Shackle guard with tether

An apparatus comprising:

• a guard defining
• an inner seat comprising an open channel shaped to receive a shackle and extend partially around the shackle;
• and
• an outer seat positioned opposite the open channel and shaped to support a strap passing through the shackle;
• and
• a tether fastened to the guard and defining a fastener for securing to a closure pin passing through the shackle;
• wherein the fastener comprises a cup secured to a distal end of the tether and sized to insert over an end of the closure pin.

An apparatus comprising:

• a guard defining
• an inner seat comprising an open channel shaped to receive a shackle and extend partially around the shackle;
• and
• an outer seat positioned opposite the open channel and shaped to support a strap passing through the shackle;
• and
• a tether fastened to the guard and defining a fastener for securing to a closure pin passing through the shackle;
• wherein the fastener comprises a hooked portion at a distal end of the tether.

An apparatus comprising:

• a guard defining
• an inner seat comprising an open channel shaped to receive a shackle and extend partially around the shackle;
• and
• an outer seat positioned opposite the open channel and shaped to support a strap passing through the shackle;
• and
• a tether fastened to the guard and defining a fastener for securing to a closure pin passing through the shackle;
• wherein the fastener is at least one of (a) a barb sized to deformably insert through an aperture in the closure pin and resist removal following insertion, (b) a cup sized to deformably insert over an end of the closure pin, and (c) a hooked portion of the tether.

A method comprising:

• providing a guard defining
• an inner seat comprising an open channel shaped to receive a shackle and extend partially around the shackle;
• and
• an outer seat positioned opposite the open channel and shaped to support a strap passing through the shackle;
• providing a tether fastened to the guard and defining a fastener for securing to a closure pin passing through the shackle;
• seating the shackle in the open channel;
• and
• fastening the fastener to the closure pin,
• wherein:
• the open channel has an arcuate axis;
• and
• along the arcuate axis, a wall of the open channel is arcuate in a plane to which the arcuate axis is normal;
• and
• wherein the fastener comprises a barb on a distal end of the tether, the method further comprising urging the barb through a hole in the closure pin, the barb deforming to pass through the hole and thereafter resisting removal.

A method comprising:

• providing a guard defining
• an inner seat comprising an open channel shaped to receive a shackle and extend partially around the shackle;
• and
• an outer seat positioned opposite the open channel and shaped to support a strap passing through the shackle;
• providing a tether fastened to the guard and defining a fastener for securing to a closure pin passing through the shackle;
• seating the shackle in the open channel;
• and
• fastening the fastener to the closure pin,
• wherein:
• the open channel has an arcuate axis;
• and
• along the arcuate axis, a wall of the open channel is arcuate in a plane to which the arcuate axis is normal;
• and
• wherein the fastener comprises a cup on a distal end of the tether, the method further comprising urging the cup over an end of the closure pin, the cup deforming to pass over the end of the closure pin and thereafter exerting a biasing force resisting removal.

A method comprising:

• providing a guard defining
• an inner seat comprising an open channel shaped to receive a shackle and extend partially around the shackle;
• and
• an outer seat positioned opposite the open channel and shaped to support a strap passing through the shackle;
• providing a tether fastened to the guard and defining a fastener for securing to a closure pin passing through the shackle;
• seating the shackle in the open channel;
• and
• fastening the fastener to the closure pin,
• wherein:
• the open channel has an arcuate axis;
• and
• along the arcuate axis, a wall of the open channel is arcuate in a plane to which the arcuate axis is normal;
• and
• wherein the fastener comprises a hooked portion of the tether, the method further comprising engaging the hooked portion with a hole in the closure pin.

A method comprising:

• providing a guard defining
• an inner seat comprising an open channel shaped to receive a shackle and extend partially around the shackle;
• and
• an outer seat positioned opposite the open channel and shaped to support a strap passing through the shackle;
• providing a tether fastened to the guard and defining a fastener for securing to a closure pin passing through the shackle;
• seating the shackle in the open channel;
• and
• fastening the fastener to the closure pin,
• wherein:
• the open channel has an arcuate axis;
• and
• along the arcuate axis, a wall of the open channel is arcuate in a plane to which the arcuate axis is normal;
• and
• wherein the fastener comprises an extension of the tether, the method further comprising passing the tether through an opening in the closure pin such that the extension extends beyond the closure pin by at least 0.5 inches.