Wild Country

Zero Friend Cam

Great for the range-conscious cammer

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

0.1-0.3

Height:

5' 10"

Weight:

160

You don't need me to tell you that Friends have awesome ranges. While they differ slightly from DMM and Z4's, their construction is worth the money. I've never felt like I've banged my cams up a whole lot since their metal construction can definitely take a beating over sharp edges and along chunky blades. What separates Zero Friends from their immediate predecessors is the flexible stem and the narrower profile. They're not as wide as their older counterparts, but they still refuse to walk because of that flexible stem and stronger springs (which makes for a beautiful pull when engaging the camming function). To add to the grippy-ness, the aluminum alloy the lobes are made of really bite whatever you place them into, so that's worth the consideration. Only thing I would say is don't rely on the passive-umbrella protection of these guys; with a single axle, not even a cam stop would save a huge fall. That being said, these baddies are meant to be used actively and do a darn good job at it. If you want passive protection, I'll always suggest Wild Country's rocks or rockcentrics. If you're thinking about Fixe Aliens, go with Wild Country Zero Friends instead.