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boretribe
Apr 23, 2002, 6:49 PM
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I am starting to get a trad rack together and cams are next on my list. Climbing magazing gave the Trango Flex Cams (2002) an 'A' rating and at $279 from GearExpress.com they seem like a good deal.
I will be climbing mostly at Joshua Tree with a few road trips (Red Rocks, Yosemite) thrown in. What are your opinions/experiences with these cams?
[ This Message was edited by: boretribe on 2002-04-24 00:13 ]
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camhead
Apr 23, 2002, 7:04 PM
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The Trangos look good for the price, but no more than other single stem equivalents (Hugh Banner flexifits, Clog, Ocun) but I would take that 'Climbing' article with a grain of salt. If you want a really good, in depth look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of active camming devices, Rock & Ice did a really good review that I think is online. It came out before Wc's 0-cams or the Splitter Gear stuff, but it is much more detailed.
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joemor
Apr 24, 2002, 3:01 AM
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what are wc o-cams?
joe
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natec
Apr 24, 2002, 3:20 AM
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Wc zero cams are new cams out that are mainly for aid climbing. I don't think that they even approve of the use of the zeros for aid climbng.
As for the Trango Flex cams. I just bought a set of them yesterday. They are manufactured by Hudy Sport of the Czech Republic...the same company that manufactures the Robot Cams sold by Rock Empire and several other companies. The major differences being that the Flex Cams are single stem, and have much more space between the two middle cams. This is a good thing as the Robots are prone to walking with the middle cams being so close together.
The Robots are still very nice cams for the money, but I picked up my Flex Cams for $250 for the set of 8. That's only $1.25 more than the Robots per cam. I sold my Robots to a buddy, and will still be happy to use them when we use his rack.
That is the most information I have about them at the moment. I will post a mini review next Monday after I have had a chance to use my new Flex Cams for the weekend. I'll just list my thoughts of the pros and cons.
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boretribe
Apr 24, 2002, 6:14 AM
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natec where did you find them for $250??
Also, they do have a double looped sling don't they? The description says they do but some of the pictures I have seen make them look like they only have a single looped sling.
Anybody else have opinions on these cams?
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bmgard
Apr 24, 2002, 7:07 AM
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I saw this form and i had to enter my 2 cents. The Trango Flex cams where the first cams i bought. I now have a full set of them and i love them. I climb mostly on sandstone so i don't know how they work in other rock. I personally like the BDs better (and i own 2 of them) but at the price Trangos rock. They origanaly came with a singel sling but Trango remodeled them this year, and they now have a double sling. I have some of both and the double sling is very nice. Several people i climb with have them also and I would recomend these cams to anyone.
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phreakdigital
Apr 24, 2002, 8:29 AM
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I have some and like them...took a whipper on one and i am still here! So go for them...they are also modestly priced.
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neelystar
Apr 25, 2002, 3:43 PM
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boretribe-to answer your question regarding double slings, the Trango flex cams do have double slings. The pictures that you see without the double slings are most likely the older models. The Trango Flex flex cams 2002 have the double slings that you want. Not only that but the Trango Flex cams have cam stops, which can save your ass if the cam walks to a open position on your climbs. For more info check out their website. They have a great size comparison, in regards to their camming range, to other leading brands.
[ This Message was edited by: neelystar on 2002-04-25 15:27 ]
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natec
Apr 25, 2002, 3:56 PM
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I got them for $250 from a local gear shop. He has the set on sale for $279 in his ad in climbing. I walked in, picked out all the sizes and asked him if he wanted to play let's make a deal. He said make my first offer reasonable, I said $250 and he said OK!
He owes it to me because he is a major A-hole, and I still buy from him when I can.
My suggestion for the best deal, call Mark or Tom at gearexpress.com. The usually match any advertised price. See what they can do for you. Please do me a favor though, tell them that Nathan from Ohio told you to call. And mention RC.com. Those two things should help you get a better deal.
The local store that I bought the flex cams from is Outbackgear.com. Don't buy from them, just ask gearexpress.com to match or beat the website price.
EDIT: Disclaimer: I am warning all who read this not to buy from Outbackgear.com. I worked there for 6 months and know the workings inside and out. They are not straight up businessmen. If more information is needed please PM me.
[ This Message was edited by: natec on 2002-04-25 08:59 ]
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camhead
Apr 25, 2002, 5:36 PM
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Kind of on the subject:
I just got five Metollius Power Cams (2,4,6,8,9) yesterday. They are simlilar to the robots in design, but far superior in construction.
Anyway, I was comparing cam width with others in my collection, and the Metollius are only about 2/3 the width of their single stem equivalents (Hugh Banner, in this case)!
Theoretically, this should make them more prone to walking. I'll let ya'll know as soon as I've tried them out, but I am still STOKED to finally have some Metollius in my collection!
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natec
Apr 28, 2002, 11:08 PM
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After a weekend at Seneca Rocks, a place known for swallowing cams that walk because of bottomless cracks, I can give a short review on the Flex Cams. I used my Flex Cams for 3/4 of my placements this weekend to try and really get a feel for them.
First thing I noticed was that when racked, the Flex Cams are remarkably lighter than the Tech Friends.
Walking was very minimal, though my Tech Friends are a tiny bit more stable, the Flex Cams outperformed my expectations.
Placements were very easy to achieve(they are cams, did I expect something different?) The one peev I had was that in some awkward hand positions, I had a hard time with the trigger spinning on the stem.
One minus about the stems. The are about 1/2" too long. While it didn't prove to be a problem this weekend. I could see this being a hangup in the future. The long stem is going to allow more torque on the head of the cam, this will make walking a more probable reality.
These cams are more than worth the money. Even at the full $40 retail price, they will perform alongside the better known cams (friends, camalots), without problems.
I didn't fall this weekend. I like to think that's a good thing, because I wasn't pushing the technical level. I can't remark on the Flex Cams holding power though, which is my only complaint about this review.
All said, I would give these cams an B+/A- rating. If the triggers didn't spin and the stems were 1/2" shorter they would be near perfect.
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bmgard
Apr 30, 2002, 8:14 AM
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Like i said earlier. I really like these cams. I thought i would coment on there holding power. I have wieghted these cams (in sandstone) many times. they hold great. I know of 2 people that have taken 10ft+ falls on them and they didn't move. I trust them with my life, and i think they are the best deal on the market right now.
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crux_clipper
Apr 30, 2002, 8:53 AM
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As a fellow tradder with little money, cheap cams are the way to go. By what people have said, they seem good for a first set. But how do the rate compared to the HB Quadcams? They are in a similar price range.
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