CAMP Matik- a comprehensive review

Out of practical necessity, it seems like gear reviewers don’t get to spend all that much time with a given product before writing a review on it. This is not going to be one of those reviews. I’ve been using the Matik for about 4 months, and over that time I have accrued an estimated 800-1000 belay/rappel cycles on the device in a variety of capacities.

By profession, I am a climbing gym manager, performance climbing coach, and guide (AMGA SPI). Needless to say, I belay a lot.

Belay technology is always improving, and based on my everyday professional lifestyle, it behooves me to stay caught up with emerging trends and technologies. I forget how I stumbled upon the Matik, but after watching the product video from CAMP, I was quite intrigued at the supposed features the device brought to the table. I will be referencing the functions of the device during this review, so if you haven’t seen it yet, spend a few minutes watching it: youtube.com/watch?v=UIgBszD…

I ended up calling Glen with CAMP sales and he was gracious enough to send me a product sample at dealer cost (which I paid for out of pocket). In the last 3-4 months I have used the device in the following capacities- distributed over both professional and recreational use:

Outdoor lead belaying
Outdoor TR belaying
Belaying a 2nd from above on multipitch terrain
Single strand rappelling
Indoor lead belaying
Indoor TR belaying
High angle positioning for wall maintenance, and route setting
Progress capture

Working in the gym environment has allowed me to use the device on a variety of rope configurations as well. So far I have used the following (some of which deliberately fall outside of the device’s intended range of 8.6-10.2):

Mammut Serenity 8.7 (TR/Lead)
Mammut Revelation 9.2 (TR/Lead/Top Belay)
Sterling Nano 9.2 (Lead)
Sterling Ion 9.3 (Lead)
Sterling Helix 9.5 (TR/Lead)
Mammut Infinity 9.8 (TR/Lead)
Sterling Velocity 9.8 (TR/Lead)
Mammut Galaxy 10.2 (TR)
Sterling ReVo 10.2 (TR)
Sterling Marathon 10.4 (TR/Lead/Top Belay)
Sterling Gym Classic 10.4 (TR)
Sterling Marathon 10.7 (TR)

I’ll be primarily comparing the Matik to the ubiquitous Grigri platform, as Petzl’s product makes up over 90% of the assisted locking devices in circulation. The Matik is extremely well built, as is immediately apparent upon first handling one. They are about the same size as a GriGri 2, but closer to the weight of a Grigri 1 due to the significant amount of stainless steel that went into the design. Like the Grigri, there are 2 techniques the user must be proficient with- paying out slack in a traditional plate style motion, and overriding the camming mechanism to pay out slack quickly. You can watch the video to see the techniques.
Pros and Cons vs the Grigri:

Pros

Feeding out slack to the leader:

Because the camming system of the Matik is designed to allow a small amount of rope to slip (thus reducing impact force associated with a fall), it doesn’t lock up nearly as hard/easily as the Grigri. This allows the user to pay out slack to the leader using the classic ATC motion with extreme ease. With the Grigri, if you pay out slack too quickly, the cam will engage and stay engaged, thus short roping the climber. The Matik takes a much faster motion to lock it up, and if it does lock up un-intentionally, it unlocks itself with less effort than the Grigri. With a skinny rope, it is actually quite hard to lock up the device during normal slack payout, and the cam-override technique is not needed. Even though the Matik doesn’t lock up nearly as readily as the Grigri, I also did tests where I caught falls with no brake hand on the rope (backed up with a knot of course), and the Matik always engaged. To be able to enjoy the smoothness of the Matik, one must use an appropriate skinny rope.

Force reduction:

Because the cam of the Matik intentionally allows rope to slip, force is reduced during every activation. This isn’t particularly relevant if you are squared away with modern dynamic soft catch techniques as a lead belayer, but it is extremely relevant when you are belaying directly off an anchor. I have used other devices in the past that also tout dynamic braking (Trango Cinch), but they tend to wear out very quickly and let too much rope slip, thus reducing the ability to catch the climber to a significant and dangerous degree. The Matik has seen zero degradation in lockup ability over my time with it. Definitely a win over the Grigri, which locks up very hard and isn’t designed to let rope slip.

Lowering/ anti-panic function:

During normal use, the lowering “sweet spot” is larger with the Matik, and thus it’s easier to lower your climber with it. It is not possible to lower your climber too fast with the device, as it will automatically re-engage the cam if the lever is pulled back too far. It definitely takes some getting used to, and in the beginning I found myself engaging the anti-panic function more than I wanted to. By loosening your grip on the brake strand to nothing but a controlled tunnel, the device gets much smoother. If you guide for a living, or find yourself needing to lower a climber from a top managed position frequently- then the Matik has a HUGE advantage over the Grigri because it does not require setting up a re-direct of the brake strand before lowering. The cam has such a large sweet spot, that a guide is able to lower the climber with outstanding control without having to add the friction associated with a traditional redirect. This also eliminates a possible failure mode of the Grigri caused by the combination of the redirect carabiner being larger than the Grigri attachment carabiner, and the belayer redirecting the brake before the cam is engaged (causing catastrophic cam blocking failure and loss of braking ability). The device will also engage the anti-panic function during a top managed lower, thus eliminating all the common risks associated with using the Grigri in single pitch terrain as a professional guide. There is only one potential failure mode of the Matik during a top managed belay/lower. The device would have to be rigged on low angle terrain with the materpoint in a configuration that forcefully pressed the cam-disengage tab against the rock. The Grigri also shares the failure mode, which is solved by simply rigging the device such that the cam disengage is facing to the side or top. If you have half a brain, it is basically impossible to get the Matik to create objectionable risk. This adds a definite element of safety over a Grigri.

Belaying on TR:

The Matik has similar resistance to the Grigri 2, and thus requires about the same amount of force to get rope to go through it while belaying from a top managed anchor, or on TR from a bottom managed sight. The primary advantage that the Matik has in this environment is the anti-panic function. In a guiding scenario, once I have checked that the device is properly setup and given the client a 60 second lesson on TR usage, I am completely comfortable walking away to deal with other things while they belay. Assuming they are practicing basic belay technique proficiently, there is literally no way they can mess up. If for some reason they did not practice proper belay fundamentals (which is extremely unlikely given a typical level of basic instruction), the device still has an extremely high likelihood of functioning. Combined with a 9.8 or larger rope, I am confident that it’s practically impossible for a client to drop a top rope climber for any reason. It is also not possible for them to lower the climber at a dangerous speed. We can all beat our chests all day about preaching proper belay fundamentals, and how “assisted locking does not mean auto locking.” Believe me- I do it for a living. That being said, with a combination of the Matik and a 9.8-10.7 rope will effectively create a hands free configuration. Would I ever go hand free, or teach someone that they could go hands free? Absolutely not under any circumstances… EVER. Am I telling you that the Matik locks reliably with a thick rope, regardless of the presence of a brake hand? As a “professional” I technically can’t say that. But guess what- it does. For a bottom managed sight with a high population of new climbers, the Matik gives me the peace of mind that the ATC and Grigri do not- due to loss of brake hand, and uncontrolled descent speed, respectively.

Durability:

I don’t know what alloy CAMP is using for the wearing components of the Matik, but so far it’s been indestructible. Upon inspection, I literally cannot find any wear on the cam or the section of the device where it pinches against. None. Because all the primary wear components of the Matik are made of stainless alloy, I see this device lasting a ridiculously long time. One of the reasons I waited to get 800-1000 belay cycles before writing a review on the device was to test this durability. Other than scratches on the outside of the device from rubbing against rocks and being shoved in my pack, the device looks the same as the day I received it. The Grigri 2 tends to get significant wear on the aluminum side plate from lowering and paying out slack to the leader, and is not nearly as durable at the Matik. My personal Grigri 2 is about 5 years old and has plenty of life left, but I have friends who have killed them in 1-2 seasons from belaying with diry ropes like one would find in sandy RRG like conditions. It’s all relative, but there is no doubt that the Matik will have outstanding longevity- certainly more than the Grigri 2.

Failure Modes:

The Matik has fewer failure modes than the Grigri. It is not susceptible to the above mentioned top managed lowering failure. Additionally, if you are significantly lighter than your partner and belay with a Grigri, you have probably been pulled up to the first bolt during a leader fall, and become "wedged" in the quick draw with no way to release the cam (or had the cam temporarily disengage when it rides into the draw). The Matik is not susceptible to this risk/ inconvenience.

Ambidextrous:

The technique used to pay out slack quickly to a leader is ambidextrous with the Matik. The Grigri must be operated right handed.

Overall “Idiot-proofeness:”

This doesn’t really apply to me, as I’m an experienced climber who tends not to F up my systems. It shouldn’t apply to you either, as you should strive to get proper instruction before doing dangerous things like rock climbing. But I’ll add it as an aside. The Matik loads just like an ATC, which is more intuitive for beginners. I’ve seen climbers in the gym lead belaying with only one half of the Grigri clipped to their harness. Not possible with the Matik. Could you load it backwards like the Grigri? Yep, you sure could. So properly train yourself and don’t be dumb. The clip-in hole of the Matik is large enough that a typical carabiner can rotate through it- this should theoretically decrease instances of cross loading. I suppose it’s moderately more idiot proof than a Grigri. We can preach all day about getting proper training, but there is a section of the climbing population that is inherently going to go climbing without proper training. Take it with a grain of salt.

Cons:

Rope Diameter:

While the Matik is significantly smoother than the Grigri to pay out slack with while using the classic ATC motion, it is also more rope type sensitive than the Grigri. It doesn’t like stiff ropes or fat ropes for this application, nor was it designed as such. I had the best luck with malleable Sterling ropes such as the Nano and Helix, and it also performed extremely well on the Mammut 8.7 and 9.2 ropes. Anything 9.8 and above, and performance starts to suffer significantly, as it’s pretty hard to get rope to feed through the device smoothly. The thicker/ stiffer the rope, the more you will find yourself needing to use the cam override method as recommended by CAMP. If I knew that I was using my personal skinny rope, I would prefer the Matik. If I was belaying on a friends rope of unknown/ thicker diameter, I would prefer a Grigri. Anything 9.8 or above, and I’m going with a Grigri.

Weight:

The Matik is heavier due to its stainless construction. Look up the weights online. With an increase in durability comes more heft.

Price:

The Matik is twice the price of the Grigri.

Gym Use:

The Matik isn’t very good for TR Gym use. Gyms typically use thick ropes for durability’s sake, and the Matik doesn’t play well with thick ropes. Gyms also usually use double wrapped belay bars, which introduce significant friction to the system. This causes the Matik to pre-maturely engage the anti-panic function, and you will need to use the technique described in the “high friction” lower described in CAMP’s video to be able to lower your climber.

High Friction Mode:
Any time there is significant friction in the system, the anti-panic function engages prematurely. Once this happens, the belayer will need to use the cam-release tab as described in the CAMP video. Lowering in high friction mode isn’t quite as easy or comfortable as lowering with a Grigri, but is manageable with practice.

In summation: I think the Matik offers definite improvement over the Grigri for a sport climber who prefers to climb on skinny diameter ropes, and for guides what want to increase their margin of risk. If you are a recreational climber who tends to climb on thicker ropes, than the Grigri may be a better choice.

That's all I got for now! Let me know if anyone has any questions.

I've been using a mega Jul for a while, used to use a cinch but wore out multiple devices. Was thinking about going back to a grigri. If you had to pick, all other things equal, what would you pick

Just saw your summation, never mind

I bought a CAMP Matik about 18 months ago.

The Matik sucks!!

In the gym 0/10

Toproping with 9.8mm 1/10

Lowering with 9.8mm 0/10

Leading and lowering with 9.1mm 8/10

If you're sport cragging with a skinny rope the Matik is good. Everything else use another device.

I have a Camp Matik at the Rock and Snow Annex. It's been there for over year. No buyers at $100. Not even a tire kicker.. Save your money peeps.

Bill Kirby wrote: I bought a CAMP Matik about 18 months ago. The Matik sucks!! In the gym 0/10 Toproping with 9.8mm 1/10 Lowering with 9.8mm 0/10 Leading and lowering with 9.1mm 8/10 If you're sport cragging with a skinny rope the Matik is good. Everything else use another device. I have a Camp Matik at the Rock and Snow Annex. It's been there for over year. No buyers at $100. Not even a tire kicker.. Save your money peeps.

I've been to the Rock and Snow Annex twice in the past 7 days and have not seen it....

I'd buy it.

Is it still there?

Khoi wrote: I've been to the Rock and Snow Annex twice in the past 7 days and have not seen it.... I'd buy it. Is it still there?

Sorry Khoi, I spoke with Matt and he did say it sold. I'm surprised as the Matik was there a couple weeks ago.

How would you compare it to the Edelrid Eddy that's been around for years? The Eddy also has a great feature where you need to find the sweet spot or it locks up on you. Good for being belayed by a beginner.

I would not give the Matik to a beginner unless you're using a 9.1mm or under.

I've been using a Grigri 2 and an ATC-Guide for quite a while now and have no complaints. But now my wife and 9 year old son have started climbing. It's become a family endeavour. That being said, I'm always looking for any means of creating additional safety. I've opted for a pair of thicker(9.8) Sterling Velocity ropes, tossed most of my older gear in favor of new gear with a real emphasis on burliness, dependability, and longevity. When it comes to my belay device, I'm reluctant to change... However the added safety elements and idiot-proof factor have forced me to revisit the issue. If it really is easier on the rope and climber in lead a fall, and the anti panic feature works, then I think I can look right past the price tag and minor inconveniences it may present.

Would this be a good piece of gear for my wife and son to use, under my supervision? In other words, does the Matik effect margin of error or Make my family any safer than a Grigri? Even a minor improvement in that department would, in my mind, be totally worth the price of admission.

Calel39 wrote:I've been using a Grigri 2 and an ATC-Guide for quite a while now and have no complaints. But now my wife and 9 year old son have started climbing. It's become a family endeavour. That being said, I'm always looking for any means of creating additional safety. I've opted for a pair of thicker(9.8) Sterling Velocity ropes, tossed most of my older gear in favor of new gear with a real emphasis on burliness, dependability, and longevity. When it comes to my belay device, I'm reluctant to change... However the added safety elements and idiot-proof factor have forced me to revisit the issue. If it really is easier on the rope and climber in lead a fall, and the anti panic feature works, then I think I can look right past the price tag and minor inconveniences it may present. Would this be a good piece of gear for my wife and son to use, under my supervision? In other words, does the Matik effect margin of error or Make my family any safer than a Grigri? Even a minor improvement in that department would, in my mind, be totally worth the price of admission.

For top-roping use with a 9.8- absolutely. The Matik was primarily designed for skinny ropes however, and I found that the Sterling Velocity 9.8 was on the thick side, and not as smooth to pay out slack to a leader.

With the Sterling Nano, Helix, and Mammut Serenity and Revelation, the device is extremely smooth. With these ropes, I think the Matik is the safest and smoothest belay device on the market. You can still use it with a 9.8, but as the diameter creeps up above 9.5, the Grigri is smoother.

Thanks, that answers my questions. I'm getting one. I still use a DMM 9.4 on tough sport routes that I'm leading, so that should be fine. And most of the climbs my wife and son get on are exactly that... Top rope climbs on 9.8 Sterling Velocity ropes. Thank you guys for all the info. I appreciate it. Now, if I can find one cheaper than 200 bucks.

James Otey wrote: With these ropes, I think the Matik is the safest and smoothest belay device on the market.

For the next fifteen minutes or so anyway. I wouldn't rush out to buy one until there's a chance to evaluate the Wild Country Revo, which sounds, in principle, to be an even better mousetrap, especially in the hands of beginners---you can't thread it backwards and you can't and don't have to override the braking mechanism to pump slack for clips, or so WC says...

You'll somehow have to get over the fact that it looks like a part salvaged from an Industrial Revolution factory.

See wildcountry.com/en/revo and wildcountry.com/revo/ for openers, and (not to worry; its in English)

youtube.com/watch?v=Q4E8ESF…

That's cool. You really can't screw it up. It does look a little like a part from a salvage yard. But hey, if it is safer for my wife and kid, then I'm cool with steam punk climbing gear.

I wish DMM would get into the assisted breaking belay device game. I think that they would produce a really top-shelf product... That also looked cool. I have a pivot and it's great. DMM, If you're listening, I would like a new belay device from Whales. And if you can swing it, make the whole thing that God awful lime green color you guys seem to like.

It doesn't seem like the Matik has enough advantages over the grigri to be worth the higher price. At least not in my case, I'm still climbing on thicker ropes. Also, the grigri can be very ambidextrous, I have always belayed left handed on my grigri. I will be curious to see the Revo in action, but I'd still be unlikely to buy another belay device anytime soon.

I did check that thing out prior to writing this review actually. Looks totally sweet! One thing that the Matik excels at is force reduction throughout the system. The Revo appears to lock up super hard, which will increase force on protection, and the climber. I wouldn't worry about this as much in a lead scenario, as belayers should be trained on giving a soft catch regardless of the device. I see it's value the most in belaying directly off an anchor, both with force reduction, and the fact that it doesn't require a traditional redirect and the problems associated with it.

Finally got my hands on one of these. Tried it out at home. Rapped off the roof a couple times. Then took it out climbing the next day. I love it. More intuitive to use than a Grigri. I had no problems paying out slack, lowering, or rappelling. One thing I will say though is that guy who did this review is spot on about the type and diameter of the rope making a big difference. My Sterling 9.8mm was smooth and gave me zero problems. My buddies older, fuzzy, 10mm rope was not as easy to pay out slack. Still, seemed easier than my Grigri. If you watch the video, and use it the way Camp suggests, instead of just trying to use it just like your Grigri, it should be a breeze.

Interestingly, CAMP's working-at-height product line includes a Matik variant called the Druid made for thicker (9.9-11) ropes:
camp-usa.com/camp-safety/ca…

and a variant of that with the anti-panic system deleted:
camp-usa.com/camp-safety/ca…

does say "semi-static" though so no idea if it would be safe to use, and doesn't appear to be UIAA tested since it's not marketed for recreational climbing...

Point of clarification, the grigri 2 can be used left handed. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Eric- I agree! It is possible to use the Grigri left handed. There isn't, however, a modern manufacturer indented system that encompasses that type of use.

There are a lot of ways to skin a cat. Industry professionals are bound by the most modern manufacturer constraints- for better or for worse.

I'll throw my two-cents in to this review. First a quick background: climbing experience is 20+ yrs from sport climbs, alpine routes, and big walls. I'm not much of a climber who has long standing projects. I've belayed on a tube/atc style belay device for the majority of the climbing that I've done, except for the original GriGri that I used on big walls. Subsequently, I've used the GriGri 2 and GriGri+, and I'm left handed as well. My review is focused on comparing the Matik with the GriGri models. With that said, here's my take on the Matik.

Lead Belaying - I like the Matik more than the GriGri (Original, Two, and +), provided the rope is under 9.5mm in diameter. The Matik feeds easier with ropes under 9.5mm in diameter, and as a left hander, it's easier to use ambidextrously. For ropes over 9.5mm in diameter, lead belaying is more akin to using a GriGri. The GriGri constantly seems to autolock on me, unless I use the fin with my index finger and thumb to depress the lever while letting rope slide through my right brake hand while pulling rope with the left. With the Matik on ropes greater than 9.5mm, I would have to pinch the bottom of the auto lock mechanism with my index finger and my thumb on the device near the belay carabiner. The Matik still belayed better than the GriGri even on ropes greater than 9.5mm, although I wouldn't recommend using ropes greater than that diameter on any of those devices. 

Lowering/Rapping/Top Roping - The GriGri outperforms the Matik in lowering. The lever on the Matik seems to operate for lowering within a very narrow range of functionality; it's very sensitive. A little too far and it's akin to the panic mode on the GriGri; a little too little and your partner will be complaining of hanging around and losing feeling in their legs. Outside, you can pinch the device, similar to what I described in the lead belay section, and given the friction, lowering is a little smoother. In a gym, pinching the device this way, without rope drag, even on ropes greater than 9.5mm results in potentially lowering your partner too quickly. I give the advantage to the GriGri in this regard.

Miscellaneous - The Matik is heavy, heavier than that 2 and the +. However, you can tell Camp used better quality parts than the GriGri so it'll last longer than any of those devices. On the downside, you'll pay more for it.

The Matik has advantages and disadvantages and proper training and using compatible equipment is important, like with any device. At the end of the day, I like using the Matik.