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new cams?

Original Post
Jack2 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 0

I heard a rumor that BD has some new cams in the works. Can anyone confirm?

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

Haven't heard about new BD cams, but apparently some redesigned Metolius Mastercams are coming out:

mountainproject.com/v/redes…

nathanael · · Riverside, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 525

I hadn't heard that before but a quick search revealed some cool stuff.
snewsnet.com/press-release/…



"For years Black Diamond Equipment has been working to improve its Camalot design, the standard for camming devices worldwide. Building on this time-tested foundation, Spring ’16’s new Camalot Ultralights are the next step in this evolution. Camalot Ultralights incorporate sculpted lobes and a patent-pending continuously looped Dyneema® core to replace the cable stem, which helps contribute to more than 25% weight savings, making them among the lightest camming units on the market.

“The Camalot Ultralight represents the most significant advancement in cam technology since the dual stem Camalot was introduced,” says Kolin Powick, Black Diamond Equipment’s climbing category director. “It is a perfect example of the advantages of Black Diamond Equipment’s recent repatriation of equipment production to Salt Lake: product innovation from design to manufacturing – all under the same roof.” "
nathanael · · Riverside, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 525


Apparently more details are coming at Outdoor 2015 which happens in 2 weeks.
Brian E · · Western North Carolina · Joined Mar 2005 · Points: 348

Does the head width look narrower to anyone else? I try to control my inner gear dork, but new Cams...

Luc-514 · · Montreal, QC · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 12,506

My kinda porn

dindolino32 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 25

it'll be kind of hard to make a better cam than the Totem Cams. Best on the market!

Pavel Burov · · Russia · Joined May 2013 · Points: 50
dindolino32 wrote:it'll be kind of hard to make a better cam than the Totem Cams. Best on the market!
The best camming climbing piece is climber's body. Nothing can beat it.
nathanael · · Riverside, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 525
dindolino32 wrote:it'll be kind of hard to make a better cam than the Totem Cams. Best on the market!
I do love the totems, and it doesn't seen like these updated BD cams will really do anything to change the pros/cons between Camalots and Totem cams in the sizes they overlap. But for #2+, there's not a whole lot that's (significantly) better than the Camalot, and if these are indeed 25% lighter that may just make them the best available in those sizes.
jordand · · Seattle, WA · Joined May 2012 · Points: 100

Any word on the new auto-locking belay device that BD is supposedly making? Will that be announced at OR next month?

mountainproject.com/v/black…

Dr. Long Arm · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 15
jordand wrote:Any word on the new auto-locking belay device that BD is supposedly making? Will that be announced at OR next month? mountainproject.com/v/black…
I saw the device last summer. The press release posted above mentions new belay devices for Spring 2016 so maybe we'll see it soon.
Pavel Burov · · Russia · Joined May 2013 · Points: 50
Jake Jones wrote:I'm looking forward to the first "my BD ultralight Camalot exploded" thread.
Pffff... just place it as you are going to fall in horizontal direction (e.g., stem is facing out of the wall) and take a HUGE whipper. Gotcha!

And, yeah, we'll see it. The most of initial stock of any new gear is to be bought by inexperienced climbers believing that new shiny gear would make 'em better climbers. Obviously, inexperienced climbers are the first to use safety gear in the most unsafe manner. Obviously, they will place shiny new cams in the least safe way. Obviously, one of those pieces will explode. Obviously, we'll witness such a thread.
nathanael · · Riverside, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 525

What are people's thoughts on the replacing the metal stem with "continuously looped Dyneema® core"? I assume it gets its rigidity from a plastic sheath but the structural part of the stem must be very flexible. Seems pretty clever since for the tensile strength vs. weight of dyneema is so good. On the other hand C4s currently can last 10+ yrs while most people recommend replacing Dyneema slings after 2-5 yrs of heavy use.

Matt N · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 415

Look 3d-printed

Zac St Jules · · New Hampshire · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 1,188
Nathanael wrote:What are people's thoughts on the replacing the metal stem with "continuously looped Dyneema® core"? I assume it gets its rigidity from a plastic sheath but the structural part of the stem must be very flexible. Seems pretty clever since for the tensile strength vs. weight of dyneema is so good. On the other hand C4s currently can last 10+ yrs while most people recommend replacing Dyneema slings after 2-5 yrs of heavy use.
Interesting point
Rob WardenSpaceLizard · · las Vegans, the cosmic void · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 130

i have handled them... its nice I have no doubt that it will hold up about as well as C4's. the dyneema is fully protected so it has the same kind of longevity as cable being abrasion and UV protected. the plastic tubing is thicker and as stiff as C4's. the axle boss is hot forged and CNC'd. the lobes are artfully hot forged and them clock in at around 30% lighter than C4's they are also around 20+% more expensive.

Shelton Hatfield · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 650
Pavel Burov wrote:The most of initial stock of any new gear is to be bought by inexperienced climbers believing that new shiny gear would make 'em better climbers. Obviously, inexperienced climbers are the first to use safety gear in the most unsafe manner. Obviously, they will place shiny new cams in the least safe way. Obviously, one of those pieces will explode. Obviously, we'll witness such a thread.
People, the case of the faulty X4 has been solved! This makes too much sense not to be true.

Edit to add (as to avoid thread drift): The new Camalots look pretty badass, and probably won't explode, even at the hands of a ridiculously pumped gumby
rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265

interesting. if they are as robust in the longterm as the current version and lighter that is an improvement. nothing revolutionary like the totem but a good direction. Guess it depends what is the actual life span of a continuously looped dyneema core that is protected from UV and Abrasion. Curious how its "swaged" into the head too.

Rob WardenSpaceLizard · · las Vegans, the cosmic void · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 130

in the axle boss below the axles is a hollow riveted steel pin the loop is placed around.

Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0

My understanding was that dyneema's lifespan is shorter than nylon so I don't think I would want that over the cables in my cams (unless they are half the price and can be replaced every 5 years)

kalockwood · · SLC, UT · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 342

It appears from the picture that the 0.3, #5, and #6 will not be available in the new design? Maybe the forging tool cost was not justified for the large sizes. Not sure why they would exclude the 0.3.

The dyneema core is a cool idea and with UV and abrasion protection, I don't see an issue. I'm sure the BD guys did plenty of fatigue testing on dyneema. Maybe accelerated aging w/mechanical testing too.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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