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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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Feb 19, 2012 - 11:47am PT
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some years ago I lost a robot cam that walked into a crack...they can walk that's true, only one that strayed into the abyss.
recently acquired a few more master cams, so slick to place. Really loving those.
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lubbockclimber
Trad climber
lubbock,tx
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2012 - 06:22pm PT
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Any body use helium friends, or trango flex cams
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Matt M
Trad climber
Alamo City
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Feb 19, 2012 - 08:11pm PT
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Camalot Production moved to China long before BD was bought up. At least 2007
The BD sh_t has been done over and over and over again on these and NUMEROUS other forums. Beaten to death six ways to Sunday. QC for Camalots HAS NOT CHANGED ONE BIT. PERIOD. Anyone that claims otherwise better have verifiable PROOF or they are full of it.
You can be opposed to BD for moral, offshoring reasons. That's your personal choice but claiming BD has suddenly become a sh*t cam is far from the truth. C4s are one of MANY quality options to look at and depending on your PERSONAL needs, moral preferences etc etc they might be one to consider.
I love the fact the Metolius makes a fair amount of their stuff in the USA. I have some of their cams because they work for my needs. I also have C4s, C3s, Aliens (Totem and Fixe) and Totem Cams. Just depends on what I needed them for.
If you want to support "non-China" gear Metolius, Wired Bliss, DMM, Misty Mountain etc etc are all quality choices.
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lubbockclimber
Trad climber
lubbock,tx
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 20, 2012 - 08:19pm PT
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Let's keep it alive. What cams aren't worth a sh#t?
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splitter
Trad climber
Hodad surfing the galactic plane
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Feb 20, 2012 - 08:48pm PT
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i thought ya claimed lubbock was the bouldering capital of the world..and that buddy holly even wrote a song about it, bitd..so what wud you need springy thingys for anyway.
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laughingman
Mountain climber
Seattle WA
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Feb 20, 2012 - 09:14pm PT
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True not many problems have been had with the new BD cams made in china. The stainless steel crampons are another story...
Read Dane Burns article on Black Diamond Crampon problems.... They have... Issues to say the least...
http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/
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lubbockclimber
Trad climber
lubbock,tx
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 20, 2012 - 09:26pm PT
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Wow! Cracking black diamond pons. Good thing there ain't no ice climbing in Texas Yall.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Feb 20, 2012 - 10:10pm PT
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Let's keep it alive. What cams aren't worth a sh#t?
They're all pretty damned good. The Omega Pacifics can and do break and fail if you place them at an unusual offset angle to a fall (and you do fall), but the fantastic range, esp for the #2, makes them a crack jugging wonder and worthy of keeping on a rack.
Trango Max cams, now defunct, would fall out if you didn't place them within range- range being half of less open, but they also held in a bombay better than anything made at the time, and their wide cam lobes made for a wide dispersal of force on soft sandstone. So grab one or 2, but don't use them as your "Thank God piece" as is commonly recommended.
Occasionally Aliens would fall apart, but conversely, they were bomber when they gripped like a Pit Bull on your balls when you least expect that: which was really most of the time.
Black Diamond makes solid cams. They are the gold standard. They don't squeeze out every ounce of grip like the Metolius or Totems do, but they are damned well made are on everyone's rack (except apogees evidently), and you can consistently grab the right one. I suppose that if you hate the Chinese like Apogee up there, better you just go kick some Chinese consul dude square in the balls and get over it, and then still buy the cams.
Totems grip better than anything out there except an offset Alien in the perfect pocket. And they charge for it too. Worth every damned cent. Unless you are buying it for you kid. Screw him, but if it's for yourself, you're worth the extra money.
Wired Bliss is a cottage industry and still makes sweet moving U stemers and are very worth supporting.
Wild Country still makes great cams that are damned excellent. Don't buy the ridged stems ones, get the technical friends or the Heliums. What Boodawg says up above is right on the money the larger sizes. Listen to the old dawg with experience. The BDs are easier to clench down on the ground, but when your sphincter is so damned snug that if you were to ram some coal up there you could make industrial grade diamonds, you want the Wild Country 5 or 6.
Pass on the Dragons. Not worth the scratch. I dew Lubs me my DMMs stuff - ie, Boas, Sentinels, Offsets and Wallnuts (best damned nuts ever), Nuttools, etc but they screwed that pooch on the dragons. Yes, I've used all of those cams. A lot. Pass on the Dragons.
If Black Diamonds are 8 out of 10 in maybe .5 but definatly .75 and up with the smaller sizes being 5 out of 10 (10 being perfect and 1 being a dimpled Alien that won't hold toilet paper), then Totoms are 9 out of 10, Metolius are 7.9 to 8.1 out of 10 with Wired Bliss being the same.
Omega Pacific are 6 out of 10 till you hit a 400 foot crack in that range you want to jug and then they are 10 out of 10, Aliens in the smaller sizes -Blue to Red- are 9 out of 10, dropping to 5 out of 10 in purple/clear...maybe Orange. Same gig with Metolius Master cams. The small rate 8.5 out of 10 and the large, say the green #6 with the floppy stem single cable, is a 6 or 7 out of 10.
Of course, I've been drinking. Tomorrow I'll most likely be shocked at this bullsh#t I'm spewing.
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gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
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Feb 20, 2012 - 10:40pm PT
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First generation rigid shaft friends, slung with 1" tubular webbing tied with a water knot. Bought em in the valley from Ray Jardine himself.
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JBC
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Feb 20, 2012 - 10:50pm PT
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wild Country and Wired Bliss are on my rack these days, and have been for years. I like the DMM cams as well, but no need to replace stuff that is working for me.
Jim
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apogee
climber
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Feb 20, 2012 - 10:55pm PT
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"QC for Camalots HAS NOT CHANGED ONE BIT. PERIOD."
Uh-huh. Right. Everything's okey-dokey.
I'm done with BD, and I'm tellin' my friends. (Most of them don't need much convincing as soon as you mention 'Made in China'.)
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lubbockclimber
Trad climber
lubbock,tx
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 21, 2012 - 11:03pm PT
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And what about thems tri cams
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apogee
climber
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Feb 22, 2012 - 12:06am PT
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Pink, Red & Brown.
Any other questions?
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lubbockclimber
Trad climber
lubbock,tx
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 22, 2012 - 01:26pm PT
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Metolious tcus or master cams
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Feb 22, 2012 - 01:53pm PT
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Gonamok said: "First generation rigid shaft friends, slung with 1" tubular webbing tied with a water knot. Bought em in the valley from Ray Jardine himself."
Goneamok, can you share a photo of these beauties?
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lubbockclimber
Trad climber
lubbock,tx
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 24, 2012 - 09:00am PT
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Shafted friends
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Feb 24, 2012 - 09:44am PT
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LOL, fitting.
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Barbarian
Trad climber
New and Bionic too!
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Feb 24, 2012 - 10:00am PT
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I have both BD C4s and Wired Bliss TCUs on my rack. Love them both. What do I reach for first when placing pro? Stoppers (when a good placement is available)...they never ever walk, and a well placed one can hold a truck.
Of course, I'm a staunch traditionalist. Still carry some large hexes, too.
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lubbockclimber
Trad climber
lubbock,tx
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 24, 2012 - 05:13pm PT
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Yea man I started with stoppers and hexes. So many freaking pieces though.
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