Thanks Bill for sharing the experience and your opinion.
Did you find any placement where Totem and nothing else held?

No Mikel, but there were a couple of marginal ones where the Totem and an offset Alien held but everything else didn't. Plaidman (Scott Peterson) is still quite enamored with them.

Thank you Bill!

I have yet to fondle these new cams but from what I read here, it sounds like it might be nice to have some of the smaller ones to use as a second set. I usually carry double in the bigger BD cams (red-blue) when needed and a set of Master Cams for my small cams. Perhaps having a few of these in addition to the MCs would give a little more placement options in tricky small cracks? Thanks for the review...

recall info:
http://www.totemcams.com/blog/?p=738&preview=true

TOTEM CAM APOLOGY

Did you guys ever have one of your buddies tell you to go see a movie cause "IT WAS THE BEST MOVIE EVER MAN YOU JUST HAVE TO SEE IT!!!!!!111’ Later when you go see it you are disappointed. Had you just gone and seen it with no hype, you might have loved it, but instead you feel let down.

In one respect I got pegged by that on the Totems and I owe these guys part of an overdue apology. See, hearing that they would be a safer/better (40 degree holding angle claimed) replacement for the offset Aliens on aid, I got the ‘BEST MOVIE EVER” riff layed out on my feet but for the Totem cams. My disappointment runs through out my rant up thread. But I had the opportunity to run mega high mileage long free climbing crack routes in Red Rocks and I totally have to pull my foot out of my mouth because it changed my view. (head out of ass syndrome). Sure they worked great in vertical cracks, but they really preformed well in some the strange features Germaine to Red rocks. In particular, flared horizontal seams and various solution pods. The grabbing and inserting Powderhound discusses above was quickly adapted to and we didn't notice them harder to place when running fast up long routes with these units. They didn't slow us down at all. Unlike the new DMM Dragons. We brought along some new DMM Dragons which surprisingly disappointed everyone. That's another rant I’ll save for later though.

Would I buy a set of these if I didn’t have them. Yes, but as you all know, I’m a gear whore with more money than brains. Based on the higher price do they outperform the BD’s or Metolius cams enough to make it worthwhile...ummmm...well, maybe not, but I’m not giving mine up. I was too harsh on the Totems, and I apologize.

As far as the recall, being for anodizing the full cam lobe, including the business end that touches the rock, these things were grabbing well when new, not slipping at all, and they are scuffed up enough that I'm not worried at all. In fact, plenty of other cams do anodize all or part of their lobes (ie Wild country Technical Friend picture below, Wild Country has been doing this for a long time and will be doing it to the new Helium cams as well)


and it's never been an issue. I think the Totem folks were suggesting that on marginal slick Limestone placements it could be an issue, and they should be commended, thanked and supported for their candor and commitment to excellence. It's certainly a welcome change from the Colorado Custom Hardware experience.

Furthermore, to me, these cams do not appear as easy to get stuck as other cams. Someone noted that and pointed it out, and I believe it's true. Unfortunately, when your buddy Ujahn stuffs your #4 Camalot into that 3" placement on Epinephrine again, you still are screwed and will have to wrestle with it for 20 min to get it out cause Totem doesn't make anything close to that size. LOL

Regards to all

bill

Cool re-review Bill. I was kinda pulling for the Totem's from the get-go ... just to have another solid cam option out there that offered different capabilities. Competition is good. =) I was bummed to hear the initial downer assessment. Thanks for the follow-up.

I however, DON'T have more money than brains (which sucks because I also don't have much in the way of extra brains either...) which leaves me definitely SOL. Which is really better anyhow - my rack is well stocked as it is.

I agree it seems like the Totem guys really are trying to do right by the climbing community. Props to them for that - and pretty cool to know that some folks are still out there innovating.