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Petzl vs CAMP carabiners

Original Post
Bruno Schull · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 0

Two comparisons:

Petzl Spirit vs. CAMP photon  

Petzl Attache vs. CAMP Nitro lock

Posted weights are nearly identical.  What about actual weights, handling, gates, size, other concerns, etc. etc. etc.

Ideas?

Kevin Mcbride · · Canmore AB · Joined Jan 2017 · Points: 505
Bruno Schull wrote:

Two comparisons:

Petzl Spirit vs. CAMP photon  

Petzl Attache vs. CAMP Nitro lock

Posted weights are nearly identical.  What about actual weights, handling, gates, size, other concerns, etc. etc. etc.

Ideas?

I used to have photons and so thought they handled nicely but the gates kept popping out on several of them, a problem I haven’t had with spirits or any other biner for that matter. I wouldn’t buy photons again.

Both the nitro lock and the attache are fine lockers, just go with whichever you think is prettier.

Joshua Brown · · Provo, UT · Joined Aug 2020 · Points: 80
Kevin Mcbride wrote:

I used to have photons and so thought they handled nicely but the gates kept popping out on several of them, a problem I haven’t had with spirits or any other biner for that matter. I wouldn’t buy photons again.

Both the nitro lock and the attache are fine lockers, just go with whichever you think is prettier.

gates kept popping out? do you mean at the bottom of the wire gate? i’ve experienced this on quite a few of my camp carabiners :/

basically they just don’t sit in place nicely, i still use them and like them

Will WB · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Mar 2019 · Points: 270

Looking at Camp's website and Petzl's website, the Photons have a listed weight of 1.2oz (34g) and the new Spirits have a listed weight of 37g, making a rack of 12 Photon draws 2.5oz lighter if that really matters (carabiner weight only). My sport climbing rack has half Photon draws and half (previous model) Spirit draws. I really cannot tell the difference. The Photons have never given me trouble and are nice and snappy. I think they perform the same as the Spirits, but they cost less, are a tad lighter, and you might be less likely to get gear mixed up with others. Buying 11cm draws new looks like about a 6$ difference between the two depending on where you look, which adds up pretty quickly. Personally, I think the Photons are great especially given the price point and would gladly save $72 over 12 draws if buying new.

The lockers will probably be similar and just matters if you like Camp's style or Petzl's style of screwgate. Haven't heard of the gate getting stuck shut with the Nitro, which can be an issue with the Attache. I wonder if it would be easier to squeeze an extra clove hitch on the Nitro because of the more curved shape. And again, Attaches are everywhere so it could be easier to keep track of the Nitros.

Christian Hesch · · Arroyo Grande, CA · Joined Aug 2017 · Points: 55
Joshua Brown wrote:

gates kept popping out? do you mean at the bottom of the wire gate? i’ve experienced this on quite a few of my camp carabiners :/

basically they just don’t sit in place nicely, i still use them and like them

I believe most people experience the gate slipping past the nose, when a lateral force is applied to the gate. Unfortunately this also happens to the Dyon, though it takes significantly more force than it does for the Photon. While a nice light biner with massive gate opening, I can't handle the hook nose that is inherent to the style of wire gate that the photon uses, and thus I only use Dyons. they're close to 2x the price, unfortunately, but c'est la vie. As far as the spirit, as long as you don't mind the small weight penalty, they're a great "do-anything" biner, nothing sexy, not super light, not amazingly functional, but they won't let you down and they're affordable, so decide what's important to you and go from there.

Summorum Pontificum · · Western Europe · Joined Aug 2023 · Points: 0

Speaking of quickdraws I like keylock carabiners so I would choose Spirits if weight is the same.

Regarding Petzl Attache….I find Petzl screw carabiners to unscrew by themselves sometimes. It happened to me with Attache and with Spirit Screw Lock. I also got an Attache gate completely stuck and had to leave it in the mountains. Never had a problem with Camp Nitro Lock and Photon Lock.

Desert Rock Sports · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Aug 2019 · Points: 2

Gate mass differences for gate flutter.
Gate snag vs. no snag.
Have not used the Nitro, the Nimbus is pretty close in size and shape to the Attache and closer to round stock.

Jon Browher · · Wolfeboro, NH · Joined Jul 2018 · Points: 370

Spirits are nice for sport draws; I like the Photon Lockers a lot. Smooth action, light, and very thin profile for using at bolted anchors 

Will WB · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Mar 2019 · Points: 270

@ Bruno: Are you wondering about the CAMP Photon (solid gate) or the CAMP Photon Wire? It seems like some people are referencing the wiregate and some referencing the solid gate. If comparing the Spirit with another biner, I would assume the solid gate.

Christian Hesch · · Arroyo Grande, CA · Joined Aug 2017 · Points: 55

Will, good point, the gate-slip issue goes away (as far as I'm aware) on the solid gate photon. It's a nice biner for sure, I prefer the DMM Alpha Sport but the solid gate Photon is half the price, and way more than half the performance, so def a nice clipping biner. Not sure if the solid gate comes in more than a couple colors though...

Zachary Winters · · Winthrop, WA · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 435

Petzl quality is generally better than CAMP when it comes to carabiners. CAMPs are light, but the very narrow cross section at the rope basket doesn't help with rope longevity or drag. And some gates just stop working after a while. I just wish Petzl would make a proper wiregate carabiner. (No, Ange doesn't count)

Petzl and DMM are top quality in my experience. CAMP is at the bottom. Everything else is somewhere in the middle.

Zach Baer · · Bellingham · Joined Feb 2018 · Points: 5

Two words which I am unaccustomed to uttering:Mad Rock.

These things are cheap, about as light as the spirits, and the exact same carabiner. I started using them at work, and have admittedly stolen more than a few for my pleasure harness.

Jake LaFlamme · · CT · Joined Apr 2023 · Points: 0

According to reviews on REI, the petzl attache might be the most expensive left behind on the wall carabiner. Scores of climbers experience lock issues FWIW 

James M · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Sep 2017 · Points: 75

I have a few draws that are photon solid gates with spirit bent gates. The Spirits have one of the most satisfying clipping actions of any carabiner used, and the photos are fine. 

People complain about the Photon solid gates sticking and I do find they need to be cleaned and lubricated occasionally, so that has never really bothered me.   

Slim Pickens · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2023 · Points: 0

People complain about the screw lock getting stuck on Petzls all the time, but, meh. First, don’t overtighten your screw gates. Finger tight is fine, especially if gravity loaded (screwed down). Second, if the biner is weight-loaded when you lock the gate, it should be weight-loaded when you unlock the gate. I say that recognizing that perhaps people operating in different (i.e. sandier or icier) environments, or maybe people with higher body mass than me, may have different experiences. My instinct though is that most instances of stuck gates would fall into one of those two camps.

Most of my sport draws are Spirits and I’m very fond of them. The new update seems a little smaller  to my eye, but prolly not smaller enough to be detrimental, and maybe it’s an optical illusion anyway. I haven’t used the solid gate Photons. I’ve got the wire gates as racking biners on some of my cams, and on some alpine draws. I like the handling and the clipping action. I’ve also got the photon lock as the guide mode biner for my reverso and I like it. Snappy action and a coarse thread on the screw lock that closes up with a quick spin.

Haven’t used the Nitro, but I’m a big fan of the Nimbus compact HMS for its roundish stock and that same nice screw lock that I described on the photon. Of course, Attaches are great too.

Anyway, that’s a lot of words to ultimately just say that neither the photon vs spirit or attaché vs nimbus have clear winners beyond just personal preference for gate action/screw lock smoothness/color choices etc. It’s hard to go wrong. 

Bruno Schull · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 0

Thanks for the replied.  I know I'm all over the map here (wire gate, sold date, locking, non-locking) but I'm in the midst of a carabiner mid-life crisis.

How about the CAMP dyon?  Size?  Gate action?  Durability?

that guy named seb · · Britland · Joined Oct 2015 · Points: 236

What is the actual intended application for these biners? Are they sport draws? Trad draws? 

Camp biners are light and safe but if they are being used in an application where they are loaded weirdly they generally don't hold up as well as the competition. 

Regarding HMS biners, give it some time and a new round stock attache is coming onto the market. I know I'll be getting one or five.

Summorum Pontificum · · Western Europe · Joined Aug 2023 · Points: 0
Bruno Schull wrote:

Thanks for the replied.  I know I'm all over the map here (wire gate, sold date, locking, non-locking) but I'm in the midst of a carabiner mid-life crisis.

How about the CAMP dyon?  Size?  Gate action?  Durability?

I love Dyons for every type of climbing. I use them for sport climbing and I've used them in the past in an alpine quickdraw configuration. No issues at all even for winter/gloved climbing.

They are not the lightest carabiner but for me they offer the best compromise between size, clipping comfort and weight.

George Bracksieck · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 3,698

Petzl carabiners are made in France. CAMP biners are made in China. 

that guy named seb · · Britland · Joined Oct 2015 · Points: 236
George Bracksieck wrote:

Petzl carabiners are made in France. CAMP biners are made in China. 

Taiwan, and petzl carabiners are made in Taiwan as well, they are the only people with the expertise and scale to make the volume petzl need.

Assembly is France but that means practically nothing. 

George Bracksieck · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 3,698
that guy named seb wrote:

Taiwan, and petzl carabiners are made in Taiwan as well, they are the only people with the expertise and scale to make the volume petzl need.

Assembly is France but that means practically nothing. 

I’ve recently seen “Made in China” on CAMP Nanos, Photons, Dyons in local retailers. 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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