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Aluminum Version A
Aluminum Version B
Steel Version
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| Aluminum Version A | Aluminum Version B | Steel Version |
[ Top | Aluminum Version B | Steel Version B | Return to Double-Stop Bobbins ]
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| Front View | Rear View | Side View |
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| Front View: Open for Rigging | Side View: Open for Rigging |
I acquired my Krok Anti-Panic Aluminum, Version A from Gear4Rocks in 2012. Gear4Rocks is the same company as Krok, the only difference is that the Krok trademark sells gear only inside the Ukraine, and the Gear4Rocks trademark was created to spread Ukrainian gear around the world.
Version A is 195 mm. tall, 120 mm. wide, 33 mm. thick, and weighs 345 g.
The side plates are made from 3.6 mm. aluminum alloy. One plate is fixed, while the other pivots at the top to allow opening for rigging. A shaped spring-loaded pin passing through the top bollard must be aligned and depressed to allow the front plate to open.
The lower bollard is part of an autostop assembly. This bollard is milled from steel, with a shallow rope groove and a nose that acts as a brake. Friction from the main rope’s passage tends to turn the lower bollard and force the nose towards the upper bollard, thus locking the rope and ideally arresting the descent. The rappeller uses the handle to keep the autostop feature disengaged. A aluminum handle is riveted to the fixed side plate side of the lower bollard. The handle portion has a plastic cover for comfort. The lower bollard and handle assembly rotate on an axle bolt. A concealed spring tries to keep the handle to the engaged position, supplementing the action provided by the rope friction. A spring-loaded knurled eccentric roller sits on a post below the lower bollard. A pin on the rear plate limits this roller’s rotation. If the rappeller chooses to panic and pull the handle downward, the rope is squeezed between the lower bollard and this roller, providing some braking force.
The upper large bollard is riveted to the rear plate. Made from aluminum, the bollard is cut away on its lower side to provide a flat surface to act as an anvil for the cam action of the autostop feature.
The topmost bollard is an 8.1 mm. steel rod.
Most of the metal parts are painted with a mottled-finish paint. There are no markings on this device.
I do not encourage panic, but many people prefer to panic in situations where sensible people would not. Even with the anti-panic feature, the required action in an emergency situation is letting go of the descender, the autostop feature should never be relied on. See my 1995 internet post on rappel safeties for more information.
The front plate locking mechanism is clever and it seems to be secure, but I find the need to turn the pin into alignment with the notch to be a nuisance. I dislike the painted finish as well, since the paint just wears off and leaves a mess on the rope.
The purpose of having the spring-loaded eccentric knurled roller rather than a fixed anvil eludes me. If the rope rubs against the roller, it forces it against the post, but the spring already does this. I have not found a practical configuration where the roller acts as an eccentric cam, so someone is missing the point - perhaps me.
The Gear4Rocks’ web site advertises their products as "…functional, serviceable, affordable and safe, not pretty or trendy…." I would have to agree.
The Krok web site gives the following ratings:
The Krok web site also provides the following warnings:
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Warning: Limit your rappel speed to 3 meters (10 feet) per second |
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Warning: Do not use this descender as a belay device |
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[ Top | Aluminum Version A | Steel Version B | Return to Double-Stop Bobbins ]
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|
 |
 |
| Front View | Rear View | Side View |
 |
 |
| Front View: Open for Rigging | Side View: Open for Rigging |
I acquired my Krok Anti-Panic Aluminum, Version B in 2012 when Alex Dniprovsky sent me a box of donations originating from Alex Kostromitinov, CEO of Krok.
My Krok Anti-Panic Aluminum, Version B is 208 mm. tall, 118 mm. wide, 33 mm. thick, and weighs 408 g.
Version B differs from Version A as follows:
The handle is stamped with the Krok logo and a book-with-an-"i" icon.
Performance is identical to Version A’s. The steel handle increases the weight slightly. The new hand grip is superior to the one on Version A.
The Krok web site gives the following ratings:
The Krok web site also provides the following warnings:
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Warning: Limit your rappel speed to 3 meters (10 feet) per second |
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Warning: Do not use this descender as a belay device |
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[ Top | Aluminum Version A | Aluminum Version B | Return to Double-Stop Bobbins ]
|
|
 |
 |
| Front View | Rear View | Side View |
 |
 |
| Front View: Open for Rigging | Side View: Open for Rigging |
I acquired my Krok Steel Anti-Panic from Gear4Rocks in 2012.
My Krok Steel Anti-Panic is 194 mm. tall, 121 mm. wide, 29 mm. thick, and weighs 528 g.
The side plates are made from 2.6 mm. steel. One plate is fixed, while the other pivots at the top to allow opening for rigging. The front and rear plates attachment holes are 12.8 mm. wide and 24.8 mm. tall.
The lower bollard is part of an autostop assembly. This bollard is milled from steel, with a shallow rope groove and a nose that acts as a brake. Friction from the main rope’s passage tends to turn the lower bollard and force the nose towards the upper bollard, thus locking the rope and ideally arresting the descent. The rappeller uses the handle to keep the autostop feature disengaged. A steel handle is riveted to the fixed side plate side of the lower bollard. The handle portion has a plastic cover for comfort. This cover appears to be heat shrink applied over an inner plastic core. The lower bollard and handle assembly rotate on an axle bolt. A concealed spring tries to keep the handle to the engaged position, supplementing the action provided by the rope friction. A spring-loaded knurled eccentric roller sits on a post below the lower bollard. A pin on the rear plate limits this roller’s rotation. If the rappeller chooses to panic and pull the handle downward, the rope is squeezed between the lower bollard and this roller, providing some braking force.
The upper large bollard is riveted to the rear plate. Made from steel, the bollard is cut away on its lower side to provide a flat surface to act as an anvil for the cam action of the autostop feature.
The topmost bollard is a 10 mm. steel rod.
Most of the metal parts are painted. The rear plate is stamped with the Krok logo and "05 11," the date of manufacture.
There is no gate or cutout to allow opening the device without removing it from the harness; on the other hand, this one does not have the annoying latch that the aluminum versions have. The steel construction makes this one too heavy for my taste.
The Krok web site gives the following ratings:
The Krok web site also provides the following warnings:
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Warning: Limit your rappel speed to 3 meters (10 feet) per second |
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Warning: Do not use this descender as a belay device |
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[ Top | Aluminum Version A | Aluminum Version B | Steel Version B ]
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