Technical Friends vs. Camalots

Hi I am starting to build my own rack and am having trouble deciding which to get. I have only used Camalots before but was wondering how Technical Friends compare. I know that friends are lighter but are there any other advantages or disadvantages?

get both.

I've found that (for my hand size) the Friends sizes are a bit more intuitive. The absence of a thumbloop makes Friends a bit harder to control, but their stronger springs make them walk less. Until the trigger redesign, you had to keep an eye out to make sure that the lobes didn't capsize while on the gear sling. Don't know if that's still the case.

While there are more pieces in the range, Friends have the exact same usable-size hole in the upper sizes that camalots now have. There are, however, usability holes in the smaller sizes than BD.

WiledHorse wrote:get both.

I have both and prefer the Tech Friends. They are more stable and easier to place.

Generally, I prefer WC Tech Friends, but both are very good. (BD Camalots do weigh more, however.)

Get both. I second this. However, good luck finding rigid Friends. Wild Country stop selling them in the US last year.

JLP wrote:I have 2 sets rigid, 1 set tech, 1 set u cable Camalots, 3 sets C4's. The C4's are by far the best, IMO. The rigid stems are 2nd choice, tech friends 3rd, u cable last.

JLP, you might just have a gear addiction.

C4's with the thumbloops are, IMHO, the best all around workhorse cam. But, as has been said, both are very good. I know people who love the techies, but they're never really done it for me. If you can, try to use some and see which you like better. Gear is very personal.

Cheers
Evan

Clyde Soles' Cam Comparison Chart
(tedious reading, but good info...)

I have doubles of WC tech's i love them. I started out using my partners BD's and a set of rigid friends, he gave me the friends and i added from there. And that thumbloop... WC cams are not any harder to handle because of the loop unless you have hands like a truck, a short clip in point for aid maybe the only good thing about that loop! Anyway- these days the rigid friends are with a new owner... i really wish WC would come out with a three cam unit and bring back the offwidths but other then that i dont think you can go wrong with WC!

ilclimberken wrote:I have doubles of WC tech's i love them. I started out using my partners BD's and a set of rigid friends, he gave me the friends and i added from there. And that thumbloop... WC cams are not any harder to handle because of the loop unless you have hands like a truck, a short clip in point for aid maybe the only good thing about that loop! Anyway- these days the rigid friends are with a new owner... i really wish WC would come out with a three cam unit and bring back the offwidths but other then that i dont think you can go wrong with WC!

Said the man who never had to place a cam very quickly and very accurately. I suggest comparing how easy it is to place a Z6 Zero vs. a 0.5 friend. They are the exact same size. You'll notice the difference.

i have zeros and there isnt anything wrong with the thumb rest compared to the loop...

to be honest with you, i'm not a big fan of the thumb loop on the new camalots. seems like the webbing gets jimmy jacked on it, and i find the old thumb stems easier to use, particularly when cleaning.

i use camalots 90% of the time, but i like to have a good selection of friends in the #1 to #3 range in the desert. one thing that i don't like about the friends is that they are very short overall, with a short stem and a short webbing runner. i find that when i climb past them they rotate really easily. i know, i know "put a runner on it", but i don't really like having a bunch of runners hanging off them when i am climbing desert cracks.

One thing to consider (aside from the range/fit/etc) is that it seems (to me) that the largest % of trad climbers in the front range are climbing on c4's for .5-3 sized cams.

That being said, I think there is value in having a rack that is more likely to be 'interchangable' with your partner's gear.

For instance, if I climb with someone and they show up with a rack of Metolius cams, I have to re-think my game on the fly. I usually only nail the right cam on the first attempt, half the time. This means you're not as comfortable pushing your limits on the sharp end... just a matter of what gear you have dialed-in.

I have a set of Camalots and a set of rigid Friends. I had a set of Tech Friends but I sold them because I didn't like them. Camalots are the way to go.

-Tristan

The c4's have the double-axel design which has numerous advantages.

Black Diamond even states if the cam walks back into a crack and fully umbrellas it is just as strong as a stopper with the double-axel design and you get more range. I love the thumb loop on my c4's!!!

A set of Metolius ultralights = amazing.

I know you were asking Friends vs BD, but IMO, don't rule the Met ULs out. They are less expensive, hella light, and made in the USA.

Realize that if you get into trad, most likely you'll want 2 different sets of cams for offsizing. Can't go wrong with BD, Met, WC, or DMM. I hear good things about OP's link cams, but I'd only get them after a full set of regular cams.

Thanks for the input everyone. That cam comparison chart was very helpful.

I have sets of both and I really like them both. My preference really depends on the size and type of rock. I really like the BD cams for the .5 to 3 sizes and the tech friends for the 3.5 to 6. I also really like the c3's for the really small sizes.

If you are on a budget you can usually pick up the tech friends super cheap, I'd do that. If not I'd buy the bd cams first and then fill the gaps with the tech friends.

Where does one find a #6 friend. I'm looking for one of these boat anchors and they're hard to find.
Not available at: Backcountry, gearexpress, rei, ems, rockandsnow,bentgate

OH, Mountaingear has one for about $150. Should I just get a big bro?

the only place i found one was mtn tools & mtn gear 150.00 each, even spadout doesnt show any... Big Bro sounds like the fix!

vanishing spy wrote:Where does one find a #6 friend. I'm looking for one of these boat anchors and they're hard to find. Not available at: Backcountry, gearexpress, rei, ems, rockandsnow,bentgate OH, Mountaingear has one for about $150. Should I just get a big bro?

I hardly ever use my #6 (#5 for that matter) but I just can't muster the courage to let them go.

I've got doubles and some triples of Tech Friends but I have to admit I love the feel of my partner's C4s....they're so smooth.

d.