UKC

How old a cam are you happy using?

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Prompted by the BMC article on cams: how old are your cams on average, that you use regularly?

After a long lay off, due to lack of interest, children, and three major knee ops, I've mentally planned to rehit the rock in earnest this year, but thinking about my kit, harness and boots aside, it averages at least 12 years old, with some of my cams being 15 years+.

:-/
ice.solo 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

I have one from 1988 i still happily use.
In reply to ice.solo:


Lobbed on it recently?
 dr_botnik 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

Still have a couple of solid stem wild country friends i use, in between getting ribbed by my mates that ray jardine wants his prototypes back for the cam museum...

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/have-you-checked-your-camming-devices-recently
 KiwiPrincess 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

I used Inherited ones as a lender or 2 nd rack. Get new slings sewn in, Metal should be fine so long as you inspect them for any corrosion, Broken springs etc.
ice.solo 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

Jump tested it on aid several times in the last 2 months.
In reply to Dispater:

Oldest cam on my rack is a #4 Friend from about 1982. It's fine

ALC
 walts4 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

Have a Chouninard cam 4 that has seen use very occasionally over the last year or so, wires are well overdue to be renewed though!
Not fallen on it, but obviously if Im carrying it & placing it, fairly confident about the integrity. .
 BigHairyIan 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

I have cams from the 80s. I am happy to use them. In fact most of my kit is from.the 80s. Back in the day there was no perceved life span for gear. The onus was on the user to inspect gear and retire and replace as they see fit. Given.that it seems that ten.years is now the accepted life expectancy for kit, I am a little concerned using 30 year old protection!
 Andy Moles 29 Nov 2013
In reply to walts4:

> Have a Chouninard cam 4

High five!

Big black thing, strenuous on the hand?

Yessss.

 The Pylon King 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

The question is, have you got the money to replace them? I haven't so will keep using them - better to have an old cam in the rock than nothing in the rock!
 Null 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

Surely it's more a question of how much they have been used rather than age in itself. I have a set of old original friends that I have pensioned off because they really did take a beating back in the bad old 80s. The exception being the number 4 which was rarely used, so it is still fit for action today.

 AlanLittle 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

I still have a more or less complete set of original forged friends, the oldest of which I bought in 1980. They're not my front line cams any more (mix of Totems and Dragons) but I'm quite happy to use them if I want doubles and my partner's rack doesn't fit the bill.
 graeme jackson 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

When did they first hit the UK shops? 78 / 79 ? all my Friends are from then. see no reason not to use them now.
 wivanov 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

You didn't say what kind of cams.

I have some 1st gen rigid stem Friends (before forged) that I'm still happy to use. I think they are the most durable cams ever made.

I doubt my BD Camalots, Aliens, TCUs or any cam with a flexible stem will serve me as long.
In reply to Dispater:
Still using a couple of original rigid stem friends 1979??? though Wild Country changed the original axle fixings from clips to nuts and re taped them circa 1992. Probably time to retire them me thinks
Post edited at 18:44
 MNA123 29 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

I have been wondering when to replace the slings, most of my cams date bak to 2008 (mix of dmm 3cus and 4cus) and had fairly reg use with a few falls.
 wivanov 30 Nov 2013
In reply to Christheclimber:

Pretty sure the cir-clips were recalled and replaced with locknuts at some point. I remember sending them back and all of mine now have hex nuts.
Removed User 30 Nov 2013
In reply to Dispater:

I have a number of Camalots which are 8 years old and a full set of friends 0-4 which are 21-23 years old. Aside from re-slinging, I'll happily use them if I ever lead a route again.
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