Thanks to some quick camera work by Sherpa Pula at the recent ETCC Treetools can show you a sneak preview of the new Petzl ZigZag due for release in 2014.
For those readers new to the Petzl ZigZag story please read previous post(s) on the subject here.
Treetools has not physically held the latest Petzl ZigZag so our observations are limited to what can be seen in the pictures below.
Beefed up top connection
It appears Petzl have beefed up the problematic top connection point and added a thicker, hard rubber packing between the side plates on the latest model, apparently designed to keep the carabiner captive.
Fairleads are added to the plates beneath the pulley sheave, presumably to give it more strength and guide the rope into the sheave with more precision when tending slack.
The swivel 'ball' is held in place by the three rivets connecting the side plates as it was in the first model.
The photographs are possibly deceptive here because the other end of these rivets (on the original model) were not quite as big as what you can see in the picture.
ZigZag break tests produce 15.6kN result on old model
During the ZigZag break tests conducted by Treetools back in March the smaller head of the bottom right hand rivet shore through the side plate at a load of 15.6kN.
This allowed one of the side plates to open momentarily, releasing the swivel connection and ball completely (with the climber attached in the real world).
Here's hoping the rivet heads on the new version have been made a little larger in diameter to reduce this risk.
Petzl ZigZag popularity continues
The first Petzl ZigZag was only on the market for a very short period of time but it generated plenty of supporters.
Treetools posted Sherpa Pula's photographs on Facebook yesterday and by the look of the view numbers overnight the 2014 ZigZag is bound to have the same effect.
At this point Treetools has no official word from Petzl regarding the release date for the new ZigZag.
Composite photograph taken at two different locations.
