The Apex Direct is SMC’s fresh approach to the conventional
pulley. It’s specifically designed to be used with soft
attachments like prusiks, slings, and soft shackles. Used in this
manner, the Apex Direct aligns the rope with the direction of
the pull just like a swivel pulley does. It’s compact and over
50% lighter than a comparable swivel pulley/locking carabiner
combination. The Apex Direct is mid-line attachable and
features one handed operation that utilizes a low-profile,
patented, triple-action lock mechanism. This lock is operated
by three distinct actions: pivot the lock button, depress it,
then swing open the side plate. Simply closing the side plate
re-engages the lock mechanism and solidly secures the rope.
The operation is intuitive and ergonomic.