Tri Cams - anyone still use these do dads??

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 21 - 40 of total 86 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

Largo

Sport climber

Venice, Ca

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 19, 2008 - 01:34pm PT

Thanks, boys. The "Pink" stays in the book.

JL

climber

Bozeman, Montana

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:35pm PT

There are climbs in Gallatin Canyon that won't really protect with anything else. Same is true for the Black Hills Needles. I always carry the two smallest sizes in these areas.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, Ca.

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:39pm PT

"Tricams kick ass!
I use to 4 smallest all the time.
Good in scars, too. "

...what he said. And yeah, they're super bomber when placed correctly. I love mine, place them all the time, never leave the ground without the 4 smallest (pink, red, blue, brown).

the kid

Trad climber

fayetteville, wv

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:40pm PT

Largo,
Looks like you have your answer. Put them in the book to school the newbies.

The new three smallest sizes plus pink and red and most commonly used.
@ Looking Glass, Nc it is crucial to have them to protect these shallow eyebrows. Also great for aid routes. The red tricam is the key last gear piece on Black Out in the meadows for those inclined to lead that one!

Ks

Captain...or Skully

Gym climber

Where are YOU from Holmes?

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:41pm PT

Remember the tiny white, Blue.......Awesome piece.

davidji

Social climber

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:42pm PT

The biggest one has the awesome feature of giving you less range than a cam, for only a little more weight. Used to carry it for fist-sized stuff, but after weighing it I stopped.

Ed Bannister

Mountain climber

Riverside, CA

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:46pm PT

Mr. Largo,

First hats off for your usual request for input.

Little tricams in solution pockets work where nothin' else will.

You know as well as anyone, that some really excellent pieces of gear never were a commercial success.

Tricams,
RP nuts,
Campbell saddlewedges,
"33" biners,
even Royal's hollow biner,
and fish hooks don't have Russ rolling in Dough now do they?, but would you choose not to own one?, or both sizes for that matter, everybody ought to own BOTH fishhoooks.
too much specialty?
Maybe.
Too much specialty to be in your book?
More your call on if you want a book with a Sport Chalet selection of gear, or an Art of Climbing selection. your call, but you know how I would vote.
best wishes for Christmas and the new year
Ed

Nefarius

Big Wall climber

somewhere without avatars.........

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:47pm PT

What are Tri Cams?

Just kidding. :)

"The deal is that only people who climb trad-protected pocketed rock use them. "

What Greg said... Almost. This is one of the only places I see them used with any regularity. The other would be places like Zion. Worn, pocketed placements eat these up and are about the only thing that will work in a lot of them. They are invaluable there.

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:48pm PT

I use 'em all the time,usualy at belays to save cams.

One note you might want to include for the N00bs is even though they can be placed one handed easily, they are almost impossible to clean one handed.

Another reason to reserve them for anchors.

climber

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:50pm PT

JL,
The first three sizes, .5, 1.0 and 1.5 are always on the trad rack. They have saved my and different partners ass several times over the years; usually in granite and not necessarily in pockets either. However, I can see your point as they are a bit esoteric and may work in ways not as described in a 'manual' and may well be difficult for some to grasp from a picture in a book.

Mike Bolte

Trad climber

Planet Earth

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:53pm PT

the pink one is the only thing that will protect the mantel on the last pitch of the Direct Northwest Face on Lembert!

brett

climber

oregon

Dec 19, 2008 - 01:53pm PT

Yes, I use them.
They still have a following in Eldo.

Also useful in columnar basalt when the crack constricts in front and flares open behind.

And countless one-off placement where nothing else works.

And alpine, as noted.

rhyang

climber

SJC

Dec 19, 2008 - 02:06pm PT

Another vote for the four smallest ones. Really nice for pockets and horizontal cracks.

Elcapinyoazz

Social climber

Redlands

Dec 19, 2008 - 02:07pm PT

Very popular in the southeast, for the same reasons as the gunks, lots of horizontals.

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Dec 19, 2008 - 02:13pm PT

John,

They're somewhere between great and essential for the sorts of holes and pockets in the Courtright area and on the west face of Squaw Dome.

John

Sherri

climber

Dec 19, 2008 - 02:16pm PT

I added the pink to my rack this year and found it didn't get much use on the granite cracks in my usual PNW haunts(Squamish, Index, Leavenworth, etc). However, when I climb in Red Rock it gets placed on most every route.

I love knowing it's there when I come across a sea of varnish plates or little sandstone pockets where nothing else will work.

A trad book that includes an in-depth how-to for them would be valuable--seems all I could find when I was looking was a cursory mention of them, whereas nuts and cams had pages of info.

mcreel

climber

Barcelona, Spain

Dec 19, 2008 - 02:18pm PT

That's like asking if we still use our sexual organs! Nice troll.

maldaly

Trad climber

Boulder, CO

Dec 19, 2008 - 02:23pm PT

TriCams are nearly useless in Yosemite, JTree and Indian Creek. Anywhere else I find them incredibly useful... in certain sizes. Pink through Brown are indespensible in Eldo, the gunks and anywhere else you find pockets, slots, pods, irregular cracks and overlaps. They are lighter, more predictable, more stable, work better in flares, shallow pockets and holes and are easy to place and remove. Plus, you can get 3 or 4 TriCams for the price of a springy cam.

Those who say you can't place them one handed are wrong.

Those you say they are hard to remove haven't practiced.

That said, placing and removing them is a skill that needs to be acquired and practiced. A poorly placed TriCam can be hard or impossible to remove and we all know how easy it is to remove a poorly placed cam. NOT!!!

Learn how to place them as a nut and you'll never use big stoppers again.

If your second hasn't had experience with them, show him how they place and, more importantly, how to remove them.

Climb safe,
Mal