A port-a-wrap is used for controlling limbs of wood being lowered from the tree. It is attached to the tree with a dead-eye sling or a whoopie sling.A dead-eye sling is attached to the port-a-wrap with a girth hitch, through the large hoop and then attached to the tree with either timber hitch or a cow hitch.
It’s best to attach the sling as low as possible on the tree to gain the most pull when tensioning the port-a-wrap. The rope is attached to the limb that will be removed. A bit of rope is then threaded through the small hoop and around the pipe and pin. The rope is then wrapped around the pipe in a direction that does not allow for the rope to make any sharp turns or angles. Each wrap will gain more friction on the port-a-wrap, allowing for heavier pieces of wood to be lowered.
If the pieces need to be secured, the groundsman can take 4 to 5 wraps and then put a half-hitch over both pins at the end of the port-a-wrap, allowing the groundsman to do other things, while the piece stays tensioned.
In the end, a port-a-wrap is a great way to efficiently manage heavy loads being lowered from trees and it’s a great tool for any crew leader or climber to have in their tool kit.
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