JBDaddy
Well-Known Member
I have not seen the nuts-and-bolts of a Safeguard. Your explanation of its function as compared to the Smart was helpful, thanks! Here’s what still gives me pause about it, and maybe I’m being stupid and missing something critical but this is my current viewpoint: I know the talking point comparing the Lifeguard and Safeguard is the inclusion of a spring, with the Safeguard purposefully lacking that spring. But isn’t there still a spring in the Safeguard handle? If not, how does the handle return to tension when released? (Not trying to be a smart ass, just trying to wrap my mind around the concept. Mechanical things aren’t my forte.) My assumption (if correct) about the handle spring’s existence is what concerns me. It’s an improbable long shot, but the failure of that mechanism if not backed up could send the user into a potential free fall. For that reason, there’s something more comforting to me about the Smart 2.0 being a hunk of metal which I can eyeball instantly and know if it’s tipping a certain direction that rope will be pinched or released vs. an unseen component in the Safeguard which I’m hoping is in good condition and operates correctly. But if I’m wrong about the handle spring, please correct me. I don’t want to spread misinformation when this subject is dangerous enough without false claims being online made by some novice tree climbing hobbyist (me).
Here's some pics to help me explain... I've purposely left the "cover" of the safeguard open so you can see what's going on inside. Normally the "front" black piece I'm holding open would be rotated around to shut the device, and a carabiner would go through the holes in back/front covers to hold it all together and prevent the rope from escaping. But easier to see this way...
Here you can see the rope path in normal use. The line extending up out of frame on the left side is going up to my girth hitch around a tree (or hanging on a door in this case). It goes under the "knuckle" in a U shape, then up and over the right side. The line extending down out of frame on the right goes to where I'd have an autoblock, brake hand, etc.
So the rope path is a sideways S shape. On the right side, you can see where it gets pinched by the spur shape of the knuckle, and the block of metal on the right. Pressure from the carabiner (down, connected to your bridge/harness) )pulls the pinch tighter and stops rope from moving through. As long as the carabiner is weighted, it locks up due to the pinch.
Here's where the safeguard has a spring. The lever I'm holding open is sprung so that it pull down/shut. Look back at the 1st picture, you can see it's laying flat, behind the rope, and partially obscured from view by the back-side black plate. This is the only spring... it keeps that lever handle down so you can't accidentally pull it open (rotating counter clockwise in this pic)
And here's why there's a spring-- look at the rope pinch point when I'm pulling the lever -- it's practically gone. Rope slides right through there as the lever pulls the whole knuckle counter-clockwise and opens the gap.
I don't have a Mammut Smart 2.0 or I'd show pics of how it's similarly creating a pinch, just of different construction.
Both devices come down to the same principle: you're trusting they squeeze your rope tight enough to hold you up. I'm over 250lbs and the safeguard holds me fine. More often than not I don't even use an autoblock because my substantial down force pulling that carabiner pinches the rope so much it's not moving -- and yet the lever action is enough relief to the pinch that I can securely control rope sliding through there to rappel down without additional aid.
Unweighted however - like if I'm standing on a platform and there's no force pulling down the carabiner side of the safeguard, and rope slides right through. As soon as it gets weighted again, it locks up though. If you're concerned about rope slip while standing, you can put a safety knot in the down-side of your rope, and that won't fit through the device, so it won't slip.