5 Black Diamond Camalot Review

Reviewer: Patrick Weiß, Berlin   (17-2-2012)

These are definitely my favourite cams on my rack. I'm always reaching for these ones. The action is smooth and the thumb-hole makes me feel confident. I'm not going to drop a peice. I love the trigger mechanism on this cam and the hold always inspires confidence. I place these cams whenever possible.

pro:

• thumbhole!!!
• great range
• nice trigger point
• double
• best cams awkward placements

cons:

• the price :( (I'm a student)
• little heavy

5 Black Diamond Camalot Review

Reviewer: Eliot Stephens, Port Talbot   (29-11-2010)

Bought a few of the mid sizes are using the Dragon Cams for a couple of months. They are almost identical besides a few features. These are:

• The thumb loop, which the Camalots have, and the Dragons dont. This is one of the reasons for me now preferring the Camalots.
• The cam lobes on the Camalots are also a lot wider, giving that extra secure feel, which is invaluable on hard routes!

The price between them is pretty similar, and the functionality pretty much the same. But if you’re looking for a reason to buy these over anything else, the two above have been enough for me!

5 Black Diamond Camalot Review

Reviewer: A Turner, London   (9-9-2010)

Camelots are very well designed and well made. I've used a great variety of cam types and these are my favourites.

Pros: Their greater camming range means that in extremis you can afford to be less accurate with size choice - I often find myself picking the most likely size and then trying it in a few different places within the crack until I've got a really good placement. Also if there's a constriction at the front of the crack you can squeeze the cam down really small to get behind it. The loop at the end of the stem is helpful, especially with bigger sizes, for fumble-moments.

Cons: They are heavier than standard cams, so you can carry fewer for the weight.

4 Black Diamond Camalot Review

Reviewer: Adam Scott, Solihull   (30-7-2009)

BBuilding up my rack, I took the common advice and bought some Camalots rather than Friends or 4CUs. Greater range than the competition (unless you go for some much more esoteric and expensive designs) make these the obvious choice for either reducing the number of cams you have to carry or increasing your placement options with the same weight.
The flexible single stem design makes placements easy, and the colour coded heads and slings makes picking out the right cam really easy - especially if paired with matching krabs.
The only down-side of the Camelot design is the nylon slings that are used. Much bigger than the svelte dyneema designs that almost all other cams come with, and without the extendible double design used by WC and CAMP. That being said, it's easy enough to stick a QuickDraw on, and the extra wide sling isn't that much of a nuisance in the grand scheme of things.
All in all, after using my Camalots for a fair few months and a fair few climbs, as well as using other people's equipment and comparing, I'd say I made the right choice. If you're looking for a set of cams to start off your trad rack, go for a set of Camalots (I'd recommend starting with 0.5 - 3) and you'll be able to climb pretty much everything you'll come across right up to the E grades.