Measuring is an important part of Wargaming.
However Tape Measures are be very awkward devices - can't be used one handed (need your other hand to pull the tape out), sometimes the lock doesn't hold, weights a lot if you drop it on a figure & your foot, and it can be hard to measure short or tight distances with its bulky size.
A gamer once brought his electric tape measure to a game - it extends & contracts with the push of a button. Rather a handy good idea I admit. But the sound of coffee beans being ground every time he extended and measured and retracted, extended and measured and retracted, extended and measured and retracted, drove me crazy...
I prefer to use a folding ruler - perhaps its eccenticity appeals to me, but I can't think of any reason that it stands out as superior to a tape measure.
The best device I've found so far, is the multi-sectional kids ruler (blue).
Each section is 1", which makes short distances easy to measure without needing numbers. Its flexibility makes measuring short or awkward distances a breeze. And its sorta fun to play with, without any annoying noise. They are difficult to find, but kids stores, teachers stores, etc, can be a start. They are on Ebay (search: plastic folding ruler) (three for ~$10).
