A combination of categories as well as the number and range of sizes available and flexibility of the cam helped us arrive at a score for a cams versatility. While during in-house testing we were able to better control test results we still observed and made note of cams that were more prone to moving and came close to losing some cams when they walked into difficult positions that required careful extraction. Join Outside+ to get Climbing magazine, access to exclusive content, thousands of training plans, and more. The Metolius Ultralight Master Cams feature kevlar trigger wires and the wires on the trigger piece are also coated, making them a durable option. The product featured in this review was purchased, not acquired for free. Great stability was provided by the double axle design, non-anodized and square cut cam lobe teeth and patented hollow axles for stiffer axles. Proper and regular care and maintenance of your cams is important to ensure their reliable use. Testers loved the wide camming range found in the Omega Pacific Link Cams and the DMM Dragons were a hit with those wanting a durable, workhorse cam. Six cams were tested in the climbing cam category in 2018. While cam may be the more general and popular term used you may run across climbers or guidebooks where the term friend is used to describe the use of SLCDs. Stability concerns and not having larger sizes were their drawback. I bought them with my own money because they kick ass. The Ultralight Master Cams features a shark fin tooth pattern to increase holding power and their color coded RangeFinder system stands out as a unique feature to help climbers find the right fit for a cam. Stickers. Particularly with large cams, the lobes can be bent or deformed by accident, such as throwing a heavy pack laden with cams down on the ground. Finally, the Black Diamond Camalot Ultralights were easy to add to any rack due to their lightweight and great ergonomics. We tested different sizes of cam from each manufacturer and at different spots in their range, from tight to loose. This savings is equivalent to the weight of a small cam. We took pictures and notes to record the movement of cams and made careful observation of what happened to the cam when the rope moved through the carabiner to help determine why some cams were more stable than others. Omega Pacific Link Cams stand out as offering the widest camming range of any cam on the market thanks to the trisected cam lobes, meaning where another company will only have one cam to fit in a placement the Link Cams may have three cams that can fit the same placement. This is apparent with the size chart below. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; The DMM Dragon Cams were found to the most durable with the widest cam lobes in our testing, a cable stem that is protected from damage by plastic and a thick, stout thumb piece. Climbing cams have long been popular with climbers due to their ease of use, hence the general ergonomics of a cams design and features are significant factors in determining if a cam is to be popular with testers. Wild Country has chosen to align with Black Diamond in their sizing and numbering. The oil-based ones can attract dirt and you might consider Metolius Cam Lube, a wax-based lubricant, designed specifically for cams or a lubricant like Tri-Flow. Additionally, the trigger wires are coated to prevent damage and they held up through all manner of use and abuse during testing. All cam lobes have some manner of teeth to them but companies have branched out from simple the basic teeth offered on early cams to offer other teeth patterns and designs to try to increase stability and security of cam placements. Today cams can offer a range of unique features and construction attributes that can improve their performance and their appeal to climbers to shed old cams. Go and get the ones you think feel nicest, you won't regret whichever you buy, any reasoned argument either way will merely be a theoretical excersise. Cams that are prone to walking, as it is commonly referred to, can move out of place and reduce their holding power or get into a position where they are hard to reach or clean. All rights reserved. Available with a single or extendable sling provides a lot of options for buyers along with offset or hybrid versions that excel in flared placements such as pin scars. Please provide your cell phone number for shipping purposes. We looked for signs of walking and stability when placing cams in various cracks of all different sizes.
Annual gear guides for climbing, camping, skiing, cycling, and more, Gaia GPS Premium with hundreds of maps and global trail recommendations, a $39.99 value, Outside Learn, our new online education hub loaded with more than 2,000 videos across 450 lessons including 6 Weeks to Stronger Fingers and Strength Training for Injury Prevention, Premium access to Outside TV and 1,000+ hours of exclusive shows. Cam companies have made increased efforts to improve cam stability by using dual axles, featured cam lobes, wider cam lobes and using stems that can move more freely and not affect the placement of the lobes.
Our test results came after dozens of days of field testing on desert towers, high alpine routes in the mountains, granite single and multi-pitch and hours spent testing and handling cams during in-house testing. Having the extra extension built into the cam is a nice insurance policy against rage-inducing rope drag. The lightweight and effective ergonomics of the Black Diamond Camalot Ultralights gave them great appeal for long climbs and climbs requiring many pieces of gear but a less flexible stem, concerns about durability, only six sizes available limited their broader appeal with those looking for a rugged single pitch climbing cam. We tested the cams extensively in the field but also came up with some in-house testing to help gauge things like a cams stability.
amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; With those weight savings come some concern about durability and a 10 year lifespan for the cam along with a stiffer stem and sling that caused them to be less stable than other double axle cams tested. Companies like Wild Country and DMM that use adjustable slings on their cams advertise this as additional weight savings because you can bring less alpine draws I think this is a moot point. The cam heads, including lobes, axles and springs can be restricted with dirt, sand and other grime. Shop Now at Gear Coop. Companies such as Black Diamond and Wild Country offer trigger wire replacement kits while most companies, such as Metolius, and some third party services such as Fish, offer mail-in cam repair services of trigger wires and slings. With six sizes available they are limited in their versatility beyond small cracks. Companies such as DMM, Wild Country and Fixe offer extendable slings on their cams, making it easier for climbers to extend the clip-in point on a sling to make a deep placement more functional, reduce rope drag or improve a placements stability by allowing a freely moving sling. The Black Diamond Camalot Ultralights are the lightest double axle cam on the market and cut 25% weight from their popular C4 predecessors. The Link Cams from Omega Pacific offer the feature that may stand out above all with their trisected cam lobes that allow the cams to fit a far greater size range than any other cam on the market. Thumb pieces can come in a variety of forms and, as with thumb loops, include a number of design features such as contours, textures and various sizes to aid in the use of the cam. On average this translates to 16.2-gram weight saving per cam over the Black Diamond C4. They also contain deeper grooves than their BD counterparts, which make the Friends easier to place. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Particularly in areas such as the Gunks, where the horizontally banded rock necessitates a lot of horizontal placements, the rigid stems had to be tied off short to avoid levering the stem and negatively affecting the placement or potentially breaking the stem in a fall. Shop Now at Backcountry.com. Read the Full Review In general, double axle cams proved the most stable but during our testing, both in the field and in-house, we also honed in on other factors that are prone to affecting a cams position, such as the sling used and how its attached to the thumb loop or piece. This week's Friday Night Video is a feature documentary based on the unique climbing culture of a small city park on the outskirts of Los Angeles, California. Jardine used them to great effect on previously difficult to protect climbs in Yosemite National Park, including one of the worlds first 5.13s, The Phoenix. Posts in all Forums, Free > In spite of the highly polarised advice you will get there will be no appreciable difference between the two models when you get them out and start climbing with them. The thumb loop or tab is a key piece in a cams ergonomics as, used with the trigger bar, its what allows a cam to be placed and cleaned from a crack. We paid close attention to how cams handled when being placed or cleaned and by various climbers to gain a sense of each cams ergonomics and ease of handling. 
Points: 30, Latest Poor stability and ergonomics compared to other cams as well as the weight of the Link Cams make them less likely that youll want to carry multiples of them, instead they serve as a great compliment to a rack. This weight savings can add up, particularly when taking multiples in sizes for desert splitter cracks or when loading up a pack with overnight gear for an alpine climb. Some cam lobes were more prone to wear and components such as slings and trigger wires could suffer an early demise. The newly re-engineered Friend cam from Wild Country has taken reign as the king of the double-axle design. Commonly referred to as cams but more formally called spring-loaded camming devices (SLCDs), theyve become a standard on nearly every climbers traditional rack. From all of this testing we compiled feedback from climbers about features and each cams relatively versatility. Audacity. Modern cams, in general, have become lighter while also becoming easier to use due to favorable ergonomics and offer an increasing number of features. All but the Metolius cams offer color anodized lobes to make finding the size you want easier but DMM and Wild Country left the lobe surfaces free of anodization and created more square cut cam lobes that they argue increases stability and holding power. ange petzl karabina carabiner m57 arancio mousqueton karabiner moschettone bananafingers turbochest ventral bloqueur carabiners monofil worksafety ledno penjanje While not the lightest cams tested, the Friends offer a lot of features seen on a heavier cam and their biggest drawback may be that they are only available in seven sizes. I really hope we will see a .1-.3 size in the future, as Wild Country already has the lockdown with my favorite wide pieces (the 5 & 6 Tech Friends). Most of my friends havent realized they were using Wild Country or they mistook them for Ultralights. Durable components including Kevlar trigger wires, Less stable than the double axle cams tested, Extendable sling harder to use than others, Available in single or extendable, double slings, Durability concerns, particularly with wires, Smallest three sizes rated to 7 kN and under, Durability issues with cam lobes and stems.
Will Wild Country try and compete in the ultralight market? While cam companies dont typically advertise a lifespan for their product, other than regular replacement of the slings, the Camalot Ultralights are unique in that the Dyneema core stem includes a ten year lifespan, limiting their longevity. Testers appreciated the DMM Dragons for their durability, stability and extendable slings but their weight gave pause to those looking for a cam for long routes or extended trips into the mountains. cam, and the double axle Wild Country New Friend. The Ultralight Master Cams from Metolius offered the most sizesa range of 10of any cam tested and their lightweight construction and durable components appealed to many. While the extendable sling was harder to use than others the Dragon Cams are built with durability in mind but that also made them the heaviest cams tested. The original Friends used a rigid stem but Metolius was the first to use a flexible cable stem. Cams were used by a wide array of climbers on dozens of climbs, primarily on sandstone and granite. You may cancel your membership at anytime, but no refunds will be issued for payments already made. Shop Now at Bentgate.com. Cam stability is another key component of what climbers look for when considering a cam. The Range Finder system provides color coding to help new climbers find the right fit for cam placements. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. After arduous use, much debate and averaging out opinions the Wild Country Friends came out on top but was followed close behind by the Metolius Ultralight Master Cams. This equates to a stiffer and lighter camming unit as compared to the competition (see chart below). The Metolius Ultralight Master Cams are a lightweight cam with ten sizes to put on your rack, from cams smaller than your fingertips to fist size. In an effort to increase placement security, the lobes are wider throughout the cam in comparison to the BD C4s. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year. Annual subscription to Climbing magazine. Check with the manufacturers recommendations for replacement as some cams use specific sling configuration and stitching to increase the strength of the cam, such as on the Black Diamond C4 Camalot where the sling is stitched tight to the thumb loop. The Black Diamond Camalot Ultralights use a thinner trigger wire than Camalots of the past but they are also covered like DMM and Metolius cams are, giving them better longevity. These trigger bars are made with either plastic or aluminum and can come in a variety of shapes and sizes with features such as contours, curves or textures to aid in their use. Black Diamonds Camalots have been a popular choice on many racks and hence today many companies have copied their color coding for sizes, such as is the case with modern Friends and DMM Dragons. Fred Beckey and the Improbable Ascent of Mount Waddington. Every cam was used by many hands in the field and a consensus was reached to score cams on their ease of use when placing and cleaning, or ergonomics, and the features offered. Heavy use further reduces that. More Details. In our testing there was no clear winner for versatility as many cams offered features or performance that gave them a broad appeal. Posted by Wade Morris | Gear Feature, Trad. The ability to be easily placed and cleaned from a crack is what many climbers are looking for in a cam and our testers found features and design elements that they liked but also some they would like to see improved. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; We spent a lot of time climbing single pitch cracks but an equal amount of time climbing multi-pitch routes in the mountains or in the desert. They are less stable than the other double axle cams tested, particularly in the larger sizes, and their ease of use and ergonomics scored lower with testers due to the lack of a thumb loop and a small trigger bar. *Outside memberships are billed annually. Regularly inspect your cam lobes, axles, stems, trigger wires, and slings for signs of damage. This topic brings much praise or harsh criticism. Four-lobe cams provide greater surface area that contacts the rock and should offer a more secure placement. Access to all member-only content on all 17 publications in the Outside network like Rock and Ice, Climbing, Outside, Backpacker, Trail Runner and more. In general, testers favored thumb loops for their ease of use compared to thumb pieces or tabs and they favored trigger bars that were wider or had some contour or texture to them to aid in their use. This makes the dreaded Frankenstein rack (mix-matching different brands) a non-issue. This makes them great for building gear anchors, as a crux piece or when you only want to carry a couple of cams but be able to fit a wide range of placement area sizes. Built on the companys original 13.75 constant camming angle, the new Friends have seen notable upgrades, including weight savings. Other features found include Metolius RangeFinder, a color-coded system to provide a visual aid in showing climbers where the best placement is. > I'd be interested if those above disparaging WC friends could give some concrete reasons for this. Some slings on cams showed signs that they would need to be replaced sooner than later, as is common with many of the skinny, lightweight slings used on cams such as the Dragons or Wild Country Friends. Read the Full Review In a side-by-side comparison with the Friends main competitor, the Black Diamond C4, you realize that at the same price you are getting a lighter product with more functionality. 
The trend in the climbing world has been to make gear lighter and lighter and climbing cams are no different. > I meant the larger of the sizes he specified, but yes, the balance swings the other way again in the big sizes. Technically speaking the word cam describes a projection on a rotating part in machinery, designed to make sliding contact with another part while rotating and to impart reciprocal or variable motion to it. Technically by that definition, hexes and C.A.M.P. Cams such as the Fixe Alien Revolutions are focused on the small sizes and hence excel at protecting small, tiny cracks including shallow placements. Omega Pacifics trisected cam lobes make for a unique engineering creation that is visually amusing to watch and offers the widest size range out of any cam on the market. The Ultralights would win in a weight competition, but the Friends easily win on an economic and functionality basis. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "mojgea-20"; Today all cams use a flexible stem, typically with the use of a metal cable, allowing for easier and more secure horizontal placements but also in vertical placements where constrictions and other features may impede a placement due to the stem. Extendable slings were popular with many testers for the easy option they offer to help the rope run smoothly, such as those found on the Wild Country Friends and DMM Dragon Cams. To test a cams stability we used field testing but we also pulled hundreds of feet of rope through a carabiner attached to the cam while placed in an adjustable crack made of wood. The traditional metal cable stem is replaced with lightweight Dyneema while other elements of the cam have been pared down to shed grams. Black Diamond, Fixe, and Metolius offer offset cams, popular with aid climbers for the flared pin scars found in places like Zion and Yosemite but also with an increasing number of free climbers looking to more securely protect flared cracks. Explore our new expert-led online courses. includes discounted products from Rockfax. Note: I specifically did not compare these to the BD ULs because the Dyneema that they are made of has a useful life of 10 years. The Wild Country Friends offer great ergonomics, stability and popular features with testers. On long and wondering pitches, I often find myself out of slings near the end of the pitch. The slings on your cams are likely to be the other part that requires careful inspection, particularly if being used extensively and/or on abrasive rock. 