material itself, typically aluminum or hardwood. Rated load is published per model and assumes an evenly loaded, fully supported bed. For staged units, a periodic fabric and stitching inspection is the whole maintenance program.

How Do Buyers Deploy Pole Stretchers in Quantity?

This is the stretcher bought by the dozen. Large facilities, event operators and training programs order multiples and stage them across zones, which makes the rolled storage dimension and the per-unit price the deciding specifications. Straps, wall brackets and storage bags from the Stretcher Kits & Accessories category complete each staged unit, and a single consolidated quote across quantity plus accessories is the economical way to order. The team prices quantity orders at 877-706-4480.