Wild Country Technical Friends Camming Devices - 2006 BCS

The Good: Friends were the first SLCD, and are a tried and true design. These babies are strong, flexible, and functional, and come at the low end of the price range as far as cams go. They also are quite lightweight, have full strength cam stops, and come with a nice wiregate for racking.

The Not So Good: While learning to place gear, I had the opportunity to use both Friends and Camalots, and certainly noticed a difference in functionality, especially as a beginner. Friends are much harder to find placements for than Camalots. More than once, I would try a Friend which would end up being too big to fit in a placement, only to have the next size down tip out. This was never the case with Camalots.

The second disadvantage I found with the Friends was that the color coding system was a little wacky, making it more difficult to learn. It is not a simply repeating pattern.

The third was the lack of a thumb loop, which made the Friends sit a little less confidently in my fingers - I never ended up dropping a Friend, but I preferred the thumb loop. I understand this is also a disadvantage for aid climbers, who use the thumb loop to clip in. It is worth noting that the next generation of friends, the Helium Friend, will include one.

Overall, after using both types, I ended up getting Camalots. I totally trust the Friends, and they work decently, I just don't think they're the best option out there.

Tech Friends are my favorite cams from size 1-3. I feel they provide a more solid placement than BD double axle cams. I also have a size 0, which is still nice, but it is much wider than other available cams of its size, which is often a problem. On the plus side, it has a higher kN rating than other small cams.

Friends have been around forever, and these simply just work. While I don't feel the action on my #3 is quite as smooth as a BD, it works perfectly fine under load and does it's job. Plus Tech Friends are cheaper and come with a biner for racking. Can't really beat that!

This is one of the most trustworthy pieces of gear that I have ever owned and after my belay buddy the it has to be the single most safety actor that have saved my life on numerous occasions. They are worth their weight in gold in my book. The Helium Friends take placing pro to a new level too.

A good friend bought these long before I bought my Dragons, so I've gotten to use these, and they're good and do the job well. When placed correctly they hold securely, and you can be confident that they'll hold your weight. That's the most important thing.

When shopping around myself I didn't like the way the lobes can move around its single axis... I found the twin axles more reassuring. Looking at the flipside, and it's probably a good thing that the head can move around the single axle when it's placed.

Here in the UK, they're cheaper than C4s and Dragons, which makes them a good buy, and my friend is very happy with his. If I were a Yank, I'd probably buy C4s instead, which is a shame, because if you all get C4s you'll never get to experience how good the WC cams can be.

i love this cam, fits hand jam cracks perfectly and now there in finger cracks. i used my buddy's BD cams also and don't notice any differences. they're just as good if not better. not to mention friends are cheaper and come with a awesome wire biner :)

Going to Indian Creek? Need to pad out the rack for that infamous project there? These things are great, and won't cripple your wallet as quickly either. And, best of all, they work like they're supposed to (empirical data discovered in a moment of stark fear).

We placed my new #1.25 and 2 Friends during a day of short leads and top anchors. They’re solid, stable, and don’t walk despite our best efforts to dislodge when checking placement. I’m looking to do longer and more challenging climbs with them soon.

This cam is nice. Having placed similar sizes in both Black Diamond and Metolius I find this piece to be more versatile and a tad lighter. The included biner is a nice bonus for the price

I have used these cams off and on while climbing with friends that had them. If you don't want Black Diamond cams, these are a great alternative. I wouldn't mind having a complete set of these. They stay put nicely.