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onamission116
Feb 25, 2003, 5:20 PM
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Registered: Feb 24, 2003
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What is the best cam for the money?? I have Metolius's and they're okay, but I was thinking about getting a Camalot or two at some point. Are they worth the money (what is it now, $65 a pop :shock: ) I appreciate your wisdom :lol:
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ricardol
Feb 25, 2003, 5:36 PM
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Registered: Nov 11, 2002
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i think that the best cam for the money, is the one that best fits your climbing style -- or the one that you feel most comfortable with ..
cams last a long time -- in the end the few bucks you save wont be worth much if that cam doest fit you right..
.. for example i really dont like the way the camalots fit on my hand at the >3.5 sizes .. they wobble on my hand when i cam them ..
-- ricardo
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mauriceb
Feb 25, 2003, 5:37 PM
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Registered: Mar 24, 2002
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I've only placed them a couple of time for TR anchors, but Wired Bliss cams received an 'A' in Climbing Magazine cam review. www.Linkupgear.com has them on sale for $35 -$40
maurice
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benkiessel
Feb 25, 2003, 5:56 PM
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Registered: Sep 23, 2002
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Camolots are the s#it! they are the best placing cams i have ever used. the range is huge, and they are so smooth. they are the only cams i would buy in the range from .5 to 4. above 4 they are to heavy(i would get the friends 5 and 6) below .5 i would go with aliens.
GET SOME CAMOLOTS, there worth the money
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camhead
Feb 25, 2003, 6:02 PM
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Registered: Sep 10, 2001
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camalots = wider camming range = quicker fit = less time fiddling with gear when you're pumped. you make the choice. for hard trad, I love camalots, with metolius at a close second.
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vegastradguy
Feb 25, 2003, 6:12 PM
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Registered: Aug 28, 2002
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camalots are awesome cams in the middle ranges. i have from #.5 - #3.5, and I've used the #4. Love 'em.
aliens in the smaller sizes are great, as are metolius. i have aliens, myself.
it's all preference on how you like the feel of 'em. but, in my opinion, camalots are well worth the dough.
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tradklime
Feb 25, 2003, 6:21 PM
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Registered: Aug 2, 2002
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My opinion:
Flex cams from acmeclimbing.com, or similar- best bang for the buck
Aliens (all sizes)- best performance
Camalots are nice but are not worth the extra money and are too heavy/ bulky.
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flagstaff_climber
Feb 25, 2003, 6:22 PM
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Registered: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 310
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I really like the DMMs, for the money they are probably the best available.
Pros
Beefy build, cam stops
Double spectra runners
great color coding
good finger trigger
trigger wires inside the cable loop so a little less tangling and a lot less twist
Cons
Not quite as much range as BDs
a little more prone to walking
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tanner
Feb 25, 2003, 6:33 PM
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Registered: Apr 28, 2002
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I love the camalots! They are the gear I trust the most! The best sizes are .5-3 like otherwise mentioned. There are other cams I would get for the small stuff and for the huge stuff.
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flying_dutchman
Feb 25, 2003, 7:37 PM
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Registered: Nov 20, 2002
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the wildcountry tech friends are mid range priced and have almost the same range as the camlots yet weigh somewhat less. I personally like the feel of them in my hands more then the camlots but thats just IMO.
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climbjs
Feb 25, 2003, 7:47 PM
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Registered: Mar 1, 2002
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Camalots, Wired Bliss, CCH, and Metolius are outstanding!
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alpiner
Feb 25, 2003, 8:06 PM
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Registered: Feb 23, 2003
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Agreed about Tech Friends, they rock. Sold off my Camalots and have no regrets. The claims about extra range of Camalots are a myth (compare usable range, not catalog specs) but they are certainly heavier.
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mountainmonkey
Feb 25, 2003, 9:22 PM
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Registered: Jul 11, 2002
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cam(alot)head-
How often is the extra range absolutely necessary?
I wouldn't reccomend answering with "you have a better chance when grabbing for a piece that it will be the right size". With experience (and familiarity with the gear) you will know which size to grab and you won't be randomly grabbing for a piece. (I am not trying to pick on you, but making a point to everyone)
set of 9 camalots weighs the same as a set of 12 friends (or equivalent). also costs the same. If you will only need 9 cams to cover a range for a pitch, camalots might be preferable. If you will need 12 cams to cover a range for a pitch, friends (or other) will be preferable.
For a basic set I would reccomend one or the other: aliens (yellow,red) or TCUs (yellow,orange) and camalots (0.75,1,2,3) or friends (or DMM) (1.5,2,2.5,3,3.5).
I try to mix brands when carrying a double set to 'fill in the gaps' between sizes. For example a 2 friend will go where a 0.75 camalot woul almost be tipped out and a 1 camalot would be over cammed.
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alpiner
Feb 25, 2003, 9:59 PM
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Registered: Feb 23, 2003
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Uhhh...power cams have the least range of all (on purpose). Compare your camalot to a Friend and the difference is essentially non-existent, particularly in the most commonly used sizes. Dual axles is a marketing gimmick that adds weight and cost, not performance.
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beyond_gravity
Feb 27, 2003, 1:03 AM
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Registered: Jan 2, 2002
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I've found that the duel axles are less prone to getting stuck in wierd placements (you know, the one that would take a hex perfectly)
When cleaning i've somtimes had the lobes on my Forged Friends spin 90º and become a royal pain in the ass to get out. Never had this happen with the two Camlots that I own.
All in all, i'm just going to buy DMM for now because they are the cheapist flexsteam cams I can find.
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sycamore
Feb 27, 2003, 2:05 AM
Post #17 of 23
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Registered: Dec 26, 2002
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"Dual axles is a marketing gimmick that adds weight and cost, not performance."
Mid-range Camalots: active strength- 16kn
passive- 16kn
Mid-range Tech Friends: active strength- 14kn
passive- 12kn
33% more passive strength- what's your definition of performance?
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gyngve
Feb 27, 2003, 2:18 AM
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Registered: Dec 28, 2002
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In reply to: "Dual axles is a marketing gimmick that adds weight and cost, not performance." Mid-range Camalots: active strength- 16kn passive- 16kn Mid-range Tech Friends: active strength- 14kn passive- 12kn 33% more passive strength- what's your definition of performance?
12kn is plenty, plenty, plenty.
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alpiner
Feb 27, 2003, 2:31 AM
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Registered: Feb 23, 2003
Posts: 210
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Oh puhleeze, are you really that gullible? If you're buying cams based on a billion-to-one shot, you should take up knitting instead.
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ricardol
Feb 27, 2003, 6:37 PM
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Registered: Nov 11, 2002
Posts: 1050
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oh pls -- we could debate this until the cows come home --
like anything else in life -- go with what you feel comfortable with ... and if you're flush with cash (like i am) -- then fuck the price and just buy whatever you like ..
i love my camalots -- and i'm buying even the smaller sizes (over friends) .. so far i've got a set from .4 to 3.5 with doubles in the .75 and 1 ..(and soon the 2 also) ..
:-)
.. in the end when you're sketched out on a some hairy climb.. you'd gladly spend $100 to have the exact gear you are most comfortable with ... so why not do that from the beginning -- if you're most comfortable cam is a DMM -- then buy DMM ..
-- ricardo
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kevlar
Mar 1, 2003, 1:16 PM
Post #21 of 23
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Registered: Jun 5, 2002
Posts: 272
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Working in the past in a machine shop...I agree the feel of the Camolots is superior to all the other cams I have had my hands on...all cams are certified to perform to a certain kn rating....( 1 kn = 220-225 lbs) so do the math 12 or 15 kn
I guess it boils down to what you can afford an what works for your style...
so all enjoy an Rock On
had to fix spelling error.. :oops: what is new
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apollodorus
Mar 1, 2003, 1:51 PM
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Registered: Feb 18, 2002
Posts: 2157
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Golden Camalot = GOLD. It's a nice size, and a nice piece to go in there.
The Red is is also pretty skanky.
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naturalhigh
Mar 14, 2003, 7:10 AM
Post #23 of 23
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Registered: Jul 24, 2001
Posts: 131
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I personally like both the feel and the weight of the DMM 4Cams... Believe it or not, the largest DMM cam is actually LIGHTER than a comparable hex. Crazy, eh? But to each their own... if interested, I have a website on which I've put a excel spreadsheet file with data (range, weight, etc) on just about every cam out there, and you can even visually compare the ranges of up to 3 sets of cams. http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~pbeebe/patrick/cams.xls
I personally believe that it is safer to carry a larger number of cams vs fewer cams when they weigh the same (ie any cam vs BD cams). The BD cams do have their place, but on a normal trad lead I'd rather be able to place more pieces than run out of gear with 50' left in a pitch.
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