Outdoor Gear Lab

They are ideal for Yosemite and Zion aid climbs, but a set is also nice for any area with weird pods. Which is just about everywhere except Indian Creek. On a typical wall like The Nose, Zodiac or Lurking gear, we recommend 2-3 sets of regular X4's and 1-2 sets of offset X4's...." go to full review

The most obvious advantage of the link cams is the incredible range that each unit can fit. The innovative tri-sected lobe design makes the range of each of these cams significantly larger than any of the other cams we tested. This increased range makes Link Cams an ideal crux piece: reach for these when you're gripped and need a piece fast that is sure to fit. The tri-sected cam lobes also provide an advantage when trying to stick a cam into an awkward placement. These things work..." go to full review

This is best suited for alpine climbs and anywhere with a big approach where every ounce counts. It is ideal in clean-cut cracks you find in alpine granite or splitter cracks in sandstone. It is not as good for flaring pin scars. For those placements a single-stem unit like the Metolius Master Cam works better.go to full review

Metolius Supercam proved to be a decent camming device. The innovative design gives these units the largest range of any we tested except for Omega Pacific Link Cams. Supercams also featured the widest cam lobes of any of the cams that we tested making them well suited for softer sandstone climbing. One aspect of the Supercams that we liked, but haven't found particularly useful in other Metolius cams is the Rangefinder. Because of the Supercams strange off center design, it's..." go to full review

Metolius Ultralight Powercams are the lightest cams on the market. The light and compact design makes them ideal for back country adventures, or any application where traveling light is key. The cam lobes are nice and wide making them a decent option for softer rock types. The u-stems are flexible enough for horizontal placements, while also providing a high clip-in point for aid climbing and the cam head is compact enough to fit into some awkward and tight placements.go to full review

The main reason to get this cam is it will fit in awkward pods that you often encounter on big walls. You can also load the cams with only two lobes contacting the rock. This fact, coupled with their increased holding power in flaring placements, makes them an ideal specialty aid piece.

We appreciated the increased range that these cams have; although not the best range we tested, it's pretty good.

The thing that we liked most about these is the innovative thinking that..." go to full review

The Black Diamond Camalot C3 has the narrowest head by far, which makes it the best cam at getting in tight spots. It also goes down to a really small size, almost as small as as the Wild Country Zero. When you place a cam that small it can be scary to fall on. However, it is much better than no cam at all and many other cams won't get in spots so small. The stem is durable; you can bounce test these and contort them and they generally hold up well. The trigger is easy to use and has a..." go to full review

These cams are best suited for free climbing, especially alpine climbing where you want to move light and fast. We could not think of a better cam for the Sierra. The extendable sling makes it easy to add a little length to your placements to cut down on walking and to help out with wandering pitches.go to full review

These are great for aid or free climbing. The medium sizes are not quite as narrow for getting in tricky aid spots. But the tiny ones get in places where other cams just can't...." go to full review

These excel in Yosemite, Zion or any area with flared cracks and pin scars. They are best paired with non offset cams. For example, on a typical El Capitan route I would take 1-2 sets of these and 2 sets of non offset cams. In a place like Indian Creek, where the cracks are perfectly parallel, these cams do not work well.go to full review