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WC Technical Friends vs. BD Camalots


rleary

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Camalots have dual axle = more range

C4 camalots you can clip in short for aid climbing

C4s have the smoothest action and best handling of any cam on the market

C4s are lighter (I think) than WC friends

Price difference is negligible.

 

c4 Camalots. thumbs_up.gif

 

No, I'm not sponsored by BD, but I wish I wuz. If I could climb M13 like Roger, maybe they'd choose me.

 

I would prefer if BD put an extendable sling on the camalots like the DMM cams.

 

BTW, this should be in the Gear Critic forum, not Newbies.

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Personally, I prefer the camelots in sizes .75 or larger, but for smaller cams I generally prefer a combination of Metolius (TCU's or powercams) and Aliens. The WC's are just fine, but most of my partners seem to prefer these others.

 

I haven't had a chance to use the c-3's.

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Personal preference. I personally like camalots because thay have a smoother and less tensioned action and hence are less likely to walk.
While it may be true that they walk less, it wouldn't be because of the reasons you cite.

 

Bullshit. My emperical experience trumps all your fancy science, lab boy.

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i HAVE THE TECH FRIENDS AND I PREFER THEM OVER THE CAMALOTS. i THINK THEY ARE MADE EXTREMLY WELL i KNOW GUYS THAT HAVE HAD THERE FORGED FRIENDS FOR 20 YEARS. tHE TECH FRIENDS ARE LIGHTER AND CHEAPER$ THAN THE C4'S. I HAVE FOUND THAT I STICK MY BUDDY'S CAMOLTS FAR MORE OFTEN THAN MY OWN FRIENDS BUT THEN AGAIN I USE MY WC FRIENDS MORE OFTEN.

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I prefer Camalots for some of the reasons already mentioned, especially range and smootheness. However, the tech friends are lighter. I only own one of the latter and it is about the same size as BD #4. I have been very pleased with this purchase because for such a huge cam, the weight savings are very noticable.

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Camalots have dual axle = more range

C4 camalots you can clip in short for aid climbing

C4s have the smoothest action and best handling of any cam on the market

C4s are lighter (I think) than WC friends

Price difference is negligible.

 

c4 Camalots. thumbs_up.gif

 

No, I'm not sponsored by BD, but I wish I wuz. If I could climb M13 like Roger, maybe they'd choose me.

 

I would prefer if BD put an extendable sling on the camalots like the DMM cams.

 

BTW, this should be in the Gear Critic forum, not Newbies.

 

1. Yep, but the difference is slight and you won't be able to carry less cams.

2. And this is unique to the Camalots? How? Irrelevent.

3. Yep

4. Wrong. Camalots are one of the heaviest cams out there. Friends are way lighter than a Camalot and significantly lighter than C4s.

5. A 30% price difference (on some some of them) is negligible? I don't think so.

 

I use both and like them both. For medium sizes I like the C4s a little better. For offwidths the #5 and #6 Friends are way better than the big camalots. The large Friends are lighter, wider (and hence more stable), and cheaper than the same sized C4s.

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1. I don't think the increased range is advantageous because it means you can carry less cams (though that may be true in some situations), I think it's advantageous because you are more likely to be able to get the first cam you grab off your rack to fit in the crack when you are pumped and about to peel off.

 

2. You can't clip in short with WC Friends. So yes, that is relevant to the present discussion.

 

3. I guess we agree.

 

4. C4 camalots are significantly lighter than the old camalots and I think they are comparable to other cams on the market now.

 

5. A 24% price difference per cam IS irrelevant over the lifetime of a cam and should NOT be the deciding factor in rock climbing/safety gear equipment selection.

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5. A 24% price difference per cam IS irrelevant over the lifetime of a cam and should NOT be the deciding factor in rock climbing/safety gear equipment selection.

Mr. Fox, that would make you a price-insensitive cam buyer. Stay out of Club Sensitivioso, if you please.

 

Everyone else, say after me: FEWER CAMS, FEWER CAMS, FEWER CAMS fruit.gif

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i've found that the increased range of the camalots can be really helpful when putting the cam into a crack that is narrow in the front (ie, on the outside), but gets wider in the back. the ability to contract the cam lobes quite a bit lets you get the cam past the narrow outer lip of the crack, but then open up to a reasonable size inside the crack.

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Most of the range is in people's heads. It's a couple of millimeters. However, what you are referring to is the Camalot's ability to really get small when completely retracted. That's where those millimeters pay. The tips don't come around and bump on the other side, the way Metolius do for example. This results from the shorter arc length of the Camalot.

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