Lessons learned after nearly dropping a log through a roof.

Matias · Nov 15, 2023

So, my buddy was in the saddle for this one, and I was running the rope. It's a dead white fir 30" from a house with the septic tank and the propane tank immediately at it's base. Bark missing on half the trunk. Good times.

He clears the brush quickly and effortlessly as it was good and dead, and very light. We had the block and break on the next tree 15' away, but the top few pieces were gonna be rigged off the dead one, as it was taller, and the climber felt comfortable with it.

I was told to just hook into the porty with 0 wraps, but the top only fell about 10' before it just stopped. I had zero grip at all on the rope, but it was just so light and crispy, it wouldn't run until I took it off the brake.

For the next piece I was extra paranoid about it not running, as I was told to put a full wrap in to take a decent piece. Climbers' call.

It was the correct amount of friction. Probably. I didn't get to find out, because I had such a loose grip to make sure it could run this time, the party did its floppy thing when the piece came free, and it popped a half wrap off. I assume that it has happened to many of you. I didn't have anyone holding the rope behind me, and I refused to lose this piece into the roof, so I dug in my heels and bounced about 15' along stopping it about 2' before I would just have to let go to not lose a few fingers.

Thereafter, I started to reach way forward while he was cutting to pull it the slack quickly as the piece fell and time my release of the rope to the moment the tension returned naturally.

I know that it could have been done safer by doing several things differently, but it was not my show, and not my insurance on the line, and at the end of the day, everything worked out and we got paid. I am ultimately with them to learn about the outer limits of the forces and materials involved in this work. And to make money, while working with a really fun crew.

Anyway, I would love to hear any other portawrap tricks that y'all might have to share.

Steve Connally · Nov 15, 2023

Honestly I've never seen a wrap come off the porty. I usually had the slack out of the system and maybe introduced a little with a flip of the line as it was about to grab tension in the drop. I'm guessing it was totally slack then changed orientation when loaded?

Matias · Nov 15, 2023

When you pre tension, the porty is pointing up so to speak. When negative rigging, there's that moment the piece is in free fall before it tensions again. Brief as fuck, but it definitely happens without MA in your pre tension, and he didn't want that on this tree.

For what it's worth, I have never seen it happen before either, hence the awakening.

@Muggs describes it well in a video he posted

evo · Nov 15, 2023

I've had this happen a time or two early on. Part of putting the rope in the porty should be pulling down on the working end and pulling up on the tail. Sometimes even sweating it a little.
Also keeping the porty low as possible on the stem helps, as the groundie would be up hill. Never have I seen it when one of these two things are in place.
One doesnt have to 'kill it' or sweat the line even (but there is a time and place for this too!), just be sure to apply a little pre load and be right on it letting out on the line.

Matias · Nov 15, 2023

evo said:
I've had this happen a time or two early on. Part of putting the rope in the porty should be pulling down on the working end and pulling up on the tail. Sometimes even sweating it a little.
Also keeping the porty low as possible on the stem helps, as the groundie would be up hill. Never have I seen it when one of these two things are in place.
One doesnt have to 'kill it' or sweat the line even (but there is a time and place for this too!), just be sure to apply a little pre load and be right on it letting out on the line.

None of that wasn't explained to me many times. This is why this is so baffling; the porty sling was 6" off the ground and I had two big guys help me sweat the line. This was all done by the book, and yet, without pulling some slack out while the piece was in the microseconds of free fall, and then timing your release perfectly, I am here to say beyond any shadow of a doubt, it can happen, and it has happened.

southsoundtree · Nov 15, 2023

$3 ratchet strap atop the porty making it a mostly fixed board, does wonders.

rico · Nov 15, 2023

I personally don't like, trust, or use porta-wraps..I know most think its a giant colossal pain in the ass, but in about 2 minutes we can have the Hobbs set up.

DSMc · Nov 15, 2023

In situations like this, nothing will beat a fixed bollard, even a small one.

Shadowscape · Nov 15, 2023

I have found a few uses for a Port-a-wrap in horizontal, or near horizontal lowering situations. But for vertical work I want something affixed solidly to the stem. Currently I have a Hobbs and a Stein, and I love both of them. Wouldn't consider grabbing a Port-a-wrap for negative rigging. Flopping around piece of hardware is just asking for trouble.

Friedrich · Nov 15, 2023

i like my portawraps and my hobbs. both have their spot and i can negative rig just fine with both…

did you loose a half wrap when you routed the rope over the top fairlead? i can see that happening and use the top fairlead only when i have a topstrap in place.

Matias · Nov 16, 2023

Friedrich said:
i like my portawraps and my hobbs. both have their spot and i can negative rig just fine with both…

did you loose a half wrap when you routed the rope over the top fairlead? i can see that happening and use the top fairlead only when i have a topstrap in place.

Yes it was off the top

Daniel · Dec 11, 2023

Matias said:
Anyway, I would love to hear any other portawrap tricks that y'all might have to share.

just keep the porty from dropping when the line goes slack...

Muggs · Dec 11, 2023

I was shown very early on to not rig off the top pin on the porty for this reason. You can absolutely lose friction this way when it flops down. Fixed bollards are hands down better, but the porty is just so ubiquitous in North America. I don't knock the porty, it's what I grew up with. Every tree guy by this point, no matter how redneck and inexperienced, has a portawrap, so learning how to use it properly is key in my opinion, rather than just saying "nah, get rid of it, get something better". To me this starts with adding a top strap of some kind. Does it need a top strap for overhead rigging? No, it doesn't, works just fine without it. But getting in the habit of setting it up with a top strap means that it will be there, ready to go when you get into a negative rig situation.

Back when I was bouncing around as a contract climber, I was bringing all my own gear to every job: climbing, cutting, rigging. But the one thing I wasn't bringing was a porty because I always knew that there would be one on site. Not always ideal but we just made do. If I was contracting now, I would be bringing my Stein bollard to every job as well. Very intuitive to quickly teach a groundie how to use it if they are used to a portawrap.