Page
1
of
4
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.
