All you need to know about the camming device?

1. What is a camming device used for?
2. Are camming devices safe?
3. How do camalot work?
4. How much weight can a cam hold?
5. Are cams safer than nuts?
6. What is a Camelot climbing?
7. What is an offset cam?
8. What is a climbing stopper?
9. What is the difference between C4 and Z4 cams?
10. How strong is a cam?
11. How do climbers retrieve their gear?

What is a camming device used for?

Spring loaded camming devices (SLCDs) are a type of anchor that rock climbers use to connect themselves to cracks or other irregularies in a rock cliff.

Are camming devices safe?

When placed correctly, cams and nuts (gear used for trad climbing) are safe to fall on. Most gear covers 8-12 kN or 1,798-2,698 lbs of force. This means that you're more likely to get injured from gear being too low/belayer mistakes or from it being placed in the wrong direction than you are from the gear failing.

How do camalot work?

Cams typically feature three or four curved pieces of aluminum, called cam lobes. When you pull the spring-loaded trigger wire, these chunks of metal retract and make the device narrower. This allows you to slide the unit inside a crack. When you release the trigger, the cam lobes expand to fit the rock.

How much weight can a cam hold?

Camalots are rated to 14kn. Your rope limits the max force on a piece to 7-9kn with a static belay, which doesn't happen in reality, so the force would be less than that, especially if there's a bit of rope out.

Are cams safer than nuts?

Neither type of gear (cams or nuts) is 'safer' than the other. Each has it's place on a trad rack. Depending on where and what you are climbing you may use more of one than the other, but again, most of the time you will need a combination of both.

What is a Camelot climbing?

Camalot is a brand of spring-loaded camming devices manufactured by Black Diamond Equipment used to secure ropes while rock climbing. Black Diamond has produced several different models of Camalots: Current models: The Camalot C4, is the current version of the original model, most recently updated in early 2019.

What is an offset cam?

A set of offset cams can be an essential part of your aid climbing rack. They have two lobes of one size cam, and two lobes of the next size up or down (i.e. larger or smaller). Offset Cams allow you to place a solid cam in a flared crack, which is impossible with a traditional cam.

What is a climbing stopper?

Used for trad climbing, stoppers (also called nuts) are aluminum chocks placed into constricting cracks. They serve the same purpose as a bolt, but without damaging the rock.

What is the difference between C4 and Z4 cams?

The new Z4 cam is lighter (93g) but has a lower force rating (10kN) than the 2019 C4 cam (108g/14kN). The 15g probably isn't a huge difference in weight but the force rating is.

How strong is a cam?

In reality, a cam is pretty much strong from super tight and over cammed (imagine hammering it home), to about 2% to 5% depending on the rock, as in most cases it will be the rock that fails you, not the unit.

How do climbers retrieve their gear?

Climbers normally retrieve the gear they placed by collecting it as they lower back down. They lower using a fixed anchor at the top or by wrapping rope around a tree or rock. In some cases rock climbers get their gear back as they belay their partner up after them.