CharlieTN
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 517
Recently in the forums and on facebook there has been a bit of an “anti-Safeguard” sentiment and to be honest it’s partly well-deserved, but by no fault of the device itself. The Safeguard by Madrock has become a bit of a cultish icon among the saddle hunting community with both defenders and attackers. With the demand has come the inflated pricing, some would say gouging, and that has caused the anti-sentiment to rise.
This cultish status has caused people to say over and over again “you don’t need a safeguard to rappel or one-stick climb” and they are factually correct. There are many, many different ways and devices that you can use to rappel down after the hunt. The most minimalist is the simple Munter Hitch, followed by the classic Figure-8 or ATC. From there, there are several different mechanical and non-mechanical devices which will get you down safely out of the tree.
I want to take a moment though to defend the lowly Safeguard that has become caught up in this war of ideals and budgets and say why I prefer it. I began saddle hunting using my HSS safety harness paired with a custom sitdrag type saddle climbing 3 Hawk Helium sticks, hanging from a tree-tether using a friction hitch. It worked well and got me into this great new way of hunting. From there I transitioned to single-stick climbing and a traditional style saddle. My current setup consists of the mini-Shikar with angled scout and a 3-step aider. My rappel rope/tether is 36’ of 9mm HTP and I’m attached the entire climb with the Safeguard.
I have never been comfortable with what the hunting industry advises for you to do if there is an accident while elevated in a stand or saddle, simply hang there until help comes. Often times I am in an area with little to no cell-service so that could mean a really long hang. So from the very beginning of my elevated hunting career I have been looking for a means of self rescue. I’ve looked into and considered essentially two tethers to descend, using my lineman’s to work my way down the tree in conjunction with the tether, and other systems using various additional gear. Each time I came back to the reality that the traditional way of one-stick climbing using the rappel rope as the tether the entire time was without a doubt the simplest and safest, especially when attached the entire climb with my rappel system. If there is a problem, especially one that causes a severe injury, by using the Safeguard the entire climb, I am simply one small step away from rappelling down the tree. Drop the rappel rope, grab the brake end, pull the lever and voila I’m down at any point during my climb or hunt.
This is why I prefer to use the Safeguard (or other equivalent device) as my primary attachment point while one-stick climbing. Yes, I can, through various techniques switch over to my rappel system at any point but if I have just slipped off of a stick and stuck the step deep into my leg, that is the last thing I want to mess with. I want to get down the tree as quickly and safely as possible. Working through the transition to other rappel methods, while under the kind of stress that would come if there was an injury, is just more than I care to mess with.
So yes, there are lots of other methods and gear that can be used to rappel down after the hunt. But for me there is a lot more to consider than simply rappelling down afterwards. There is the safety and self-rescue aspect to be considered throughout the entire hunt. If you have another system, or the budget won’t allow for the price of a Safeguard (with inflated prices) then by all means use what you have. Be sure to think through and practice what you would do to self-rescue in the event something went major wrong. I would also suggest you save your pennies and buy a Safeguard, or equivalent device in the off-season. Don’t wait until the season is upon us.
As a side note, it is my understanding that the Trango Vergo and the Grigri+ will also work in the same manner as the Safeguard so would make great alternatives.
This cultish status has caused people to say over and over again “you don’t need a safeguard to rappel or one-stick climb” and they are factually correct. There are many, many different ways and devices that you can use to rappel down after the hunt. The most minimalist is the simple Munter Hitch, followed by the classic Figure-8 or ATC. From there, there are several different mechanical and non-mechanical devices which will get you down safely out of the tree.
I want to take a moment though to defend the lowly Safeguard that has become caught up in this war of ideals and budgets and say why I prefer it. I began saddle hunting using my HSS safety harness paired with a custom sitdrag type saddle climbing 3 Hawk Helium sticks, hanging from a tree-tether using a friction hitch. It worked well and got me into this great new way of hunting. From there I transitioned to single-stick climbing and a traditional style saddle. My current setup consists of the mini-Shikar with angled scout and a 3-step aider. My rappel rope/tether is 36’ of 9mm HTP and I’m attached the entire climb with the Safeguard.
I have never been comfortable with what the hunting industry advises for you to do if there is an accident while elevated in a stand or saddle, simply hang there until help comes. Often times I am in an area with little to no cell-service so that could mean a really long hang. So from the very beginning of my elevated hunting career I have been looking for a means of self rescue. I’ve looked into and considered essentially two tethers to descend, using my lineman’s to work my way down the tree in conjunction with the tether, and other systems using various additional gear. Each time I came back to the reality that the traditional way of one-stick climbing using the rappel rope as the tether the entire time was without a doubt the simplest and safest, especially when attached the entire climb with my rappel system. If there is a problem, especially one that causes a severe injury, by using the Safeguard the entire climb, I am simply one small step away from rappelling down the tree. Drop the rappel rope, grab the brake end, pull the lever and voila I’m down at any point during my climb or hunt.
This is why I prefer to use the Safeguard (or other equivalent device) as my primary attachment point while one-stick climbing. Yes, I can, through various techniques switch over to my rappel system at any point but if I have just slipped off of a stick and stuck the step deep into my leg, that is the last thing I want to mess with. I want to get down the tree as quickly and safely as possible. Working through the transition to other rappel methods, while under the kind of stress that would come if there was an injury, is just more than I care to mess with.
So yes, there are lots of other methods and gear that can be used to rappel down after the hunt. But for me there is a lot more to consider than simply rappelling down afterwards. There is the safety and self-rescue aspect to be considered throughout the entire hunt. If you have another system, or the budget won’t allow for the price of a Safeguard (with inflated prices) then by all means use what you have. Be sure to think through and practice what you would do to self-rescue in the event something went major wrong. I would also suggest you save your pennies and buy a Safeguard, or equivalent device in the off-season. Don’t wait until the season is upon us.
As a side note, it is my understanding that the Trango Vergo and the Grigri+ will also work in the same manner as the Safeguard so would make great alternatives.