The disclosure describes a sorbing apparatus for removing one or more undesirable components from an influent gas. The sorbing apparatus comprises at least one chamber having first and second ports and defining a gas flow path between the first and second ports. A sorbent bed having a sorbing region and a guard region is disposed in the sorbing chamber in the gas flow path. The sorbing region includes a first sorbent material and the guard region includes a second sorbent material. A gas control arrangement is coupled to the sorbing chamber to cyclically (1) direct the influent gas through the first port, through the sorbing region and the guard region of the sorbent bed and out the second port wherein the undesirable components are sorbed from the influent gas and (2) direct a purge gas through the second port, through the guard region and the sorbing region of the sorbent bed and out the first port wherein the sorbing region is regenerated. The gas control arrangement is adapted to cycle the influent gas and the purge gas through the sorbing chamber so as to sorb and desorb the undesirable components substantially entirely in the sorbing region of the sorbent bed whereby the guard region serves as a safeguard for the sorbing region.