Thoughts on the Trango Flex Cams?
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I already know that Black Diamond camalots are the industry standard. I love them, and if I had it my way, I'd be getting them. But I'm a college student and I can really only afford the flex cams. That being said, what's the general consensus about the flex cams? I only ever hear people talk about them in comparison to the camalots. But the flex cams standing alone, is there anything about them that should make me concerned about my safety? |
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Mikeybarro wrote:I already know that Black Diamond camalots are the industry standard. I love them, and if I had it my way, I'd be getting them. But I'm a college student and I can really only afford the flex cams. That being said, what's the general consensus about the flex cams? I only ever hear people talk about them in comparison to the camalots. But the flex cams standing alone, is there anything about them that should make me concerned about my safety?Nope, they are perfectly safe. They're not as nice and refined as c4's, but they'll work as a first set of cams and can eventually migrate to being the last string of your indian creek lineup. |
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Nope. They're CE certified and manufactured by a reputable company. Sure they're not the best cam you can buy but yes they are a heck of a lot cheaper. I'd have absolutely no qualms climbing with them. Admittedly, having bought my first set of cams in college I wish I would have just gone out and bought what I thought were the best first instead of buying a cheaper set I liked less and then upgrading later. Go find a temp. job for a couple days and buy the better product so you don't have to do it later. |
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For what it's worth keep an eye out on the Black Diamond outlet section, they regularly have factory seconds at a discounted rate, and they often do extra 20% off of outlet coupons. I picked up some C4s for about the same as Trangos this way. FYI they are fully functional and just have minor issues like the color of the anodizing is off or a small scratch or blemish, but are fully guaranteed and warrantied by BD. They just had some up there but looks like they are gone now, but keep and eye on this site. |
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You could also probably get by with less cams than you think, depending on where you climb. Tricams and hexes are a good supplement... not as easy to place or as versatile, but they are cheaper! When I climb with others, we usually have more cams than we need, something else to think about. |
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I'd look at the metolius line up too. They are cheaper than BD by about 15 per cam, and you can get them on sale for 25% at some point as well. The new master cams are super light, too! |
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Flex cams are perfectly safe, just not as nice to use. Chances are, you'll eventually replace them with nicer cams like C4s, Dragons, or totems. IMO you're better off just looking for the best deal and getting the nicer cams to start. You may not be able to complete your rack quite as fast, but you'll be fine, and maybe you'll do a better job of learning the art of passive pro. |
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As a college climber who has upgraded past my first set of cams I will second that you want to plan ahead. If you can't buy everything at once then make a wish list and start filling it out. That might mean buying a few less cams to start but in the end you will have a nice rack and you won't have to always think about what color or size means what. You can focus on the climbing which makes everything much more enjoyable. |
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This is the review I posted on gearexpress.com: |
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I like the Flex cams and they are good value for the money. The only real downside to them that I've noticed is the springs in the cam are extremely weak which makes it easier for them to walk or otherwise move in the placement. This is a bit less of an issue on the smaller cams, but it's really noticeable on the larger models. |
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I have the 4-6 as part of my first rack. They function fine and I have no qualms climbing above them. I've fallen on the #5 and it is no worse for wear, so I can put your mind to ease there. Not to hijack the post with a for sale ad, but I'm ready to part with them as I've slowly pieced together the BD sizes I needed. Pm me if you'd like to work out a deal. |
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I know you didn't specifically ask about usability, but figured I'd comment anyway. |
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Im a college student. I got BD gear used from this website. Got really good slightly used gear for cheap |
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I recently bootied a very new flex cam that had two snapped trigger wires. I would not recommend paying money for one. |