Are totems really worth all the hype?

I would not get above the purple size (and maybe not that one) if I did it again. The bigger sizes get floppy stems with the added head weight and don’t really gain me anything that I can tell. The finger size are fine, not requisite gear though.

Longtime climber here (certainly not a crusher), and I tend to be quite slow to change from my established gear and processes. BDs have been my go to, with a few smaller Aliens thrown in (holdover from my JTree days). Been climbing in Yosemite - known for flares and pin scars - for the past 2 years, and started to move into aid and Bigwall.

I poo-poo’d Totems for my first year. Then bought a black, blue, and yellow. Then Another yellow…followed by another blue...then black. You see where this is going.

My standard trad rack has now migrated to majority Totems all they way up to orange (Gold BD). When I bring BDs, I tend to “save” my Totems for potential critical placements. I love them. I criticized their bulk when I first saw them - It hasn’t been an issue at all for me.

My main concern with Totems is a strange one: they work so well, especially in the smaller sizes, it can be easy to just slap one in with zero finesse. I would worry that a new trad leader would be Ill equipped to fiddle with other cams in tricky placements if all they knew were Totems. As it is, I worry that my placements could start to get sloppy…so I bring a few fiddly cams to keep myself honest.

Additionally, in my limited aid experience, they’ve been a game changer.

Hope something in there was helpful.

Tanner Dayleywrote:

Could you explain why the totems are the best? Specifically, are they the best for free climbing? Smaller placements? Flaring cracks I assume, but anything else?

They have smal heads that go into lots of places. They are flexible so they dont walk. They feel securer as soon as the crack is not perfect. The black totems feels very bomber compared to other gear in that size. I think there is a larger benefit in the smaller sizes, but prefer the bigger ones to C4/Friends as well. If you have a perfect paralell crack in a lager size, all cams will be bomber and there is no issue, but as soon as it is less then perfect, the Totems are better. Having the two sides load independently is a very smart thing unless you are camming in something paralell. 

I like both. I love my totems bc I know they’ll go everywhere, but if I am in the creek and there’s no way I’d come across a flare then I prefer c4’s. It removes the question in my head when I’m pushing my grade of whether or not I need to bring offsets. Are they necessary to climb hard? Absolutely not, but that doesn’t mean the peace of mind that they fit more places isn’t helpful seeing as half or more of climbing is mental

The amount of extra weight for a rack of totems (blue to orange) compared to an equivalent BD rack (blue to gold) is 26 grams, or roughly the weight of a sip of water - if you're concerned about weight just take one less sip before the send. (That's for the new Camalots. Totems are lighter than their equivalents in last-gen Camalots.)

I tend to think Totems are superior in most metrics, but beyond versatility and safety I'll mention that Totem MT is a worker co-op. This means the extra cost for those cams goes to the labourers creating and distributing this quality product, and not to shareholders collecting rent on their investments. That might not matter to you, but for some people that is enough to spend an extra few dollars.

Mark Robertswrote:

….. beyond versatility and safety I'll mention that Totem MT is a worker co-op. This means the extra cost for those cams goes to the labourers creating and distributing this quality product, and not to shareholders collecting rent on their investments. That might not matter to you, but for some people that is enough to spend an extra few dollars.

Thanks for mentioning this, Mark! This is important to me and I’m glad my money has been well spent. Extra reason for me to continue to buy Totems, when they eventually wear out.

The smallest camalots have never made me feel like I could trust them. They're so wide, you stick them in a crack and they just wiggle right out.

I started climbing with someone who kept placing his black totem over and over again, and when I would see the placements they just seemed bomber. I bought a black totem for my own rack, and I've been getting a lot of use out of it.

At this point, I have the black totem, then orange and yellow TCUs, and then camalots. I'm pretty happy with that set.

Hello,

Long term service of totems, such as sling or trigger wire replacement, may cost quite a bit more if shipping from North America. While this may hold true for also UK cams for warranty work, the wires and slings on friends and dragons are easier to service here.

Of course, Black Diamond and Metolius are the easiest to service for US climbers. The reverse holds true if you live in Europe of course.

Thank you

It is funny that people speak of Totems as unproven. But they have been avilable for well over 10 years and seem to have been the biggest natural protection invention since then.

It's not "double the price per cam." Going by list prices it's maybe 25% more per cam, compared to a C4. But I've never paid full retail for a Totem and got all of mine for about $70-$75 each.

I reckon, though, if that difference breaks your bank, then you should stick with C4s.

Like others above, I started with the small ones. Black, Blue, Yellow. I found them so superior in the small sizes to the similar C4s that I started adding the larger sizes. Currently my typical rack is all Totems except for #3 and larger C4s and some tiny microcams. FWIW, I climb most at J-tree (flaring cracks) and Tahquitz (pin scars!) so it's possible Totems work better there than some other places. 

Wow! I did not expect to get so much great feedback when I created the discussion post! Thank you all for your comments, advice, and experience! Clearly there are tons of varying opinions on the necessity of totems in everyday free climbing. Ultimately, it seems that I’ll have to form an opinion of my own based on experience.

If any of you are interested in opening the door to this experience for me, I’d be open to some trades (with some cash and other goods). It sounds like I’ll want to start with a Black, a Blue, and a Yellow, to get a good feel for placing them.

I just created a new topic on the FOR SALE thread. I’ve got some gear I can let go of to help cover the deficit my wallet isn’t able to fill… any of you who have some totems sitting in your gear bins looking for a rope? Or some older Metolious TCU’s?

One more note. People talk about totems being "bulky on the harness." Thing is that they aren't really bulky but they hang differently. Basically 90 degrees different from how a C4 naturally lays. So if you blend and alternate a mix of C4s and Totems in your rack, it can indeed get clunky. All Totems, together, are no more bulky, in my experience. 

Andrew Ricewrote:

One more note… if you blend and alternate a mix of C4s and Totems in your rack, it can indeed get clunky.  All Totems, together, are no more bulky, in my experience. 

Very true. Also helps to use a thin racking biner, such as a Dyon.
Helium, Oz, and similar biners will almost double the space necessary for racking. 

Christian Heschwrote:

Very true. Also helps to use a thin racking biner, such as a Dyon.
Helium, Oz, and similar biners will almost double the space necessary for racking. 

I rack mine on Nano 22s. 

I like the black totem in alpine routes when I need a placement in some flaring choss pile and I burned a tricam or a nut of that size and need to go fast. I often say that the black totem is my "thank god" piece because it fits in wonky situations that you could never actually prepare for. I don't climb in Yosemite because I'm poor and a philistine, but I hear they're great for that style of climbing.

I would also add that the difference between some beta specific 5.hard trad line at a crag that "needs a black tote for the pin scar, double gaston bat hang knee scum to invert, green c3, chicken wing, BD #8 you should plug that fucker or you're gonna die" ....... and "this would otherwise be an offset nut" on some 5.fun to 5.11 route is about a 70$ difference.  

"Worth it" is subjective, but in my experience they are very confidence inspiring.  They also can take the place of some offsets to an extent.  I like them, but I trust my C4s and power cams just fine too.  FWIW, I'm a fledgling trad leader, so at times the extra confidence boost a totem gives me will allow me to push it on moves I would definitely be more scared on with other cams.  

first comment is the best comment.

Initially thought I loved 'em, but not worth the cost unless you aid climb or regularly climb full rope lengths up pin scars (which other cams still protect fine). Totems are great, but don't hold any better than X4s/C4s/C3s/WC Friends and they're more expensive. The exposed wires wear out quickly too (none of my other cams have worn out but black totem has fraying after ~3yrs + no whippers).

Just wait until you get the pink totem

Totems are my go to now, switched to them primarily 2 years ago.  Only the orange feels funny to place sometimes due to the floppyness.
They just feel better than any cam when placing, they instill a higher level of confidence to me. They do things other cams cannot, so a more versatile tool. Bulk has never been an issue to me, but I'm also a pretty large sized human so maybe just a proportion thing.

In the end, if you can get your hands on some use for a day or two, then you will be able to make a more informed decision for yourself. I went out and did a couple laps with my usual rack of c4's at east wall lovers leap. Then repeated those same climbs with only totems I borrowed from a friend and it was obvious to me which I liked more. I've been a convert since and could not be happier with the switch.