Hi there,

I work with Muscular Dystrophy and summer camp kids at YWCA Camp Cavell in Michigan. We have a technical tree climbing program where we put kids up with arborists equipment into our tall beech trees. This will be the first year the MD kids go up, we had a trial run with three kids last year and have spent the winter working out equipment to take more kids up.

ir Our budget is a little tight and we were looking for somewhere to let the kids rest on the way up or to hang out a while with out their weight on their harnesses.

We are looking for used portaledges, but with a tight budget, I was wondering if you might need a little tax write off : )

Stay safe!

Jill

-- Jill Laidlaw (cavell@greatlakes.net), May 11, 2002

Answers

Hi Jill

Portaledges are pretty expensive because they have to be light and collapsable. It doesn't sound like you have need for either. They aren't particularly easy or stable to jump in and out of if you are a kid unfamiliar with climbing. You might consider building some platforms with 2x4s and plywood. Very stable and durable, low cost.

Just my 2cents

Karl

-- Karl Baba (guide@newsguy.com), June 07, 2002.

Yeah, you could make something sturdy for a lot cheaper than a porta- ledge would cost. The only problem is that it wouldn't be something that is rated, and if something on it broke, then the YWCA would be responsible. But if you just overbuild the crap out of it and inspect it fairly often, and try and protect it from long term exposure to the elements, you should be fine. Be sides, if they're all cliped in, as long as people are not below it, everybody would be fine if it did go.

-- Jim Davis (jmdavis384@aol.com), March 20, 2003.

Thanks for the input, we will look at building something this summer. Last summer we ended up putting up a couple of mini- trampolines on long rope that could be taken up and swung in the air or just hung around on. We added a camp 4inch foam mattress to one and made it into a flying lazyboy longe, but none of the kids wanted to use it no matter how uncomfortable the equipment was for them. They wanted to climb with the real equipment. We stuffed in foam, added backrest and head rests and made them as comfortable as possible. Once we got them up we had a real problem getting them down, they loved it in the trees and could have swung up there forever. We even took up some kids with thier battery operated ventilators. What a wonderful experience for us and them.

Thanks for your interest! Jill

-- Jill Laidlaw (cavell@greatlakes.net), March 23, 2003.