Trad climbing cam reviews.

Trad climbing cam reviews The Class-leading expansion range and price. As flaring angle increases, the equivalent cam angle of Totem Cam increases from about 13º (for parallel cracks) to 20. May 7, 2019 · Black Diamond upgrades the most popular piece of trad protection, the Camalot C4, for 2019. Most regular cam ranges - think the DMM Dragons, Black Diamond Camalots or Wild Country Friends - start with a smallest size range of roughly 14mm - 22mm (BD 13. If you combine these with the Metolius FS Mini carabiners or CAMP Nano 22, you will have the lightest possible climbing rack. Here is the (now outdated) Rock Empire Robot Cam Review; “Cams Start at 36. 40 or 0. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee Two-star totem review hot take, I know. The ability to quickly and safely protect parallel-sided cracks opened up the world of traditional climbing to whole new realms. To me, this makes Apr 9, 2021 · The Totem cam, built is Spain where few splitter cracks exist, is not as well-known as other cams, but they’re a great option for aid climbing and winter mixed. 8-23. 5 ULMC size 4 Third loop from the front placing larger cams front to back: C4 size . In the right situation, Link Cams can be advantageous weapons on a free climber's rack. I have totems down to . They call it the Range Finder system. 50). Aug 2, 2023 · While primarily designed for trad climbing, the DMM Dragon Cam can also be used in sport climbing scenarios where additional gear is needed for certain sections of the route. Jan 30, 2018 · Totem Cams are our favorite cams for aid climbing because of their ability to engage only two lobes at a time, allowing for an endless array of strange, body-weight-only placements, multiple clip-in points, and super narrow heads, even in the larger hand sizes. I saw that there are a lot of sizes ranging from 0. C4 size . July 6, 2015 Update – Trigger Wire & Sleeve Issues I just got . I'll be getting a set of stoppers and hopefully a couple cams, too. In my experience they are much more versatile cam for off set placements than off set cams. There may have been some curses thrown in for good measure. I wrote a number of other articles on the Alien cam if you want some more information about the new design and the issues experienced: June 16 2015: Field Tested – Alien Evolution Cams. If you have other climbing friends with different brands of cams in their rack that you can try, go and do that. com : Wild Country Friends Rock Climbing Cams - Lightweight, Active Protection for Trad & Alpine Climbing - Silver - 0. 10 and 2. 50 (maybe a 0. Add Cams. 2 equivalent (black) and use metolius ultralight master cams for the smaller sizes 0 and 00. Black Diamond. That said, folks climbed a lot on nuts, hexes, and tricams before modern camming devices were invented. They use our innovative bi-color system to ease size selection and utilize doubled UltraTape slings so you can clip in at three different lengths. Oct 28, 2014 · Image: Omega Pacific, Link Cam 1. OR unless you're sponsored by Black Diamond or Metolius! Apr 18, 2018 · Totem Cams are a very specialized piece of equipment. Its high-quality construction and innovative design provide the confidence needed for placing protection in traditional climbing scenarios. Feb 20, 2022 · They don't have any greater range than most cams, so they can't cover a tapered slot like a true offset. Seems like if you use a set of Totem cams and BD/Metolius cams side by side for 10 pitches of trad or gear climbing, its a sure thing you start reaching for the Totem cams by the end, even if you're a diehard BD cam afficianado. 35) and two cams that were larger that 1. We’re here to help you choose the best climbing cams so you can jam your way up that next crack Feb 2, 2024 · In this article, we discuss the best cam sets for trad climbing, backed by reviews from the climbing experts and the consensus of the climbing community. Nov 17, 2010 · Also, don't forget to check out our Best Climbing Cam Review. Top quality, great selection and expert advice you can trust. If you need to add some new climbing protection to your rack, check out our comprehensive climbing nuts review and climbing cam review. 7º flared crack. Slab climbing. Falls were taken. While the original unit had two placements (one passive, one active), the Trad Climbing Gear > Cams This article about climbing cams is part of the book - Trad Climbing Basics . Dec 19, 2019 · So what makes up a standard trad rack?It's not precisely defined, but it goes something like this: A double set of cams from . One other piece of good news for those wishing to get a long life out of their Totem, you will be glad to hear they operate a repair service . Perhaps even more impressive is that these cams keep a consistent angle throughout their range so holding power isn't compromised at either end of the spectrum. Oct 1, 2020 · So you’ve taken up climbing, but decided that sport climbing is too soft and you’re looking for a bit more grit, pain, and fear. May 11, 2024 · We review the "Flip-Stop" Cam Carabiner Stabilizers from Avant Climbing Innovations, a durable and long-lasting gear enhancement for easy cam clipping Aaron Pardy May 11, 2024 Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on Email Share on SMS The Alloy Offset from DMM is our review team's favorite overall nut for all-around trad climbing because of their versatility and how perfect they are where most other pieces of passive protection or cams are adequate at best. Also, since totem makes amazing cams, I bet they can make amazing carabiners that would color match the cams! Just an idea. The Alien X Cam is a classic, reliable and well made micro cam for all your trad climbing needs! Hand-made in Barcelona, this cam retains its original character while still offering improved performance and finishes. Six cams were tested in the climbing cam category in 2018. Apr 14, 2020 · The Wild Country Zero Friends cams. They have strengths and weaknesses, and I wouldn't argue that they're really an acceptable replacement for cams in modern trad climbing. Well, trad climbing is your answer! Unlike the early days, modern trad climbers have access to gear such as spring-loaded camming devices, commonly known as cams. Feb 7, 2010 · This is the lightest cam we tested and maybe the lightest camming device currently made. Metolius Climbing color codes its cams to help you gauge the quality of a placement. What makes them great for aid is the ability to engage only two lobes at a time, allowing for a variety of placements and clip-in points. This technology also helps you set each cam in tricky, shallow, and narrow placements with ease. 25 to 7. I purchased these cams when I was working a project that needed an off-set placement. 3. In addition 6 days ago · I use the Totem cams and really like them. Apr 14, 2021 · So, looking at these estimates above, we are looking at $745 for a basic trad climbing rack with a set of nuts, a handful of the most used cams, a safe number of alpine draws and some equipment to build anchors and a nut tool. In general, traditional climbing can be more challenging than sport climbing or bouldering because placing gear requires more mental acuity in determining the best pieces to use for protection as well as ensuring they are properly placed. Cams smaller and larger than this aren't used as frequently, so you can add them later. Affordable camming devices and climbing gear from £38 per cam. We tested all of the products in our review in a variety of rock types in places like Squamish, Eldorado Canyon, Yosemite Valley, the North Cascades, Smith Rocks, Red Rock, Joshua Tree, Zion, and more. WC: Off-fingers to fist size. 5 Location of Test: Oregon Rock Duration of Test: 1 year Product Name: Camalot C4 Product Brand: Black Diamond Best Use: Traditional Rock Climbing The Full Review: The Black Diamond Camalot C4 Climbing Cams have been the industry standard cam for quite a long time. Apr 4, 2025 · The lightest cams in our review are the Metolius Ultralight Master Cams; the complete rack from micro cams to big hands weighs 26. 6 - 12 cams: Cams are expensive, so start with one each of the key sizes: from approximately a half-inch wide to three inches wide. The totems add confidence in small cracks and pockets. They are lightweight, the cable loop and trigger are easy to grab, and their patented slings are large enough to manipulate with gloves. Whether you’re ascending a challenging multi-pitch route or tackling a challenging face The invention of the spring loaded camming device (commonly called simply "cams") in the 1970's revolutionized the climbing world. Its lightweight appeal is due to the Direct Axle Technology, which places each lobe as close to one another as possible. . Then, in the last 5-10 years there have been a lot of new cams introduced that give the Alien stiff competition: Metolius Master Cam and Black Diamond Camalot May 8, 2015 · For those wishing to use it trad climbing, this is the perfect cam for marginal/insecure placements and a joy to use and place. Even talk with other climbers to see why they like the cams they own. 5 camming angle. Metolius designed its Ultralight TCU to give you tiny but bomber trad gear that doesn't weigh you down. For large cams, it should be from 10 to 14 kilonewtons, while the smaller cams should have the lower ratings. you can have a full rack for a fraction of the price of a rack from any other brand allowing you to leave piece of gear behind if you need to bail out from a route without feeling like you've just thrown away 200$. Heya I was looking kouba cams since I want to buy some of them for my multi pitch climbs. Second loop from the front placing cams front to back on the loop I start with: Metolius Ultralight Master Cams (ULMC) sizes 00, 0, and 1 all on one carabiner. 75 After a couple years trad climbing, here's what I would do if I had the money to build a new rack from scratch. They were wrong. We don't particularly like using them when climbing near our limits, but on easier routes, especially long multi-pitch, we like to carry one due to its increased versatility, and feel like we can often get by with one Link Cam where we might have needed two normal cams. They’re super light, super flexible and they seem to fit everywhere. 4. However, such placements should be avoided if possible because the force exerted on cam components and the rock is greatly increased, which could lead to rock/cam failure or simply a small slide Oct 20, 2023 · Born from a heart-to-heart with our top trad-climbing BD Athletes Hazel Findlay, Carlo Traversi, Sam Elias, and Babsi Zangerl, the Camalot Z4 is the realization of a dream: to have a single-stem cam that stays rigid in-hand, but flexes once placed. Movement skills used in trad climbing. Black Diamond C4 Camalot (C4) size . It was a glowing review as the Totems really are an impressive bit of kit which perform excellently whilst providing something distinctly different to the current homogenous line-up of the mainstream cams - better than a conventional cam both in terms of increased holding power and decreased head width. Climbers, both new and experienced, were used to solicit feedback while on single pitch routes and multi-pitch routes. Explore rock climbing micro cams, cam sets and a range of sizes to suit any crack or break. Its compact size and lightweight design make it easy to carry as an additional piece of protection, providing climbers with added peace of mind on challenging sport climbs. Whether for trad or sport, the improved safety of technical climbing gear through the years has inspired more people to enjoy rock climbing. Trad climbing cams to build up your trad rack from Kouba. “It’s like they’re literally biting into the rock,” a tester commented of the wide, skimmed lobes, which adhered extremely well to granite, sandstone, and basalt. Sep 8, 2020 · It's worth defining what we've considered to be 'micro' cams in this review. A selection of cams that covers this range will satisfy most of your climbing needs. Mar 26, 2015 · The biggest new features that stood out to me are the narrower head profile and the drop in weight. 4 ULMC size 3 C4 size . Cams were used by a wide array of climbers on dozens of climbs, primarily on sandstone and granite. Dec 16, 2019 · Value Rating: 9 Durability Rating: 10 Overall Rating: 8. Insert the cam into the crack and release the trigger to allow the lobes to expand and contact the rock. Make sure that all the comes are certified and have a listed strength rating in kilonewtons. Due the unique holding power and double stem they are ideal for traditional climbers who are looking for that piece they can rely on in a “not so good placement”. 3mm). The Omega Pacific Link Cam is a unique entry in the field of traditional climbing protection. If Snoop Dog went trad climbing, his cam of choice would be Wild Country’s new Zero Friends, because they’re so sticky-icky. Camalot C4. The functionality of these cams is pretty nice (though honestly not any better than a standard BD/WC cam), however the black totem has a major design flaw in that the load bearing cables that wrap around the lobes protrude significantly when the cam is retracted for placement. But beyond simply climbing lots of rocks, we used our lifetimes of climbing experience to carefully note important key factors for each cam and metric, described below. 7 ounces (759 grams). 1 and 0 Z4 a couple weeks ago so can't give a fair review yet, but they seem to be really nice and have already come in very handy for thin, shallow seams. 5:1, Link Cams provide more range per size than any other spring-loaded Mar 13, 2018 · Amazon. Sep 5, 2016 · The gold standard for camming units, Black Diamond Camalots' double-axle design allows retraction of larger cam lobes, giving them a much larger expansion range than traditional single-axle units. They find their way into more placements than almost any other small cam. BD: big cams. Apr 18, 2025 · Wild Country Friend Cam Set review Best camming devices for trad climbing Complete trad rack for rock climbers Lightweight camming devices for beginners High-friction cam faces for secure placements Durable climbing gear for outdoor adventures Optimal camming angles for rock protection Dyneema sling benefits for climbing Versatile cam sizes for Most of the testing took place “in the field,” by using cams on trad climbs. Basics of Trad Climbing Protection What Are Cams? Cams are a form of trad protection known as active Sep 30, 2015 · The camming angle of the BD Camalots is a little higher than most of the other cams in this review. 5 to 2, one or two #3s and possibly one 4 (BD Camalots), a single or double set of finger sized and smaller cams, a complete set of stoppers, a good selection of micro stoppers, and 8-14 alpine quickdraws (double length sling with two lightweight wiregate carabiners). The Omega Pacific Link Cam uses a one-of-a-kind triple-axle design to provide a greater expansion range than any other camming device on the market. Totems: smallest 4 sizes. 8-26. Flex Cams feature class leading range and are among the lightest 4-cams available. 2, work great in the pin scars of the Gunks, but when it gets pebbly and weird I find a whole lot of TCU placements that can't be protected by other cams. The same camming angle of 13. The six cams in the range cover placements from 7. To place a cam, unclip the appropriate size cam from your harness or gear sling and pull the trigger to retract the cam lobes. Because of the wide range of cams and their range of function, for simplicity, we will focus on general-purpose cams, picking our choices from the large/medium and small range. Aug 12, 2017 · If granite or basalt trad climbing is your thing the Alien is hard to beat. Besides the fundamental climbing skills commonly used in sport climbing, trad climbing calls on several movement skills that a climber is unlikely to have acquired while clipping bolts. The head profile of the four cam Evolution is comparable to a Black Diamond C3 with three cams. Jan 25, 2010 · Aliens use to be hands down my favorite cam for big walls and climbs where you have tight and shallow placements. Offsets are great if you need them. Free UK delivery for orders over £60 | Buy trad climbing cams online from Sgùrr Shop. After testing, we found the new Camalot cams are an off-width climber's dream. It’s also allowed climbers to push the boundaries of possibility and attempt free climbing routes with minimal trad gear placements. There are certain crags where they're the first cams on my rack but mostly they stay in the pack. In your opinion, what cam sizes are the most crucial to have at an early stage of trad climbing? 200$ for both stoppers and cams. Their two distinct orientations include one that is offset and the other that's less tapered and more traditionally Aug 25, 2015 · The soft alloy does mean that if you are taking repeated lobs on a rough rock-type, they will wear out quicker than cams that use a harder alloy, though for British trad climbing I think you'd be going well to wear them out with any degree of speed, mine still have years of life left in them, even my older one which I got before going to Oct 31, 2024 · This review focuses on climbing nuts used for protecting traditional free climbing routes as well as for aid and big wall routes. 3 ULMC size 2. Recent innovations such as reverse cam strength (that means the device will still hold a fall even when the cams are fully open - provided that is that they actually catch on the rock in some way!) are useful, and dyneema slings, forged cams and other advances have made "Cams" a lot lighter than the earlier models, whilst reductions in scale Mar 1, 2023 · The climbing cam’s strength is also essential in looking for a climbing cam. Placing Cams. Cams are reliable and versatile pieces of trad protection that are designed to be placed in parallel sided cracks, where nuts won't work. 75°, as used with our Dragons, provides the optimum balance of holding power and range. The Z4s, especially the . In your opinion what are the must have sizes for start and the not so important ones? I think that a Hella big cam like a 7 would be hardly used where I climb. My local trad climbing area is eldo, so I place these things a lot, and I’ve fallen on them plenty. Utilizing a reliable, single-axle design and with a camming ratio of over 2. The size 1 Dragonfly is our smallest certified climbing cam. Their unique design works in pockets and holes where others simply can't fit. 4 : Sports & Outdoors Oct 4, 2019 · I n 2015 Rob Greenwood reviewed the Totem Cams. I know nothing about these in general, but tricam-type designs are totally valid protection. Dec 19, 2019 · Free Climbing. The WCs are basically C4s with extendable slings, but only go up to fist size. Jan 12, 2014 · I'm starting to build a trad rack tomorrow. 75, whereas the Camalots use a 14. Compare different brands of trad climbing cams by range, weight, and strength. 5 Feb 25, 2021 · The Future of Sport Climbing vs Trad Climbing. Sep 6, 2013 · The Tricam is a puzzling piece: It’s delightfully simple, with no active—or moving—parts, yet it has more potential uses than either a spring-loaded camming device (SLCD) or a standard nut. The head of the cam is 20% narrower than traditional Aliens, making them even more effective at fitting into shallow crack placements. The seemingly 'standard' camming angle is 13. I'm pretty sure what I'll be needing for passive pro, however, I'm not sure what I need for active. Do you know what you are looking for in a set of cams? For someone beginning in trad climbing I would recommend them 100% for two reasons. Compare Trad Climbing Cams. 35º for 40. Apr 10, 2024 · ‘Tier S’ cams !! All I want to use! I would love if there was at least one cam that was smaller than than the 0. 3mm. 4mm, DMM 14-21mm, WC 15. Someone once said that friends don’t let friends climb slab. Jul 28, 2023 · Traditional Climbing. 8mm – 28. 80 cam ( maybe a 2. Shop for Cams at REI - Browse our extensive selection of trusted outdoor brands and high-quality recreation gear. There is a reason why cam brands like Totem, Black Biamond, DMM, Wild Country, and Metolius are so popular. Building on a revolutionary concept from legendary gear designer, Greg Lowe, Link Cams operate on a simple concept of trisecting a cam lobe so that, as the device is retracted, the cam unfolds and permits an amazing range for a unit of its size. May 19, 2023 · Check out our picks in our best climbing harness review. At GearLab, we've tested a wide variety of climbing gear over the past decade+ and have recommendations for every climber, from beginner to expert. My Rack. They can be placed passively (like a nut) or actively (like a cam), depending on the orientation and features in the rock. Jan 24, 2023 · Trad climbing protection, or “pro,” includes cams, nuts, hexes, Big Bros, and Tricams. I picked these up based on their trustworthy reputation. Traditional climbers will appreciate the reliability and durability of the DMM Dragon Cam Set. 95” This statement, taken from Rock Empire's website, could stop a trad climber's heart and simultaneously empty his wallet (they're so cheap, I can afford more!). Nov 1, 2019 · Dragonfly Micro Cams provide versatile protection for narrow cracks and pockets. From the removal of the thumb loop to holes in the aluminum triggers, Metolius has pulled out all the stops to make the Mastercams as light as possible. xyzs iptfn vfjwxmb geht jxsjbyo zwwyq ohib ttzh xvkgeuq zxe gxbhjt uuobmjos efov komqu fwbd