Description
You want light?
- Minimalist design for serious weight savings
- Three-cam design lets the head fit in narrow placements where standard cams don't work
- Range finders on sizes 2 through 4 to warn you of over-camming
- Dyneema sling cuts weight and bulk without sacrificing strength
- Color-coded slings and tubing for fast identification
- Click sizing chart for range, strength, and weight details
- Made and tested in Bend, Oregon
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Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
Metolius Ultralight TCU
? Share a...
Reliable
bor2533173
Member since
These cams are tried and true and compete with the many variations on the TCU that have come out recently. Easy to place and assess, lightweight, and durable.
Light is right
Christopher Columbus
Member since
Great, lightweight pieces. Perfect for thin cracks and small pods. The narrow heads fit in places C4s won't. If you go with the whole set you can get some overlap with the smaller C4s (0.5, 0.75) with less weight. A joy to place.
Low cost thrills!
Joshua Bruch
Member since
I love the metolius ultralight TCU! They are amazing pieces to have on your rack when you are in small crack territory. They are light, cost effective, and functional. I love all the metolius gear for three reason. 1: They function amazingly and never disappoint. 2: They look awesome, especially the master cams. 3: They're made in the U.S.A. These are the qualities that I hope to see in all brands of gear. Sizes #00-1 are my favorites and are most useful in smaller cracks. Otherwise, go C4 or master cam in #2-3.
Weight savers
pell
Member since
They are light. Sometimes a little bit tricky to place ("little bit" are keywords here). Easy to clean.
Pair them with CAMP Nano 23 rack pack (gray for #00, purple for #0, blue for #1, yellow for #2, and red for #4, and save the green for smthng else) and one orange CAMP Nano 23 binner for #3 to get a light color coded rack from .4" to 1.25". Add Metolius Ultralight Powercam set #5-#8 to build an ultralight rack to protect up to 2.5" cracks.
Looking at TCU's and BD C3's.....normally...
Hayden Beck
Member since
Looking at TCU's and BD C3's.....normally climb in southern UT and Big Cottonwood Canyon. Already have a full set of C4's. What do you guys recommend?
Thomas Ogasawara
Member since
I've only used TCU's a couple times, but I have some C3's and I love them. Either way, you can't really go wrong. It seems like it almost comes down to personal preference.
C3's have a little stiffer trigger, but it gets smoother with use. That said, they can fit in some places where TCU's can't reach. They're both great cams, but I prefer the C3's.
Hayden Beck
Member since
thanks
3CUs
Benny B
Member since
I'm definitely more prone to use a 4 cam unit when I have the option, but there are places that TCUs fit where my smaller C4s won't. As far as the U stem goes too, I don't have any issues in placement as long as I can turn it in the direction of potential pull (which usually works out unless the crack is uber tight). Walking could be an issue with these, but as long as your slings are properly extended and you don't take multiple falls on the same piece it shouldn't be a problem. Anyway, Sizes 1-3 are a standard part of my rack, they're super light as far as cams go, and I'm glad to have them. Unless it's a fatter crack climb, usually at least one of those 3 gets placed.
Sizing Chart
Brennan Crellin
Member since
Metolius Ultralight TCU Sizing Chart
great little cams
Matt Oakley
Member since
These are really great little cams. They are small and light. Best thing is they are a lot cheaper than a lot of other cams out there.
Down side: They are really wide due to the twin stem design. They are not very flexible so proper placement is critical
Essential Trad gear
Bob Gray
Member since
This is one of my favorite pieces of gear on my rack! Light weight, easy trigger pull, and easy to place. I cannot imagine leading trad without them!
useful piece
kev p
Member since
pretty cool cam. super light weight, does well in meandering cracks and corners where a four cam unit cant have eaqual caming on all lobes. the wires o the outside make it harder to place shallow cracks, being a three cam unit they tend to walk a little more but i find this acceptable with an extended sling. the smaller sizes are used constantly, for me at lease, these are a great piece, durable light wieght, useful, worth having
Use caution with color coding
Mike Merrill
Member since
I recently used these on 3 multi-pitch climbs and for an anchor class. These are great small cams, very light and they work incredibly well; however, I like the thumbhole and trigger mechanism on the C3 better. My biggest complaint is the color coding on these cams. If you use this, you can overcam these quite easily in the green range. Overall a great cam and I ended up buying them when I saw the set of 6 on sale. Just be sure to use good judgement when placing them and don't strictly go by the color coding.
Metolius Ultralight TCU Review
Spencer
Member since
great in granite
A C
Member since
I really prefer having a three cam unit in these sizes. It happens all the time that there is a shallow placement that works better (or at all) with the middle lobe pointed one way. Its a rare pitch that doesn't see a #3 placed. In these small sizes they fit in many more places than equivalent wild country friends.Only thing I don't like is the plastic sleeves on the side get beat up after awhile and there is no way according to metolius to fix them.
James Jenden
Member since
He means that he almost always uses his #3 on climbs. He uses it very often. If you're free climbing, 1-4 is a good starter set. If you're aiding, it would really depend on the style of climb. These go just as small as BD c3s, and have a very slightly higher strength rating in the lower aid sizes.
Metolius Ultralight TCU
Mark Parrett
Member since
The Metolius Ultralight TCUs are light, easy to place for being microcams, and not as pricey as C3s. I have taken a fall on the 00 - not a huge fall but it held like a champ despite the 6+ kn rating. Also, I won't place an alien ever again after seeing CCH's response to their QC issues over the past year.
Great Cams for their job.
Sam Reese
Member since
Let's get the negative out of the way. They are wider and less acceptable to side loading than CCH's Aliens. (Hence why I've got 3 aliens on my rack too). That said, I use these about 5 times more often than the aliens.
Why? Well, I climb mostly in the Sierra, and our cracks aren't that squirly. Almost always, I can throw in a TCU, and I rarely ever miss the sizeing, they jut seem to work. The color coding is intuitive and bright, the triggers work great.
I love everything about these, and don't think a rack is complete without 00-3.
Do note, as well, that 00 has somewhat a low strength rating, like all small trad pro.
Great in small sizes
jp27
Member since
I use the three smallest sizes (00, 0, 1) instead of C3's. I love the light weight, and I think the trigger is a lot easier to use on such a small cam. I have big fingers, and it can be tough to place or clean small cams. The design allows cleaning by pulling on the trigger with a nut tool if needed. The cams hold well, though as with any very small cam there isn't a lot of surface area.
Great cams
Scott Gilliam
Member since
Carry most of these regularly on the gear rack, blue, yellow, orange. I've substituted the yellow C3 for the TCU as the C3 is a bit smaller and fits nicely between the blue TCU and the yellow Alien. Occasionally TCUs fit in places no other cam will. The smallest sizes are still handsome, well-made units, but I prefer a 4-cam unit when I can get one.
Scott Gilliam
Member since
Hey, here's an update. The blue Ultralight TCU sure seems bigger than the old TCU. Kinda strange, but it goes in most of the same places. I actually like it better on two of my favorite routes.
One of the greatest
Andrew Krosbakken
Member since
I love these cams, the three lobes make them great. The only con is that they are wide, but that has only affected one placement one time ever. over all awesome.
Great Cams
Ryan
Member since
best cams you can buy. period.
Solid small pro
Blue Bird
Member since
TCU's are classic small cams - great price and a solid cam. I'd prefer these over the Black Diamond C3's. The range finder is helpful, if you need it.
View all contributions... Be patient, it might take a while.

Mike Gorecki
Member since