Worldwide Acclaim for D4 Design:
Enormocast interview with John Middendorf
Climbing Zine article by Joy Martin
Business Insider article on the D4 Portaledge
Vertical Life article on the D4 Portaledge
Gripped Magazine on the D4 Portaledge
ABC Radio interview on D4 Portaledge Kickstarter
Goodbye Spreader Bars technical info
Nine things to know about cliff camping
D4's innovation of the bullet joint (patent pending) is one of the many new design features that sets a new standard in ease of portaledge setup. D4 ledges deploy the fastest by far, almost self-assembling! And the lightest and most compact thanks to fresh new engineering by John Middendorf.
ORIGINS
D4 stands for "Deuce 4", John Middendorf's Yosemite Valley nickname (in the heyday of the Yosemite Rescue Team, in the 80's, everyone got a nickname whether you liked it or not). Deuce derives from my friends first calling me "Dusseldorf", then Deuce, and the 4 comes from the fact that I was born John William Middendorf IV, and once that became known, the number 4 has followed my nickname ever since. In the 1980's and 1990's, we revolutionised the sport of extreme remote big wall climbing, with the advent of the first truly stormproof portaledges from A5 Adventures, Inc, which offered engineered hanging platforms that allow multiple day climbs to be accomplished safely and with adequate rest in any weather. By 1997, the state of the art A5 Portaledge could withstand any conditions, and the A5 design was duplicated by all the other manufacturers. For the 20 years, not much changed in the art of portaledge design, until the advent of the D4. The successful 2017 D4 Portaledge Kickstarter has spawned more innovation in hanging platforms and collapsible structures. Thanks for your interest!