Porta Wrap

[Groundman One]

Got one last week and used it for the first time today. Medium size, the large wasn`t availble. Bought a whoopie sling, too. (We work with minimal gadgets but this porta-thing just looked too cool.) Tried it first with a piece about 150lbs and it lowered effortlessly. Next piece was about 300lbs and it was effortless as well. Nothing actually required lowering but we wanted to see how well it worked. And boy did it work well. Can`t wait to use this thing in a situation that actually requires it.

A problem, if you would call it that, is that the porta-wrap locks up the falling piece, which means the climber either has to control the piece after it`s cut or be ready to avoid a swing back before it gets lowered. So if you have a heavy piece that requires a controlled descent and you know the piece is very heavy but not how heavy, i.e., how many wraps you take to control it, odds are you will take enough wraps to have the piece lock up or at least fall so slowly that you risk having the piece swing back on the climber. I can`t see leaving slack in the rope to have the piece fall clear of the climber before it locks as that will put too much impact on the gear, or will create such force that maybe the piece will fall too fast for some distance after the impact even with the wraps.

Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[JeffL]

Take fewer wraps. Yes, there are some situations where we might take a small risk by having the piece lock up on the friction device, but more often than not, less wraps is favorable (to us). We'd rather see the piece come smashing down and smoosh a shrub or something rather than see the top of the tree snap off when it gets shock loaded all to hell and drag the climber with it.

You'll get a better feel for it. I've been on both ends of it (shock loading, AND a nice smooth drop). You get an idea pretty quick of what size piece is gonna take for wraps. 1/2" lines usually glide pretty good, but I find that alot of the super braid/stable braid type bull ropes usually require less wraps for a similar sized piece than 1/2" lines, as they bind up alot more on the porta-wrap.

I mean its to the point now I can run the ground for an entire tree removal and never ask the climber once, or have him have to tell me how many wraps to take. You look up, see the piece, usually have some idea if its running/swinging/holding it, and take the appropriate wraps.

 

[Nailsbeats]

We just use less wraps. Figure what you would need to lock it up, then use one less and let it run a little, if you estimated right you should be able to slow it down or stop it after the run, just takes practice. It doesn't take many wraps to get good control, even with the big pieces.

 

[Groundman One]

You'll get a better feel for it.

That would be the truth, wouldn`t it.
We`ve used nothing but rope for lowering until now. My climber and I have been together for six-years so we have a very good understanding of each other`s capabilities, but this porta-thing is brand new and neither of us knows what the limits are. He`ll be apt to cut big with this thing and I`ll be apt to be cautious and over wrap to avoid a Whìiiiiiiiiz..... BANG! on the downside. Definitely need more practice.

Fewer wraps. Interesting. I`ll try it out. (By the by, we`re using a 1/2 rope.)

What kinds of loads have you guys handled with your porta-wraps?

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[pdqdl]

I had the same problems when I bought ours

The trend seems to be towards using too many wraps.

Use one wrap on stuff you would not wrap at all. Then keep cutting bigger stuff until you start to feel the pressure. Then add wraps to match.

 

[JeffL]

Experiment on a job where you have no targets, and could have otherwise just outright felled the tree, so if something ends up smashing to the ground, at worst you glazed a rope up a bit, and nothing else.

With the porta-wrap set on the bumper of our bucket truck, I've locked off logs of Sugar Maple probably 30" in diameter and 7-8' long with some 3/4" stable braid. Just notch em, cut em, and let them slap the trunk. (Tip tied the pieces and pulled them uphill slightly to our "landing zone" with a Bobcat while slowly letting out slack from the porta-wrap).

If there is at all a question, its usually more appropriate in my opinion to take a wrap less than you might think is necessary if you are unsure. Like I said, I'd rather break something on the ground, than a kill a climber. Yes, seems a bit drastic, but why risk it for a piece of wood? Shock loading = bad!

 

[Groundman One]

Experiment on a job where you have no targets, and could have otherwise just outright felled the tree, so if something ends up smashing to the ground, at worst you glazed a rope up a bit, and nothing else.

That`s what we did today for a bit. Need to do it more methinks.

I've locked off logs of Sugar Maple probably 30" in diameter and 7-8' long with some 3/4" stable braid.

That`s a very serious piece of wood for a rope descent. Do you think that was close to max WLL for the gear?

Were they slow but unstopable descents or did you mean you were really able to lock them off and stop them in mid descent.

 

[woodchux]

Do any of you guys ever use the portawrap up in the treetop instead of a block or pulley?

 

[JeffL]

That`s what we did today for a bit. Need to do it more methinks.



That`s a very serious piece of wood for a rope descent. Do you think that was close to max WLL for the gear?

Were they slow but unstopable descents or did you mean you were really able to lock them off and stop them in mid descent.

It was a declining tree next to a parking lot on a hillside. It was on the low side of the parking lot, with the trunk being maybe 10-15' lower than the parking lot down a hill. A few of the log pieces we tip tied with a pull line, and butt-hitched the logs, keeping the eye-splice and block as close to the notch as possible, to minimize the free fall of the log. Guy in the bucket got them all set, dropped the logs off, let them fall off the top, slap the trunk, and then with the pull line tied off to a loader, we'd pull the log over to the parking lot, one end suspended off the pull line, and the other off the block. We wanted to avoid having to drag the logs up the hill and damage the turf, and possibly a sidewalk and railing down below, so it worked out that way.

 

[pdqdl]

YES! Not only is it stronger (less load on the TIP, but more load on the port-a-wrap), sometimes it is easier on the climber.

It's really the best way if you question the strength of your tie in point, and it will also let the climber tend his own line if manpower is short (or if he just wants to run the rope).

 

[Climbing Fool]

Love my porta wrap. So does my 58kg wife who groundies for me on a regular basis. Practise is a great idea. We worked our way up when first using a wrap. Now wifey takes down blocks we can hardly lift with the loader. That would make them over 250kg a piece. Of course if you are shocking any rope with 250 kg dropping even a metre you will be buying new hauling ropes pretty quick.

Keep on Wrapping!

 

[toddstreeservic]

I usually put as few wraps as I can get away with and then hold the tail with a hip belay just in case. If you have too many wraps it is easy enough to flip a couple off.

 

[Arboreal Terror]

Porta Wraps rock

A good way to protect your climber from backswinging pieces is to attach a second hauling rope to the karabiner of the porta wrap hauling rope. A second pair of hands holds/pulls this rope to keep the piece under control and also direct it to a suitable position on the ground.

 

[Mike Cantolina]

This tree was done entirely with a portawrap before I got the GRCS.

http://s537.photobucket.com/albums/ff340/totaltree/loblolly pine va beach/

Sorry the pics aren't all in the right order.

Edit: Added a video clip.

Mike

 

[toddstreeservic]

looked like a beautiful day for the 2nd of december! Nice work!

 

[Mike Cantolina]

looked like a beautiful day for the 2nd of december! Nice work!

Beautiful day it was! That was line clearance in VA Beach though. I'm doing my own thing now.

Mike

 

[oldirty]

hey i like the porta wrap too!


great pics mike. thanks.


the porta wrap is tough on someone who has really only natural crotch roped for their career. just coming through the porta is a wrap in itself. never mind how many wraps you take and if your using the pegs too. give it time though and it'll be all that you use for the big stuff.

i like them and the only thing i dont like about them is the twist they put on your rope, turns into a pain wrapping it up at the end of the day.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

port a wrap

We just finished a big ash today. Two stems 20" and 30". We lowered almost everything because of the lawn below. Took us 3 days and 4 dump truck loads of firewood. Wish I had some pics. The port-a-wrap worked great. Although my groundie wrapped wrong once on a 450 lb piece and my 5/8 stablebraid had to loose a few feet to get it loose. The one thing I have found with my port-a-wrap is that the original finish is a little rough and once ropes have been run enough to make it shine it works alot smoother and doesn't lock up as easily. Works great though...... Mike

 

[kennertree]

Nice pics Mike. In a few of those pics I noticed your lifeline and lanyard were below your block. Be careful, when lowering a big chunk the block can cut your lifeline and lanyard. I used to do it that way too and posted a pic on here of lowering some large chunks and someone brought it to my attention. I put them above the block now, it's safer.

 

[Groundman One]

This tree was done entirely with a portawrap before I got the GRCS.

http://s537.photobucket.com/albums/ff340/totaltree/loblolly pine va beach/

Sorry the pics aren't all in the right order.

Edit: Added a video clip.

Mike

Excellent pics. Damn fine work, too.