Purple (0.5) X4 vs Purple (1.00) Totemcam. Narrower?

Anybody with experience using these 2 have a strong preference? Looking to start doubling up my rack as my main trad climbing partner is moving away, along with his gear. I have a 0.5 C4.

Range between the 2 looks similar on paper. Is one significantly narrower or otherwise more versatile? I've searched and seen some sizing comparison pictures floating around but not of the purple ones.

This is probably just for free climbing. I am in the northeast. I don't climb hard, and I understand it might rarely make a difference to me at this point. Just looking for some opinions. I have some smaller X4's that I like but wouldn't mind trying the Totem's as they get glowing reviews. I've also used Mastercams which seem very similar to X4's.

Thanks!

unless you're aid climbing or freeing aid lines the totems are kinda overkill and not worth the extra cost. Now, if you can afford to spend 80 bucks a cam go ahead and get them, they are emphatically the shit. they are not a "must have" by any means.

Full disclaimer, I do not own any totems. All I know about them is secondhand information (all positive) and thorough fondling whenever I meet someone with them on their rack.

If I suddenly stumble across 500 bucks I'll be buying a set.

When I carry doubles, I carry Totems and C4s and reach for the Totems first. The head is definitely narrower, which makes a difference in the smaller sizes. The range is greater than single axle cams, similar to a C4. The specs say that they have greater holding power in flairs, something that I find reassuring.

Are they necessary? No, but I think they are the best cam out there. To me the only question is their durability, and I say that only because they have not yet stood the test of time.

jdejace wrote:Anybody with experience using these 2 have a strong preference? Looking to start doubling up my rack as my main trad climbing partner is moving away, along with his gear. I have a 0.5 C4. Range between the 2 looks similar on paper. Is one significantly narrower or otherwise more versatile? I've searched and seen some sizing comparison pictures floating around but not of the purple ones. This is probably just for free climbing. I am in the northeast. I don't climb hard, and I understand it might rarely make a difference to me at this point. Just looking for some opinions. I have some smaller X4's that I like but wouldn't mind trying the Totem's as they get glowing reviews. I've also used Mastercams which seem very similar to X4's. Thanks!

Get the Totem. It's not so much the width (which is nearly identical) but HOW the cam operates that differentiates the two. Particularly since you have a "normal" SLCD in the C4. The actively loaded cams of the Totem, vs the normal spring on other cams, make them different enough to be worth the extra cost. Add to that their flexibility and you've got a winner. As others have said, I nearly always reach for my Totem Cams first in funky placement. They rock. In fact, I have doubles in the Purple Totem Cam because it's such a good piece in that size. Everything else I have some options (C4 in .75 and 1.0 and X4 or Totem Basics in the smaller sizes) but in the 0.5 Size, double Totems.

If you shop around a bit you can find the occasional 20% off coupon on the Totem as well.

mattm wrote: If you shop around a bit you can find the occasional 20% off coupon on the Totem as well.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Certainly hoping to find a deal. Money isn't really an issue, but I can find X4's around $50 pretty easily and that makes the price difference harder to justify. Not many online retailers seem to have Totem's.

if you can get X4's for 50 bucks and don't aid climb you don't need totems

might add that depending what your first set of cam's are, you might want to consider a second set that has slightly different geometries to fill in gaps the first set might have.

Keenan Waeschle wrote:if you can get X4's for 50 bucks and don't aid climb you don't need totems

Totems aren't an aid specialty piece. He certainly doesn't need them of course however, given he already has a BD SLCD in that size I think the Totem is well worth a look, especially if he's ok with the higher price.

As with many "fancy" pieces of gear there's a certain amount of push back. IT's 100% true that one doesn't NEED fancy gear to climb hard or well. You don't need 28g niners or 8mm slings. Most could do just fine with nuts, forged friends and nylon. The Totems however really a step forward in cam design and many others agree. you don't need them but they really are one of the best cam out there.

Ignore Keenan.

Get Totems.

You won't regret it.

I don't have any experience with the totem cams (other than looking at 'em in a shop) but I do have and love a red totem basic that I vastly prefer over a .5 BD