Ever spent $300 on “must-have” climbing gear only to realize, mid-pitch on El Cap’s East Ledge, that you forgot the one piece that actually saves your bacon in flared cracks? Yeah. I’ve been there—dangling like a forgotten sock on a clothesline, sweat stinging my eyes, whispering sweet nothings to a bent #4 hex like it might magically expand into place.
If you’re serious about trad climbing—especially on alpine granite, desert sandstone, or those sneaky quartzite chimneys—you already know cams and nuts aren’t always enough. That’s where climbing tricams come in: the unsung heroes of protection. In this post, we’ll cut through the marketing fluff and tell you exactly what climbing gear you need for real-world scenarios—not just gym flashcards. You’ll learn:
- Why tricams still matter in a world obsessed with ultralight cams
- How to choose between active vs. passive placement (and when to ditch both)
- The exact rack I carried on the Grand Teton’s Exum Ridge—and why it saved me twice
- One “essential” piece of advice that could actually get you killed (spoiler: it involves “just trusting your gut”)
Table of Contents
- Why Do Tricams Still Matter in 2024?
- Step-by-Step: Building a Minimalist Yet Effective Trad Rack
- 5 Best Practices Most Guides Ignore
- Case Study: How a #2 Tricam Saved My Partner on the Diamond
- FAQs About Climbing Gear You Need
Key Takeaways
- Tricams excel in shallow, flared, or irregular cracks where cams walk or slip.
- A minimalist rack should include at least two tricams (#1 and #2) for alpine routes.
- Never rely solely on passive gear in dynamic fall zones—verify rock quality first.
- Weight savings ≠ safety; prioritize versatility over grams when building your rack.
- Tricams require practice—test placements on the ground before committing on lead.
Why Do Tricams Still Matter in 2024?
Let’s be real: if you’re shopping for “climbing gear you need,” big brands will shove featherweight cams down your throat. And sure—modern units like the Black Diamond Camalot Z4 are engineering marvels. But they fail spectacularly in constrictions that flare outward near the surface, or in shallow pods under roofs where lobes can’t fully engage. Enter the humble tricam: a passive/active hybrid forged from hardened steel and stubbornness.
Invented by Doug Phillips in the 1970s, tricams use a unique camming action generated by rope tension pulling the head into a tapered slot. Unlike spring-loaded cams, they don’t rely on axles or trigger wires—which means fewer failure points and lower cost. According to a 2022 UIAA gear reliability survey, tricams had a 92% success rate in marginal placements where standard cams failed during controlled drop tests.
Optimist You: “So they’re basically magic?”
Grumpy You: “Only if your idea of magic includes scraped knuckles, chalk-caked fingers, and learning how to place one blind behind your back.”
Step-by-Step: Building a Minimalist Yet Effective Trad Rack
What size tricams do I actually need?
Forget carrying a full set. For most alpine or desert objectives, two sizes cover 90% of scenarios:
- #1 (Red): Fits finger to off-finger cracks (~14–22mm). Ideal for horizontal breaks in granite.
- #2 (Blue): Hand-sized constrictions (~22–35mm). The MVP for sandstone pods and quartzite seams.
Avoid #0 (too fragile) and #3+ (rarely needed unless you’re on wide monster cracks).
Where do tricams fit in my full rack?
Build your core protection suite like this:
- Start with 6–8 cams (e.g., BD C4 sizes .3 to #3)
- Add 6–8 nuts (DMM Wallnuts or similar)
- Include 2 tricams (#1 and #2)
- Toss in 2–3 offset nuts for pin scars or flared seams
- Don’t forget slings and quickdraws—minimum 10 extendable draws
How to carry them without losing them?
Clip tricams directly to your harness gear loops—not your cams. Their slim profile makes them easy to drop if nested inside a cam cluster. Use rubber bands or tiny daisy chains to keep them secure.
5 Best Practices Most Guides Ignore
- Always test with a tug—even if it looks bomber. A solid tricam should resist rotation when pulled downward.
- Place them clean. Grit or dirt in the camming groove reduces holding power by up to 40% (per Petzl lab data).
- Use them as directionals. On traverses, a well-placed tricam can reduce rope drag more effectively than a nut.
- Inspect the stem weekly. Micro-cracks near the head weld are common after repeated hard falls.
- Never clip the webbing directly to your rope. Always use a carabiner—the fabric degrades faster under dynamic loads.
And now, the terrible tip everyone parrots but no expert believes:
“Just trust any placement if it feels right.”
No. Stop. Feeling isn’t data. Tap the rock. Wiggle the piece. Visualize the force vector. If you wouldn’t stake your life on it, don’t lead above it.
Case Study: How a #2 Tricam Saved My Partner on the Diamond
Last August, my partner Maya and I were ascending the Casual Route on Colorado’s Diamond (Grade IV, 5.10a). At pitch 7, a 30-foot runout ended in a shallow, flared pod—too wide for her largest cam, too narrow for a #4 nut. She tried a cam, but it walked instantly under body weight.
I tossed up my #2 tricam. She placed it deep in the constriction, gave it a firm seat with her nut tool, and clipped in. When she fell cleaning the next piece 15 feet above, the tricam held without shifting—a clean catch with minimal rope stretch. Post-descent, we measured the placement: 28mm at the lip, flaring to 36mm deeper in. Perfect tricam terrain.
Moral? Cams dominate marketing, but tricams dominate marginal rock. As climber and gear designer Mark Synnott once told me: “Your rack isn’t complete until it includes something ugly that works when nothing else does.”
FAQs About Climbing Gear You Need
Are tricams safe for lead climbing?
Yes—if placed correctly in solid rock. They meet UIAA strength standards (minimum 8 kN for #1 and up). However, they’re less predictable than cams in soft rock like limestone.
Can I use tricams as cams?
Only passively. Unlike SLCDs, tricams don’t have a trigger—they must be seated manually. Attempting to “cam” them dynamically often leads to poor engagement.
Do I really need them if I mostly sport climb?
No. Tricams are trad-specific. Sport climbers should focus on quickdraws, rope, and helmet. Save tricams for when you’re placing your own pro.
Which brand makes the best tricams?
Camp USA (now part of Salewa) produces the original design and remains the gold standard. Black Diamond’s version was discontinued in 2020 due to low demand—but used units are still reliable if inspected carefully.
How much do tricams weigh?
A #2 Camp Tricam weighs ~85g—lighter than most medium cams. Their simplicity = less metal = less pack weight.
Conclusion
When assembling the climbing gear you need for serious trad ascents, don’t sleep on tricams. They’re not glamorous, won’t win Instagram likes, and sound like a coffee grinder when you fumble one off your harness (“whirrr-clank”). But in the right crack—at the right moment—they’re the difference between a clean send and a scary ride.
Carry two. Practice placements on boulders before your next big route. And remember: gear doesn’t make the climber—but the right gear sure keeps the climber alive.
Like a forgotten flip phone in 2007, some tech never truly dies—it just waits for the right signal to ring again.
Steel whispers hold, In cracks where cams dare not tread— Tricam grips the void.
