Black Diamond Camalot C3

Okay, the trigger feels stiff, but I have placed these things PUMPED out of my gord and never have been too pumped to pull the trigger! If anything the strong spring is confidence inspiring, knowing that even with a little dirt and grit the cams will expand and hold in the crack, I like the stiff springs! These things are narrow and fit in soo many places. Aliens are just not durable and you can't trust them to as bomber a standard as BD cams. I have replaced my aliens with these and have not looked back.

I am super impressed with how these came out. I used early versions during the development stages, and saw all the hard work that Black Diamond put into these and I think it was worth it. These make previously unprotectable (without bolts) stuff safe. The narrow head is going to be great for pin scars in Yosemite as well as for any time you need a little piece of mind when other gear just won't go in. They action is little stiff, but you get used to that, and they are going to be very durable. They are pretty lightweight too. Two thumbs up!

I like the plastic covering on these caribiners; they make holding them in your mouth like a pirate knife quite nice. They have a nice width and feel nice when pulled. So far they have held my falls. I trust them with my life.

I really like the C3s, the stem is very durable and the heads are very thin. I've fallen on a couple of them, and they held, so they have my confidence!

These are now my reach-for piece any time it gets thin. Nothing inspires more confidence than a Black Diamond cam, and the C3's follow the tradition. We'll see if they hold up in the long-run. But because the springs are usually the most delicate part of any cam, I'm betting their placement below the trigger will keep them out of harm's way. My only question is: why didn't they go one size bigger? That way I could stop carrying aliens all together.

The trigger is stiff to pull when I'm pumped and I don't like the fell of the trigger pull in general - it's not very responsive. That said, all my friends rave about these and think they're the cat's meow.

CCH Aliens are way better, imho.

I think the new C3s will be okay in the long run. I like the stiff neck for pushing them into cracks, but the mechanism is stiff and not that good when you are pumped.