DURANGO D4 PORTALEDGE User manual

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D4 PORTALEDGE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
SAFETY WARNING: Never depend on a portaledge to be a primary safety device - it is NOT a
primary safety device like your harness or climbing rope. For use in an elevated setting,
ALWAYS use a harness and rope with proper climbing techniques, and tie into the main rope
using a Prusik or ascender to enable mobility and to ensure as little slack as possible between
you and the main anchor at all times. Understand and accept the inherent risks of climbing.
You are responsible for your own actions and decisions.
Any portaledge can be overloaded if not set up correctly, so be sure you practice and test your
equipment thoroughly before actual use on vertical.
Below are instructions on using the D4 Portaledge. The latest D4 setup videos are available on our
Facebook page: http://facebook.com/bigwallgear/videos or google “D4 new Portaledge setup June
2017”
VIDEO 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Oy5LdNpszs&feature=youtu.be
VIDEO 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVBZ5Z3uDWQ
BEFORE YOU CLIMB!
SEAM SEALING
Your D4 Portaledge needs to be seam-sealed
manually before using it. Done properly, you will
have a superior waterproof product. It is the user’s
responsibility to properly prepare the D4 portaledge
for weather by sealing all relevant stitching as
described below, and testing under a hose to verify
proper sealing.
Use the Shoe-Goo provided with your D4
portaledge to seal all sewing machine stitch holes
and obvious seams. Shoe Goo is an excellent
urethane waterproofing product. It is best to seam
seal on a warm day (so the Shoe Goo flows
properly), but not too hot (otherwise the Shoe-Goo
dries before you can spread it fully over the
seams).
There are three main areas to seal:
1. TOP CLIP-IN. Be sure to seal the top 1-inch clip loop extremely well. Seal both the 1-inch
webbing at the top of rain fly, as well as the inside and between the cone and fly. Done
properly, your ledge will be completely watertight.

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2. RAIN FLY ZIPPER AREA. Apply Shoe-Goo
to the vertical stitches of the zipper and the
flap on the front of the rain fly.
3. SCUFF GUARDS. Seam seal where the wall
scuff attaches to the rain fly. Also seal the
seams on the outside corner scuff guards.
DEPLOYMENT & ASSEMBLY
1. Unzip the Haul bag and carefully unfold the portaledge. Let it drop below you RIGHT SIDE UP
and free of tangles. The bed tensioners should be on the top of the properly set up ledge.
2. Assemble the "long" metal tubes first - these are the 3-section tubes on the "Wall Side" (the
side that rests against the wall or tree) and the "Airside" (the side that is furthest from the wall).
Note that the D4 ledge has reinforcements on both sides and can be set up with EITHER side
against the wall (“ambidextrous”).
3. Next, assemble the "Ends" (the two end tubes with the bed tensioners).
IMPORTANT TIP: Be sure to push the fabric bed down toward the center as much as possible
when assembling the metal tubes. If the fabric is too close to the curved corners, it can be very
hard to assemble and disassemble the portaledge. Try to fit one end as best as possible first
then move to the other end. With a little practice, tube assembly can be done in one go
without the other end falling out.
Once one end is in, the other end usually snaps in fully-inserted. Sometimes, when the last
two end joints do not seem to want to go together, you can push one corner against the wall,
and the portaledge squares up and all joints fully snap in place.
DOUBLE-CHECK TO MAKE SURE ALL TUBES ARE FULLY INSERTED BEFORE
WEIGHTING THE LEDGE.
We recommend painting a little marker on the tubes to help identify how far one tube is
inserted into the other. Watch the videos for more tips on assembling the frame.
4. Next, tension the bed using the six bed tensioners. It is important to only fully tension the bed
when it is sitting perfectly flat. This takes a bit of practice to do well. Lightly tension one side
(3 tensioners) as evenly as possible, then move to the other side and tension the center
tensioner first while the portaledge is flat. If the portaledge starts to “taco” during tensioning,
push it against a flat surface to get it flat.
Next, tension the other two bed tensioners, in small steps, incrementally. Tensioned properly,
the D4 portaledge will be flat like a board and very resistant to “taco-ing.” On the other hand,
a sloppy tensioning job will result in a taco puzzle.
IMPORTANT NOTE! ALWAYS MAKE ADJUSTMENTS WITH ONLY ONE PERSON IN
LEDGE!

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5. Adjust the suspension so the bed is level. For best results, gradually begin weighting the
center of bed so weight is evenly distributed on the suspension straps. As you gradually
increase your weight on the portaledge, make adjustments in small steps, so the ledge
remains flat and level. The final adjustment must be done precisely so the portaledge sits
flat.
IMPORTANT TIP: If setting up on a slab, do NOT clip the portaledge directly or close to the
anchor. Instead, use one or two full-strength slings between the ledge clip-in point on top of
the rain fly and the anchor. This will help avoid the need to excessively shorten the wall side
straps to get the ledge level.
6. Get settled in. Always tie into the main rope and be as maneuverable as possible with a
Prusik or an ascender. You can now put up the portaledge bed divider (center fin) if desired.
RAIN FLY
The D4 Portaledge comes prepared with the rain fly attached to the ledge by a carabiner. The top
1-inch loop connects the ledge to the rain fly clipped in to the main anchor.
To deploy the rain fly, simply pull it out of the haul sack, wrap it around the ledge, fit the corner straps,
and zip up the door.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure to raise the suspension so that the weight load is entirely on the six
ledge suspension straps, NOT on the rain fly itself! You will rip the rain fly with the corner straps
secured if you lower the suspension too far. Watch the videos for more details.
DISASSEMBLY & RE-PACKING
1. To disassemble the portaledge, pull apart the end tubes first using your foot as
leverage if needed. Let the tubes collapse toward the center.
2. Pull apart the remaining side tubes and let them collapse toward the center.

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3. Fold over the tubes and bed material and stuff into the haul bag.
4. Stuff the rain fly into the haul sack internal pocket.
5. Zip up the haul sack and go!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure the bed divider (center fin) is DOWN before disassembling the ledge.
Always make sure the main load on the portaledge is on the main suspension straps, NOT on the
center bed dividers.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
GENERAL: Inspect all aspects of this product prior to each use, especially the suspension system.
Wear and tear might result in an unsafe system—do not use if the product has any damaged or worn
parts, and keep away from fire or open flame. Never cook inside a portaledge.
SHOCKCORD: Check the shock cord before every climb. This design depends on the integrity of the
shock cord, so make sure it hasn't gotten cut when it was exposed in the packed ledge. If after use
the shock cord becomes too loose, re-tension the shock cord to ensure a nice tension when
assembling and disassembling. The single fisherman knot tying the shock cord together is tucked
into one of the curved corners.
FRAME TUBES: Use steel wool as needed to smooth out aluminum tube ends so they fit together
and pull apart easily.
QUICKLINKS: Make sure the quicklinks (the metal screw gate link attaching the bed fins to the 1"
suspension straps) are screwed in all the way. If you weight them with the gate open, they likely
won't fail immediately, but they will bend so it is impossible to turn the screwgate, so you will be doing
the rest of the wall with an open quicklink (no fun). If this happens, replace the quicklink with a full
strength locking carabiner. Open gate quicklinks may eventually fail.
REPAIRS: Repairs may be made at reasonable hourly work rates. Send to Barry Ward, Durango
Sewing Solutions, 273 CR 510, Durango, CO 81303. Email: [email protected]
WARRANTY
The D4 Portaledge is warranted to be free of defects in materials and craftsmanship for a period of at least one
(1) year from date delivered to purchaser. During the warranty period, the unit will be repaired or replaced at no
charge as long as the unit and/or its components have not suffered accidental damage, abuse, abnormal wear
and tear, or improper use as determined by Durango Sewing Solutions / Big Wall Gear, LLC upon inspection.
Such damage will be repaired at the purchaser's expense. The warranty applies to the original purchaser and is
non-transferrable.
Should the purchaser decide to return the D4 portaledge, it must be returned within six (6) months from date
delivered to purchaser in NEW/UNUSED condition for a FULL REFUND. Purchaser must pay return shipping
costs.
D4 CONTACT INFORMATION
Barry Ward, Owner
Durango Sewing Solutions
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.d4portaledge.com