DMM Dragonfly’s

Look no further than the DMM dragonfly’s to replace aliens. I’ve placed the two smallest sizes in a few classically hard to protect routes in Eldo and at 6kn I would still whip on them. Beats putting in nuts or rps that small, however the cost is higher.

I bring my entire set of these things every time even if I’m using someone else’s rack. 10/10 cams - haven’t aided using them yet but for free climbing they’re a solid alternative to Z4s and definitely better than TCUs.

At the very least get the red and green for those unlikely placements you may need. For example the route Chockstone 10a in Eldo - you can place both the red and green right at the crux and fully remove any possibility of decking! 

The smallest Dragonflies (green and red) work well for me in the Canadian Rockies

I love the dragonflies but honestly I don't place the red (0.1) very much, I usually reach for my red/yellow ballnut instead, especially in eldo. The small ballnuts are much narrower than any micro cams and work in more places. 

I have taken some horrifying whips on the entire range of dragonflies and you'd never know by looking at them or using them. DMM > all

I’m glad you guys think so. They are actually amazing 

I have minimal personal knowledge, so thank you for the review. What are your thoughts on Outdoor Gear labs review?  Outdoor Gear lab gives the Z4's the highest rating (84, "Best Overall Small Camming Devices"), and the Dragonflys a a lesser 76, 4 down the list from the top of their reviewed cams, tied with Totem. https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-cams/ratings

Wild Country Zeros, which can be found on sale for sub $60 get a 79 and their small size is essentially the same as the DMM, .33 vs .31. 

For me it's mostly personal preference. As far as the micro cams that I've tried (z4, dragonflies, Metolius) I like the trigger action on the dragonflies the most. I'm also a big fan of the extendable slings. They all have slightly different head widths and that may or may not matter depending on your local rock. 

If you are on the fence, go to a great shop and see how they feel in your hands. If you're still on the fence, use your friend's cams or buy a couple pieces. Worst case, you don't like them and you can sell them for most of their value on mp.

I would counsel my friends away from dragonflies. For the same reason that the 0.75 X4 and the larger single-stem Master cams SUCK, the wire stem flips over when you pull the triggers, instead of contracting the lobes as needed. 

DMM blew it when they went for a smaller-gauge braided wire for the stems than BD uses in the X4 and z4's. DMM's wire is too flexible and folds over instead of supporting the trigger pull. I've been screwed by this mid-crux while trying to place the red dragonfly. Go Z4, they are very nice in the tiny sizes. 

Interesting take Peter, I haven’t had that issue but I do wonder if the smaller range is why my Dragonflies get stuck more than my z4s. It could be selection bias though because for anything below a 0.3 I’ll grab the dragonfly first. The heavier build makes them feel more confidence inspiring, but I’ve fallen on a 0.2 z4 right off the deck and it was in great shape, so probably just a mental thing.

Billcoe wrote:

I have minimal personal knowledge, so thank you for the review. What are your thoughts on Outdoor Gear labs review?  Outdoor Gear lab gives the Z4's the highest rating (84, "Best Overall Small Camming Devices"), and the Dragonflys a a lesser 76, 4 down the list from the top of their reviewed cams, tied with Totem. https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-cams/ratings

Wild Country Zeros, which can be found on sale for sub $60 get a 79 and their small size is essentially the same as the DMM, .33 vs .31. 

As much as I like Outdoor Gear Lab, rating C4s better than Totems is ridiculousness. 

I never leave the ground without my trusty dragonflies. My first ever whip was on the silver dragonfly on a climb in turkey rocks!