Wild Country, the original creator of the Friends, have continued to innovate and create the best cams available since 1977. The latest iteration is the lightest and most versatile yet, whilst the Technical Friends 5 + 6 are big enough to protect you from the most heinous offwidths.
Friends
'Have you got the bag of 'friends' Ray?' the name stuck… Friends are the most iconic protection ever made. Throughout their 38 year tenure, although the construction has changed, their essence remains the same. At the heart of each iteration has been the definitive 13.75 cam angle; described, refined and developed by Wild Country and proven in thousands of miles of cracks climbed since 1977!
This new Friend is no different, built with a twin axle it remains a Friend. At its core our 13.75 constant cam angle provides the axis around which future climbers will place their trust. Robust and reliable this Friend combines classic features and significant additions to create an intriguing mix of old and new. Externally, stylish with significant design flourishes mean the eye is drawn to any number of clever upgrades: hollow axles (Patented) are stiffer for less weight; wide, skimmed lobes grip better yet are kinder on the rock; new 12mm dyneema is agile and easily extended, saving time and the weight of having to use a quickdraw on each. Internals are based on classic Wild Country foundations; our legendary holding power and the consistency of overlap between units, whilst the twin axle has allowed us to increase the range per unit.
Never defined by how it is built, but by how it performs, the friends iconic status is simply enhanced by this twin axle version. Crucially, this is design at its most practical making the new Friend the only twin axle cam that combines the convenience and comfort of a thumbloop with the speed and utility of an extendable sling. Faster, smoother, lighter in use and superbly finished; our clever combination of key features with innovative engineering makes the new Friend the most complete cam available.
Pricing: Friend Size 0,4 £65; 0,5 £65; 0,75 £70; 1 £70; 2 £75; 3 £75; 4 £85.
Friend Set 0.4, 0.5, 0.75 £175; 1, 2, 3 £195, 0.4, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3 £340
Technical Friends 5 + 6
Offwidths may not be everyone's idea of fun, but when there's no alternative you need total confidence in your gear. This is the case with these big friends: solidly sprung, easy to trigger and a head width that gives an inspiring stability.
Designed like all Friends they're lightweight and have the tried and tested 13.75 degree constant cam angle, single stem and single axle. Built to perform, these burly units have a reassuring feel and a satisfying solidity, letting you concentrate on the climbing above, not wondering what's happening below.
- Original 13.75° cam angle
- Single axle
- Single stem
- Scaled head width
- Full floating trigger with independent cam triggering
- Full strength cam stops
- Colour coded
- 12mm Dyneema sling
Trigger Wire Repair Kit
Give your Friends a new lease of life with our Trigger Repair Kits. Each kit which will repair sizes 0.4 – 1 & 2 – 4 respectively.
Comes with full instructions and bending tool included.
Comments
Rock Empire have made twin-axle cams with a thumb loop and extendable Dyneema sling for years.
A reaffirmation that WC have lost their British roots when they start throwing American phrases around, like 'the most heinous offwidths'.
Can't really see the relevance considering they're owned by Salewa who are Italian.
More to the point, unless I'm much mistaken, they don't make Technical Friends and haven't done in the past 5 years+ so what they are doing releasing information about them, I'm not sure.
Perhaps describing themselves as "the original creator of the Friends" is a bigger giveaway. The grammar is a bit dodgy on either side of the Atlantic.
Is this Wild Country the same Wild Country that was the original creator of the Friend, btw? It's a philosophical question I suppose. How much of the 1977 company remains in the current Wild Country?
"Give your Friends a new lease of life with our Trigger Repair Kits."
Cool. And if it needs a new sling to give it a new lease of life, er.. you're on your own, soz. We don't own a sewing machine in the UK any more. Should have bought DMM if you wanted to be able to get the sling replaced.