Do any other companies make tricams?

Some irregular cracks, horizontals and small pockets take a tricam better than an SLCD. That said, there aren't really that many placements for them at most locations. I still carry the 2-3 smallest sizes and do find good placements in areas near me from time to time. Good for bailing on as they are cheap.

In areas with flat sided cracks SLCDs work fine. Older water-sculpted cracks in granite are a little more amenable to the tricam at times, but SLCDs still rule most placements.

bkozak wrote:

The fallacy in this argument is that you have to pick one bike or the other to ride (you can't ride two at the same time) but you can still easily just add a few tricams on your rack and not have to remove and cams or stoppers to use. 

They're awesome to have in certain areas for weird placements where cams just don't sit right or won't go in at all (solution pockets).  My favorite use for them is in anchors.  Pink to violet covers a range from BD .4 to 1 and saves you needing to use cams in the anchors in most situations.  They're actually pretty amazing out here in Red Rock with all the weird cracks and pockets you get.

You actually just agreed with me.

In my first post I said that they're not placed often on lead and mostly reserved for anchors. I inferred that if you save something to only use two handed while sitting, it must not be that useful.

Fwiw, I've built anchors from rocks, my leg, a nalgene, a shrubbery, an actual cannon, and also left over trad gear. It's not that hard. If it's not useful on lead, it's not useful.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote:
Fwiw, I've built anchors from rocks, my leg, a nalgene, a shrubbery, an actual cannon, and also left over trad gear. It's not that hard. If it's not useful on lead, it's not useful.

I love tricams but this quote is pretty all time.

Malcolm Daly wrote: For god’s sake, don’t forget the Hotnut!

For a second I thought that red thing was an electrode wire! Perfect for thawing frozen cracks.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote:

You actually just agreed with me.

In my first post I said that they're not placed often on lead and mostly reserved for anchors. I inferred that if you save something to only use two handed while sitting, it must not be that useful.

Fwiw, I've built anchors from rocks, my leg, a nalgene, a shrubbery, an actual cannon, and also left over trad gear. It's not that hard. If it's not useful on lead, it's not useful.

Except you didn't read the section about them being extremely useful for weird placements like solution pockets which in some areas are very common and are sometimes the only features you can get gear in.  Go down to North Carolina and tell people down there that tricams are worthless on lead.  

Also, they're not even hard to place.  One of my buddies uses them all the time, places them easily on lead, and I can remove them pretty easily while following.  There's many weird, fiddly horizontal cracks and random pods in red rock that tricams just go in so easily and they're bomber.  The fact that you can have them in hand for those weird placements and still have them available as bomber anchors pieces is pretty worthwhile.  If you don't like them then fine, but they're not worthless in certain areas.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote:

I love my 35 year old vintage bike. In the mid 80s, it was about the hottest thing money could buy. Professional quality old skool racer. I even have the frame builders signature on the frame.

It's now relegated to fun rides, cruiser flat rides, and short winter rides. Nobody today would consider using it on a very hard or fast ride, especially with something newer in the garage.

Tricams are pretty similar. Definitely nice to have back in the day. Currently outdated and not an important part of any rack.

I say this as someone who definitely knows how to use them.

Isn't it only a minority climb hard trad?.. and the majority climb moderate trad that you can easy place them on... so they still seem like they have a place on the market. Even a lot of strong climbers save the hardest climbs for sport and like to lower their grades on trad.

The good thing about them is they weigh less than cams so good way to squeeze in a bit more pro on your rack. Also, can feel more secure than cams in some placements (admittedly not often but sometimes). Also cheaper than cams for people struggling to afford the number of cams they want. Also cheaper to bail on.

long live pink tricam  

Does any one else have luv for Clogg "Cogs" ?

Ode to a Pink Tricam

Oh Pink's the one I love to place
when I'm alone way up in space
on some exposed and airy face.

They sink where other gear won't go.
When all you've got is manky pro,
This tricam saves your butt from woe.

But it's often hard to get them out;
They make your second moan and shout
And wave his nut tool 'round about

But that's why you're the one on lead
Your problems are a different breed
As long as someone does the deed...

"Oh quit your whimpering," you rumble,
"And get it out or there'll be trouble"
"Get to work now, on the double!"

Although it sometimes takes a while,
They do come out with vim and guile,
(or chiseling and curses vile.)

Pink will do what all the rest.
Won't do when they're put to the test.
Oh pink tricams are just the best!

-- Charles Danforth

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote: Just holding them so they can place 2 handed while sitting down.

The Camp Evos are incredibly easy to place one-handed. 

Getting them out one-handed is another thing.

Greg Lowe let me try out prototypes in '75!

Took years to get them marketed.

Tim is wrong, sometimes they are the only things that work.
I wouldn't do Prodigal Sun without a 2-6

And pineapple on pizza is delicious.

I used to have a half dozen or so Tricams. About 2008 I sold them all and haven't ever regretted it. I have cams that seem to work better, and my follower has an easier time getting them out, usually.

If I am following a route, and I can't get a Tricam out in 30 seconds (I am pretty good at it), it immediately becomes booty. It means that the leader sucks at placing Tricams and they need more practice.

90%+ of my climbing is done west of the Mississippi, so I don't see much use for them. 

Garry R wrote:

The Camp Evos are incredibly easy to place one-handed. 

Getting them out one-handed is another thing.

Jup, a quick flick in the wrist to turn them the right way and shove in a pocket. Easy and fast. 

Suburban Roadside wrote: Does any one else have luv for Clogg "Cogs" ?

I still have a couple, but never developed a real affinity.  The ones around the size of a 4 or 5 hex were pretty good, though.  

A always carry 0.5 through 2.0 tricams on my rack, unless I'm doing desert splitters, and sometimes they're useful even there.  They sometimes work where nothing else does, and many times they work better even if something else will, e.g. flares.  And I routinely use them on granite and quartzite, and on trad limestone when I get to do that.  People don't seem to get the 3 points of contact advantage, and they seem to be trapped in the concept that they have to be placed in camming mode, which is generally less stable than passive mode.  

I should admit that I also keep numbers 4 through 7 hexes in my pack and use them on occasion.  

I vacillate between the pink or red tricam being a favorite, but both are tremendously satisfying to use.  The number 5 hex is probably the most satisfying.

Captured on lead:

Tricams are required pro for every trad dad's rad .10a proj.

I live in NC, and this is one area of the country where lots of folks swear they are mandatory. They are not.

If you like them, use them. If you don't, don't. At least they are available as an option.

Wealth = Choices.

Ron O wrote: Greg Lowe let me try out prototypes in '75!

Took years to get them marketed.

Ron O - I actually have one (or THE) prototype in my collection. l forgot about it until you mentioned it. I'll have to dig it out and share a pic!

FWIW, Tricams are not part of my normal crag lead rack. Cams are typically more efficient.

Placing them one-handed = fine
Removing them one-handed = nope

Ron O wrote: Greg Lowe let me try out prototypes in '75!

When we moved Lowe alpine 20 years later we came across shoe boxes full of Greg's hand made Tri Cams and whatever he called that one armed cam monster thing that pre-dated Friends. It was like climbing archeology to see the physical progression of the samples. Greg Lowe was the real deal. LAS's president used to smile sweetly when he received those royalty checks that came in the mail from both the Americans, and the Italians.

Suburban Roadsidewrote: Does any one else have luv for Clogg "Cogs" ?

Love mine. Bought them brand new in 1980? Still use them.