Anchoring the Arizona Vortex

[Golzy12]

Hey everyone, I would like to start a conversation on the different ways to anchor the Arizona Vortex when it's in the three leg configuration. The manual says the easel leg needs to be secured for compression and tension. When we anchor the vortex we ideally try to secure each leg to the ground but we don't find that to be an option a lot of the time. Frequently we end up hobbling all of the legs together and then connect a line to the head of the Vortex and then do a truckers hitch back to a rear anchor and apply light tension. What configuration do you guys use?

[stickboy42]

I'm sure this post will start a lengthy discussion both on techniques and opinions on how the vortex should be anchored....

In term of an easel a configuration (EA) and the easel leg only. It should be secured so the blue and gold heads cannot articulated during the operation and be secured for those "dynamic" events we wish to avoid.

My go to methods are:
1) plow rigging: if the easel leg can be stabbed into something to keep it from moving backwards (ie hard dirt, small rock, stump, picket, etc...) you can affix a black web to the head and foot of the easel leg with an appropriate knot creating a piece of webbing you can focus to a reward anchor. focus inline with the anchor and tension. tensioning will drive the easle leg into the before mentioned small object.

2) prusik to the leg inline with the pin: if you are lucky enough to have an anchor you can tie to where the foot meets you are golden. simply attach a prusik in a 2 wrap configuration above the leg pin so it will pull against the pin. tension to this anchor with SOF. done.

3) counter tension forward and back: sometimes you don't have a little object to secure the rear foot too and it will just float in never never land. many times you can anchor the foot forward with webbing and tension to the rear or vice versa. This secures the foot from unwanted horizontal movement but not vertical. you will then have to rely on the resultant providing the downward holding force or get it from some other tie down (ie securing the head, front leg tensioning, etc...) recently i utilized prusiks on a belay front tension element for this method and it worked great. prusik forward of the easel foot, aztek to a prusik to the rear and tensioned. rear easel a didn't budge a bit.

those are my go to methods with the EA frame. On a side note, i will always look for suitable guys hoping for the much more stable sideways A (SA) frame. If you can get a good set of guys (which many times you can) you'll find that the SA sets up quicker and is more stable during the edge transition than the EA frame. less rigging most times in my experience. you don't have to deal with the hinging of the blue and gold heads, and as a second bonus you free up the gold head and leg sections for use elsewhere in your rigging......

mike

[rescue2emt]

Unfortunately I don't have much to add to the thread but I don't want to see it die. I too am interested in seeing the various different methods people are using to anchor the foot end of their high directional anchors. We recently purchased a Terradaptor and we are looking to see some of the different methods people are using.

[ProgressiveRescue]

I'm itching to order the Vortex....If anyone has pics please post them!
Thanks,
Mike Donahue

[bottrigg]

Thanks Stick. Here are a few pics in EA. I've made foot brackets for parapets that work great for pulling back tension. We also use a Born-Ease edge pro that allows us to remove tension and compression from the EA. There's a pic of the foot in a rock pocket. There's also a pic of what is called a "longbow" back tension. This pulls evenly on the top and bottom of the EA and plows it into the ground. You can also just prussik a high pin and do about the same. Don't forget to hobble the A-frame portion of the EA.

[rescue2emt]

Bott I've seen pics of the angle brackets before, maybe another one of your posts. That is exactly what I've been looking for. Thanks

[bottrigg]

Bott I've seen pics of the angle brackets before, maybe another one of your posts. That is exactly what I've been looking for. Thanks

I think I've posted that pic before. Works great for us. I just found some aluminum angle laying around that came off an old fire truck hose bed. I cut it down and had a local fab shop drill and pin the foot studs. One of our guys is a bed liner guy, so I had them sprayed too.

[Golzy12]

I'm sure this post will start a lengthy discussion both on techniques and opinions on how the vortex should be anchored....

In term of an easel a configuration (EA) and the easel leg only. It should be secured so the blue and gold heads cannot articulated during the operation and be secured for those "dynamic" events we wish to avoid.

My go to methods are:
1) plow rigging: if the easel leg can be stabbed into something to keep it from moving backwards (ie hard dirt, small rock, stump, picket, etc...) you can affix a black web to the head and foot of the easel leg with an appropriate knot creating a piece of webbing you can focus to a reward anchor. focus inline with the anchor and tension. tensioning will drive the easle leg into the before mentioned small object.

What is the difference between using a black web (or a longbow back tension as bottrigg called it) as opposed to tying up to the head of the vortex and then tensioning back to an inline anchor. It seems to me that they both do the same job but one is easier to implement, am I missing something? Also I've used tensioning back from the head only to an inline anchor on smooth surfaces with out plowing into anything and it has stayed pretty rock solid, do you guys see anything wrong with this?

P.s Keep up the good conversation, I think this topic is long overdue.

[rescue2emt]

I only have experience with the SMC so its more difficult for me to answer, as the easel leg can be pinned not to rotate, but hobbling the legs together and tensioning to the head in an inline manner should keep things nice and solid. I could see doing it the way mentioned with the prusik to the leg to keep things clean up top.

[bottrigg]

What is the difference between using a black web (or a longbow back tension as bottrigg called it) as opposed to tying up to the head of the vortex and then tensioning back to an inline anchor. It seems to me that they both do the same job but one is easier to implement, am I missing something? Also I've used tensioning back from the head only to an inline anchor on smooth surfaces with out plowing into anything and it has stayed pretty rock solid, do you guys see anything wrong with this?

P.s Keep up the good conversation, I think this topic is long overdue.

I've found that just grabbing the EA head or a leg pin works 99% of the time for EA back tension. You are not missing anything. As long as you can limit forward and backward movement you will be in business. Once under load, if rigged correctly, the resultant force will help solidify the whole operation.

[rescue2emt]

Bott, just another dumb question. I'm curious to see what you guys are using to bolt? I ASSume, by the picture, you are bolting for some of your anchors?

[Golzy12]

When you guys anchor the AZV are you doing anything to prevent thrust away from the edge? If we hobble all three legs together and then tie back from the head to an anchor it doesn't seem to do anything to prevent the thrust they talk about in the newest AZV manual.

What do you guys do differently to anchor when cantilevering the AZV over an edge in the Easel A frame configuration?

[MichaelXYZ]

We just got the vortex, have yet to use it yet in training. I found this manual online, http://www.rockexotica.com/products/...pod_manual.pdf

Are there any better ones out there? We mostly will use it for confined space so I imagine the Easel A frame will be most commonly used. I think this is a good thread.

[Rescue 2 Training]

We just got the vortex, have yet to use it yet in training. I found this manual online, http://www.rockexotica.com/products/...pod_manual.pdf

Are there any better ones out there? We mostly will use it for confined space so I imagine the Easel A frame will be most commonly used. I think this is a good thread.

Nothing easily available or able to be purchased without taking a class.

That being said, I have found that the best way to gain a better understanding after you have the basic concepts down is to just go out and set it up every place you can think of. If it doesn't work, figure out why, digest the reason, and try not to mess it up like that again.

A lot of times it seems that only a seemingly minor change in rigging means the difference between rock solid and sketchy. The key is to be able to figure out why that is and see it before it happens.

Good luck with it. Get out and have fun!

[Golzy12]

That is the best manual I have been able to find, it is way more detailed than the original manual.

[MichaelXYZ]

Good advice. Did not mean to get your thread off topic, but good advice, now back on topic.

[MERT24]

Thanks for posting the manual link. Much more informative that the original manual I have.

[bottrigg]

Rescue Response Gear is putting out some good training information these days. You can find it in the upper right portion of their website under RRG TV. Pat Rhodes has a few vids on the AZV. I've subscribed to their vid program and I highly recommend it for company level training/refresher or just rainy day training plug-ins.