• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Madrock Safeguard Madness - when will it end?

LoadedLimbs

LoadedLimbs

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2020
Messages
977
Location
Connecticut
Hard to believe the prices that folks have been paying for the Safeguard this year. Ebay auctions were routinely bringing over $200, and sometimes over $300 for them. Now, people are starting to find them in stock occasionally at full retail of $90. Just one year ago, we were able to pick them up on sale at Moosejaw.com for about $60 !!! With so many excellent alternatives at lower cost (ATC's, Figure 8's, etc.) it's madness to pay so much - and I have to believe that once they're back in stock in decent supply the sale prices will dip back down below $70 again.

Screen Shot 2021-10-03 at 12.23.08 PM.png
 
From someone with no interest in a mad rock it is indeed insane… especially considering there are perfectly good alternatives… 15-20 bucks for an atc or figure 8that I only pull out for the rappel…. No extra noise on the climb… less weight… yeah… no thanks
 
No fuss no muss with the safeguard love mine. Prob my favorite pieces of gear. Well worth the $80 I spent on the several I have. Dont have to worry about making wraps and all that on the hard 8 hardware. My D.A. would rappel, stop to grab climbing stick and forget to do the necessary wraps and fall to
My death. Hang in there boys, they will be back soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It will end when supply catches up or Tethrd puts out a video advocating some other device. Once their marketing video featured the safeguard, it was only a matter of time.

I’ve tried it a few times, but it just didn’t click for me. Well it clicked a lot which was a large part of the problem I had with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
drew13 said:
I used an ATC for rappel last year - I didn’t like switching from my ropeman to the ATC when it was time to rap down. Got a safeguard and love it. I climb with it, hunt with it and rap with it. One device that does it all for me.
Click to expand...
I don't take my Ropeman off, I hook a figure 8 on my second bridge to the line above the Ropeman, just open Ropeman to rappel and let close to stop.
 
iamcorey said:
It will end when supply catches up or Tethrd puts out a video advocating some other device. Once their marketing video featured the safeguard, it was only a matter of time.

I’ve tried it a few times, but it just didn’t click for me. Well it clicked a lot which was a large part of the problem I had with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Easily mitigated


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I keep switching between the 2 depending on how I want to climb in general but the MR is my go-to for hunting.

The way I typically climb, I'll use a hand ascender/MR combo, get to height, tether in with a separate tether, disconnect from my climbing rope and store it in a rope bag on my gear strap. When it's time to come down, simply reverse the process.

If I were going to hunt from my climbing rope, I'd switch out the MR for a Duck on the climb/hunt then switch over to a 8 for the rappel.

In short, everyone has their own way of doing things.
 
Aeds151 said:
Easily mitigated


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Stealth strip reduced a good bit of the noise. In the end I just feel safer with a figure 8 or ATC and I find them much smoother as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
iamcorey said:
Stealth strip reduced a good bit of the noise. In the end I just feel safer with a figure 8 or ATC and I find them much smoother as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Ya, I put a strand of dyneema around the round bolt that goes through device where the play is happening. That did more than any tape can do. Whatever you are well versed in using and most familiar with will be safest option and thats all that matters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
loujo61 said:
I don't take my Ropeman off, I hook a figure 8 on my second bridge to the line above the Ropeman, just open Ropeman to rappel and let close to stop.
Click to expand...

Are you using the ropeman to stop your progress or the figure 8? Cuz the teeth on a ropeman can shred a rope in a sudden stop situation. How do you tend the ropeman, figure 8 and brake hand at the same time?

Sorry for so many questions but totallly curious how you’re doing this and trying to figure out if it’s safe to use the ropeman in this way….
 
drew13 said:
Are you using the ropeman to stop your progress or the figure 8? Cuz the teeth on a ropeman can shred a rope in a sudden stop situation. How do you tend the ropeman, figure 8 and brake hand at the same time?

Sorry for so many questions but totallly curious how you’re doing this and trying to figure out if it’s safe to use the ropeman in this way….
Click to expand...
Using the Ropeman to stop and hold, the figure 8 is on the line above the Ropeman so it's taking most of the weight off of it. I tend the Ropeman with my left hand and control the let out with my right hand.
 
Aeds151 said:
Ya, I put a strand of dyneema around the round bolt that goes through device where the play is happening. That did more than any tape can do. Whatever you are well versed in using and most familiar with will be safest option and thats all that matters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I used one of my daughters hair elastics…noise gone!
 
$200 is crazy but if people are willing to pay for it. I wouldn't blame the saddle hunting community on this specifically. Although its a newer system to saddle hunting and for sure ups demand, Covid had a huge part to play in it when sourcing the metal to manufacture and also the plant having the ability post Covid to keep up with demand.

Not hard to source one for cost as you can put notifications on the several websites that are out of stock to notify you.

If it works....it works.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top