2011 Gear Guide: Cams

CAMTASTIC
Four new camming devices go lobe to lobe

How brilliant was Ray Jardine’s design for the first commercially successful spring-loaded camming device? It was so spot-on that the 13.75° constant camming angle that Jardine stipulated is still in use by several cam makers more than three decades later. But that’s not to say cam design has stagnated: The invention of TCUs and other micro-cams, double-axle units, and offset cams has helped climbers push into ever sketchier free-climbing and big-wall terrain. Here, we take a close look at the four newest camming devices available in the U.S., including a sneak preview of a radically redesigned Friend—yup, the original SLCD inspired by Jardine’s designs, now in its third incarnation.

These are the second double-axle cams on the market, after Black Diamond’s groundbreaking Camalots. The six Dragon Cams each cover essentially the same range as the comparable Camalot C4s; they’ve also followed Black Diamond’s color scheme, from purple through gray. But there are a few significant differences. Most impressive is the Dragon’s clever design for an extendable sling; the doubled 8mm Dyneema sling is threaded through twin eyeholes at the base of the stem, making it super-smooth to double the sling length to nearly 10 inches. In testing, we found this eliminated the need for quickdraws on most cam placements. On the other hand, it also was a bit more fiddly for seconds to “reload” the extended sling than to simply re-rack a quickdraw. On balance, testers appreciated the flexibility of the sling design. The other striking thing about Dragon Cams is their extremely short stem (about 2 inches shorter than comparable Camalots); this helps keep the weight down and reduces bulk on the rack and in your pack. Testers liked having the option of using either the thumb or the meat of the palm while pulling triggers and pushing the cam into position, especially with gloves on. (They also loved the Dragons’ smooth trigger action.) The short stem might make it harder to reach distant placements and to clean deeply placed cams, but the trigger is in the same position as on other cams, and testers didn’t experience any lost units. One distinct downside of the stem design, however, is the absence of any place to clip in short for aid climbing. If you buy the full set of Dragon Cams, you’ll pay about $50 more than the same set of C4s. Is it worth it? These cams are best suited to complex trad climbs and alpine routes, where the extendable sling and slight weight savings (a set of six weighs about 2 oz. less than the comparable quiver of C4s) will be of maximum use. But almost anywhere you place cams, you’ll be happy to use these.

First in Flares
METOLIUS OFFSET MASTER CAMS
$59.95
metoliusclimbing.com
These cams were introduced last year, but we hadn’t used them extensively at the time of our last Gear Guide and wanted to report on our findings. Plus, since the middle of last year, Colorado Custom Hardware’s Alien Hybrids have been very difficult to obtain, making the Metolius Offset the only one you can find outside of Ebay. By pairing two different sizes of Master Cam lobes in a four-cam head—and keeping that head narrower than the vast majority of other four-cam units—Metolius has created a tool that fits superbly in pin scars, pods, and flaring cracks. This makes offsets a must for aid climbers who want to go hammerless. The six Offset Master Cams span a range from about 0.3 inch to 1.3 inches—i.e., pin-scar territory. But don’t think of these solely as tools to dig out of the gear closet for big walls. We found them perfectly adaptable to free climbing and suitable to a wide range of rock types, though we especially liked them on the rounded cracks and shallow seams of Boulder Canyon granite. For anything but perfectly parallel cracks (e.g., Indian Creek), we reached for them just as we would any other cam—by turning the cam to one side or the other, we could always optimize its placement. And when a crack flared radically, we were far happier with the result than we would have been with a traditional unit. As with Metolius’ regular line of Master Cams, the cam lobes are connected to the trigger with Kevlar cord instead of wires; these prevent kinking to maintain smooth lobe movement, and we detected no damage after fairly extensive use. One small Offset Master Cam bent sharply under the head after two falls in the same placement, requiring a vise and pliers to restore it to proper shape. But otherwise, testers felt these cams were burly tools that could be indispensable on some climbs, and will be useful on many.

Aid Monsters
TOTEM CAMS
$80
totemcams.com
These new cams from Spain’s Basque Country cover five sizes, ranging from fingertips to small hands. The radical feature of their design is the way a load activates the cams: Instead of the stem and axle bearing the load, as in most cams, each Totem lobe is attached to an individual spring-action cable extending to the clip-in sling. This allows more secure two-cam placements for aid climbing, and the unique cabling and lobe design give the Totems more holding power in downward flaring cracks and pods. They also have more range than other single-axle cams. Testers felt they provided more placement options than many cams and could be a real boon for clean-aid climbing. The cabling is also super-flexible in all directions, further enhancing placement options and stability; testers found they tended to walk less than other cams. Totems are not widely available at retailers, but you can order them at the company website with free shipping to the U.S.—and there’s a 10 percent discount for five or more, bringing them in line with many other cams’ pricing.