How to Build a Cam Rack

The size range and number of SLCDs carried by a climber will vary depending on the rock type they typically climb and how flush they are with cash. To give you a guide to what typical racks might comprise of, here are a few examples.

FULL COVERAGE SLCD RACK

This is the typical cam rack a climber would have at their disposal, taking all or part of it on a climb depending on the rock type. This kind of rack would probably be built up over several years, and often the overall rack is composed of shared units. The rack would go from fingertip (.5 inches) to fist (4 inches) and would probably be spanned by nine units.

In the past the typical UK rack would be Wild Country Technical Friends 0 to 4, but these days there is much more variety. A modern rack might comprise two Wild Country Zeroes (sizes 4 and 5), four Camalots (.75 to 3), and maybe a size 5 Technical Friend (you could add a second Camalot 2 to increase the rack’s coverage). A lighter option would be a mixed rack of DMM SLCDs, perhaps four 3CUs (.5 inches to 1.5 inches) and five 4CUs (2 inches to 4 inches), creating a very light rack ideal for mountain routes.

BARE BONES RACK

If you’re skint or are slowly building your rack, what should you buy? SLCD usefulness starts in the middle sizes (around 2 inches) and becomes less critical as you move outwards, meaning tiny micro cams and cams as big as your head should be the last units you buy.

As a rule of thumb, you want to end up with three units that cover your main bases: roughly 1 inch, 2 inches and 3 inches (equivalent to WC 1, 2 and 3). Once these are bought you can fill in the gaps, adding 1.5 inch and 2.5 inch units, and then .5 inch and 3.5 inch pieces.

This approach is also worth remembering when you’re trying to build a lightweight rack, perhaps for an alpine rock route, although on granite I often go for 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 inch pieces, as the larger units often come in handy for wider cracks (your nuts can usually handle the smaller stuff).

BUYING RULES

If possible, stick to one brand for the bulk of your SLCDs, as this allows you to build up an instinctive feel for what size will work best in a given placement. By “the bulk” I mean from roughly off-finger size (around 1 inch) to fist size (4 inches), which makes up the most commonly used cam sizes. These are the cams that need to be robust, reliable and easy to handle.

Cams above and below this range can be of the same design, but personally I find that more specialist designs pay off when placements get tricky. My favourite finger, tip and smaller sizes are narrow, more flexible stemmed cams like the CCH Alien or Wild Country Zero, which fit far more placements than, say, an equivalent BD Camalot or WC Friend.

Why not choose this style of SLCD for all sizes? Because these cams tend to be more complex and finely tuned, making them more expensive and less robust over years of abuse. In the larger sizes you may want a cam with more range or lower weight than your standard units. For example, I would often choose a Friend 5 over a Camalot 4, as it is lighter and covers a larger size range on some climbs.

Once you’ve built up your main force of SLCDs, don’t be afraid to add extra units if you find certain sizes are getting used more than others. Commonly used sizes tend to be around 2 inches to 2.5 inches, meaning these are often worth doubling up on.

If you do double up on one or two sizes, it can be worth looking at another brand that offers a slightly different range, allowing you to overlap with your main set. One small detail worth noting when mixing cams is how they rack. Ideally they should sit at a similar height on your harness. If one cam hangs several inches lower than the others, there can be a tendency for cams to tangle together.

If you’re heading onto big walls, you’ll probably want a double set of cams, and the simplest option is usually to double up on your existing rack. That way you’re already dialled in to the sizes, colours and feel of the gear.