Trad Climbing Gear
Cams

Cams

Cams (spring-loaded camming devices) are vital in traditional (trad) climbing because they transform outward pulling force into sideways holding power, allowing climbers to safely protect parallel-sided cracks, flares, and pockets where passive gear like nuts would fail or slip out.

Cams Recommendations

• Basic Cam Set:

  • This will cover 90%+ of what you need in Washington State

  • Camalot C4 0.3-3.0 - double set

    • "Gold Standard" of cams

    • Can be shared between 2 climbers

• Advanced Cam Set:

  • This is a really nice set with a blend of durability and great grippiness in small cracks

  • Totem Black-Purple

  • Camalot Z4 0.2-0.5

  • Camalot C4 0.75-3.0 - double set

Cam size comparison
Source: cam-parison.com 

Regular Sized Cams 0.3 to 3.0

• A double set of 0.3 to 3.0 cams will cover most climbs

• Black Diamond Camalot C4s 

  • BD C4 are built to be used infinitely - slings are replaceable by manufacturer

  • Considered the Gold Standard for cams

  • The first dual axle cams used for climbing was the Camalot which was released in 1987 under the Chouinard Equipment brand before it became Black Diamond in 1989

  • Double axle design allows C4s to be used as passive protection or if they umbrella 

    • Manufacturer provides a Passive Strength Rating

    • Sandstone and loose rock can expand when a cam is stressed, which in turn can max out the cam ("unbrella")

      • Cams not designed for passive protection will "blow out" when they "umbrella"

    • Can be used as a "nut" if needed for intentional passive protection

  • Some C4 are now available with extendable slings

• BD Ultralight Cams 

  • 20-25% lighter than C4s is significant

  • Limited lifespan since they use braided Dyneema cord instead of steel cables

  • More expensive than C4 and don't last forever

    • Not that much more expensive initially

    • Fut if you need to replace them in 5 years, they are a LOT more expensive

    • You'll need to decide if weight savings are worth it

  • Manufacturer provides a Passive Strength Rating

• Metolius Ultralight Master Cam

  • Considered best value for your money

  • Single-axle design 

    • Uses cam stops to limit motion of lobes

    • NOT designed for passive protection

  • Lightweight

    • Original Metolius Master Cam came out in 2008 

    • Ultralight released in 2015 and are 40% lighter than older generations

  • Narrower 13.25-degree camming angle

    • Individual cams covers a smaller range of crack widths compared to double-axle units

    • Larger sizing gaps especially between blue/yellow and orange/red ranges

  • Range Finder Dots

    • Nice for new users

    • Hard to read in real world use

  • Single-stem design can occasionally twist and tip over when you "bumping" or reposition them

  • Larger cams (#7) may come in contact with trigger cord while under load - resulting in wire failure

• Wild Country Friends

  • Wild Country "Friend" cam (single axle) in 1978 is the world's first mass-produced and widely popular commercial climbing cam

  • New dual axle design is comparable to C4

  • Dual-axle design similar to C4s

    • Double axle was introduced in 2016

    • Manufacturer provides a Passive Strength Rating

  • Same color scheme

  • Extendable 12mm Dyneema sling

    • May allow you to carry less apline slings

    • Can get caribiner out of deep cracks

  • Generally less expensive

  • Older generation cams need inspection

    • Cams date back to 1980s and 1990s

    • Inspect for axle corrosion, worn lobes, or retired textile lifespans

    • Older slings had bar tacking that would snag - should be replaced at this point

• DMM Dragon Cams

  • Dual-axle design similar to C4s

    • Came out in 2010 with BD dual-axle patent expired

    • Manufacturer provides a Passive Strength Rating

  • Doesn't have thumb loop

    • Changes how you hold these to place them

  • Slightly softer metal than BD

  • Extendable 8mm Dyneema sling 

    • Ligher than BD C4 since you can carry less apline draws

    • Can get caribiner out of deep cracks

  • Hot-forged lobes with corner grooves designed to enhance bite and friction on slick or softer rock like limestone

  • More expensive than BD C4 and about as expensive as Totem

• Totem Cams

  • Specialty single axle cam system that will hold with 2 lobes

    • NOT designed for passive protection and will "Blow" if umbrella

  • Designed differently than Camalots and excells in special conditions

    • Excellent for aid climbing

    • More information on Totems below

  • Doesn't cover entire range to 3.0

    • Yellow (~2 for BD) is largest cam

  • Came out in late 2010

    • First batch was recalled due to color-anodized lobes potentially affecting holding power 

    • Production shifted to microblasted lobes 

  • Most Expensive

Small Cams - less than 0.3

• Some climbers add smaller cams to their set and sometimes replace their smaller C4s with Totems, Z4s or Aliens

  • These fit better in smaller holes and have flexier stems which are better for horizontal placement

  • May be needed for:

    • Index Town Walls 

      • Technical granite cracks and pin scars 

      • Thin Fingers (5.11a, Index)

      • Japanese Gardens (5.11d, Index)

      • Model Worker (5.11c, Index)

      • Town Crier (5.9 C2, Index Upper Wall):

    • Leavenworth

      • Select thin-crack zones such as at Icicle Creek Canyon

  • Quick comparisZ4s are the easiest to use and strongest of these 3

  • Totems can hold with just 2 lobes

  • Aliens are generally less expensive

• Totems 

  • These are in "Standard Totems" - NOT in "Basic Totems"

  • Cult Following

    • These were and on occasion and still are in short supply

    • There is a cult following for these, in part due to scarcity 

      • They are overpriced in part because of this

    • They are really good, but the hype is much greater than it should be

    • Black Diamond Z4 are less expensive and work about as well as Totems

      • Z4 are NOT designed for 2 lobe use, but are easier to use and stronger

      • A set of each is better than 2 sets of either

  • Special Features of Totems:

    • Direct-Load Lobe Design

      • Patented design distributes the load equally across all four independently moving lobes

        • Consider better for flaired cracks

        • Used in uneven rock surfaces where you may wish to use an offset cam

      • Allows them to hold securely even when only two lobes are engaged

        • Use of 2 lobes for hold is great for aid climbing where you only need to hold your body wieght

        • 2 lobes on one side may not hold a falling climber

    • Ultra-Narrow Head Width

      • Exceptional for shallow cracks, pockets, pin scars, and flared placements

    • Flexible Double Stem

      • Reduces walking (movement inside the crack once placed) and absorbs directional pull

      • Great for horizontal placement where flex is good

      • Larger sizes (like Orange/1.80) can feel slightly floppy during one-handed placement

    • Two-Lobe Loading Capability

      • Can be clipped and loaded on just two lobes (using the specific sling attachment point) for aid climbing situations

      • This significantly reduces overall stability

    • Single Axle

      • NOT designed for use as passive protection like the double axle Camalot

      • These will "blow out" if umbrella'd if sized incorrectly or if used on sandstone 

  • Use Recommendation

    • Add 1-2 Black 0.5 Totems (which is smaller than BD 0.3) to BD C4 Rack

    • Some like the versatility of smaller Totems over C4s

      • If you have extra money, replace one or both smaller BD in the following order:

      • Blue 0.65 Totem to replace BD Blue 0.3

      • Yellow 0.8 Totem to replace BD Gray 0.4

      • Purple 1 Totem to replace BD Purple 0.5

    • Some prefer Totems over C4s 

      • If you have lots of extra money:

      • Green 1.25 Totem to replace BD Green .75

      • Red 1.5 Totem to replace BD Red 1

      • Orange 1.8 Totem to replace Yellow 2

• Black Diamond Camalot Z4s 

  • 0 to 0.75

  • Comparable to Totems and in smaller sizes

  • These don't have a cult following like Totem and Alien

    • There are endorsed by Alex Honnold, but he is also a long-time sponsored athlete for Black Diamond Equipment

  • Compared to C4

    • Hybrid stem stiffness

      • Stiff when retracted for placement - eases placement 

      • Floppy when placed and released - reduces walking after placed

    • Flexible stem is better for horizontal placement than C4

    • Narrower head size will more easily fit in smaller pin scars

      • Narrower head may not work as well as C4s in splitters as the wider C4 head means wider dispersion of force

  • Compared to Totems

    • Z4s are easier to place as they are rigid during placement and flop when released

      • Fast to use and evaluate for trad climbing

    • "Larger" Z4s (0.3 and larger) with double axles are stronger since they can survive being umbrella'd (Totems will explode)

    • The independent-lobe design of totems are superior in marginal placements since they will hold with just 2 lobes

      • Better for aid climbing and for poorer quality anchor points

  • Compared to Aliens

    • Black Diamond as better quality control

    • Faster to place and assess

    • Range and cam stop strength is better in double axle sizes (.3 and up)

    • Not as grippy as Aliens

• Alien Cams

  • Some climbers use Aliens for micro sizes

    • Black 1/3 and Blue 3/8 are smaller than Black Totems

    • Use for micro cracks

  • Less expensive than BD Z4 or Totems

  • Incredibly narrow head profile

    • Can fit into tighter holes than Totems

  • Soft aluminum "bites" Washington Granite 

    • Alien cams, Totem Basic and BD Z4 use a softer 6061-T6 aluminum alloy for its lobes

    • Totem (standard) and BD C4 uses a harder 7075-T6 aluminum alloy

  • Extendable sling is nice

  • Similar to Totems, these have a cult following

  • NOTE the many issues with Alien Cams:

    • Softer 6061-T6 wears faster than Camalot C4s

    • Lobes are known to seize if you get dirt in the springs - frequent cleaning required

    • Flexible triggers and narrow profiles can cause these to snag on other racked gear

    • Alien has a long history of issues

      • 1985 - David Waggoner invents the original Alien Cam for Colorado Custom Hardware (CCH)

      • 2006 - CCH issues a recall for Alien Cams after reports of unit failures and structural concerns

        • The "Dimpled" Cam Recall - dimples on lobes due to rapid water cooling after brazing - compromised metal strength

      • 2009 - David Waggoner passes away

      • 2011 - Fixe Climbing (Tech Rock) from Spain acquires CCH and moves manufacturing to Barcelona

        • Fixe officially re-released the Fixe Alien Classic cams in September 2011

          • The trigger wires can bend out of shape or snap with heavy use

          • Users reported instances where small fasteners, bolts, or ferrules holding the cam lobes to the axle came loose or fell apart under light weighting or bounce testing

        • Fixe introduced the Alien Evolution climbing cam in late 2014 to replace the Alien Classic 

          • New trigger wires were made of a thin cable composed of multiple smaller wires instead of a solid wire

            • Issues with woven trigger cables fraying

            • The trigger sleeve could detach from the collar at the trigger wire bar - making cam removal really challenging 

          • Fixe Alien Lite (EVO Lite) used heavy plastic-nylon trigger components to cut weight by 25%

            • Same issues with cable fraying

            • Plastic trigger sleeves frequently cracked, split, or detached entirely from the collar bar

              • Could crack or shatter upon impact with rock.

      • 2017 - Fixe launches the updated Alien Revolution and Alien Classic line to fix earlier mechanical weaknesses

        • Replaces woven cables with solid trigger wires and upgrading plastic trigger components to aluminum

        • Reports regarding rare machining or counterbore flaws on early runs

        • Reports of out-of-the-box mechanical snags where lobes failed to return smoothly to 100% open without manual assistance - generally replaced by Fixe

      • 2023 - Fixe Climbing releases the Alien X micro cams (6th generation of the classic Alien climbing cam) 

        • Resolved many of the historic quality-control and build issues seen in older Alien Revolution generations

        • Some climbers note that the newer wire trigger design can occasionally cause the cam to slightly retract or shift when weighted over an edge in a horizontal placement, potentially reducing security

        • Not as "bomber" as Totem or Z4

  • Other less popular small Small Cams

    • DMM Dragonfly Cam

      • Extendable sling setup

      • When the cam is expanded in a crack, this gap opens to its widest point, making it very easy for dirt, dust, and rock grit to get trapped inside the mechanism even after a single placement

      • Compared to competing micro-cams (BD Z4 or older C3), these offer a slightly more limited expansion range per individual size unit

        • Must be more accurate with size selection or risk choosing an under-cammed or over-cammed piece

        • Color coding same as BD, but doesn't match BD sizes - they map closer to Metolius or Alien micro-cams

      • Small-diameter trigger wires, cables, and lobe mechanics are inherently more delicate than larger trad gear

    • Metolius Ultralight Master Cam

      • Best bang for the buck

      • Light weight

      • The smallest sizes (such as #0 and #00) are prone to over-camming and getting stuck

    • Wild Country Zero Friends

      • Overly stiff triggers or a floppy head design that makes accurate placement difficult in non-parallel or shallow horizontal cracks

      • Head width can feel bulky compared to competing micro-cams (like Totems or Z4s), making them harder to slot into tight or irregular constrictions

Aluminum Softness

• Cams are made with different aluminums

• Aluminim can be hard and durable or soft and "grippy"

• Softer metal cams include

  • Totem

  • Black Diamond Camalot Z4

  • Alien Revolution

  • Zero Friends

Cam Coloring

• Each company has its own color scheme for sizing 

• This is important if you are mixing systems or sharing cams with other climbers

• Black Diamond seems to be the most popular system, and many climbers are familiar with the color system

  • These share the same color/size system

  • Black Diamond Camalot (C4, Z4 and others)

  • Wild Country Friends

  • DMM Dragon Cams and DMM Dragonfly micro cams

  • Totems are almost the same, except for what would match up with BD Grey .4 (Totem Yellow) and BD Yellow 2 (Totem Orange)

• Metolius Ultralight Master Cams use something completely different

• If matching colors is important, you can color code your carabineers or paint your cams with a paint pen