Where nothing else will work - C.A.M.P. Nylon Tricams

tri-cams inspire either unconditional love, or absolute hatred. climbers who've taken the time to learn how to use them swear by them. those unfamiliar with them curse them. I've seen more of these little devils "fixed" over the last thirty years -- the small sizes can be tricky to clean -- typically a result of a following climber not understanding how they work.
for me, they are not intuitive. it takes me longer to place a tri-cam than a hex. but - and this is a BIG but - I can get a tri-cam placement where neither a cam, a hex or anything other than a bolt will work. they are magic for pockets, as on limestone, of Smith Rock tuff. a hole that will not accommodate the axle of a cam, or spit out a hex, can be a bomber tri-cam placement. a tri-cam is usually more secure in a horizontal crack than either a cam or hex or stopper. and in soft rock like sandstone, tri-cams hold greater loads than spring loaded cams.
perhaps not the core to build a trad rack around, these should be a strong contender for the climber looking to fill out a rack or add some duplication. rather than buy duplicate cams, save some money, buy some tric-cams and increase the versatility of your tool kit. a duplicate cam won't fit any placement that the first cam wouldn't, but the tri-cam well may save the day.

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.