The Smart Alpine is my favourite device for long belays and long days. They all perform the same functions so why compare the four designs? After almost a year of using all four devices on a rotating basis, I have come up with some inevitable comparisons. My scale shows the Ovo to be 57 grams, the Smart Alpine registers 118 grams, the Reverso comes in at 57 grams, while the ATC Guide weighs 90 grams. The Camp Ovo is the lightest and simplest device, in essence being a plate-type design with the addition of two large holes on either end allowing it to function in ‘guide mode.’ This is the easiest device to manage in ‘guide mode’ due to the size of the end holes and two spacious rope slots. Due to this additional mode, the Mammut is both heavier and bulkier than the other two devices, though not overly so. It can be used as a regular belay and rappel device with a single or double rope system, it also has an auto locking ‘guide’ mode for bringing up seconds as well as the highlight feature, an auto locking mode for both belay and rappel. The Mammut Smart Alpine is most easily described as a modified tube-style device. The Reverso 4 has scalloped sidewalls for weight savings, and as the Black Diamond device, an enlarged hole for the auto lock release. The current version of the ATC Guide has cutouts in the sidewalls and a larger hole (in comparison to previous models) for the auto lock release. Both devices feature multiple friction modes and a ‘guide mode’ for bringing up seconds. The BD and Petzl device have undergone numerous permutations over the years. A fairly new contender is the Mammut Smart Alpine, a tube-style device with the ability to autolock in the event of a leader fall, and a plate-style device rarely seen amongst recreational climbers but quite common with guides, the Camp Ovo. There are probably a hundred different belay devices on the market, yet around here, only two are commonly seen on climbers’ harness: the Black Diamond ATC Guide and the Petzl Reverso.
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