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| Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic |
dindolino32
climber
san francisco
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 8, 2014 - 12:38pm PT
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Just bought the green one for my last trip on the Prow. I feel just like every other Totem owner now. It fit and felt more bomber than any similar sized C4. At one point I backcleaned the totem, replaced it with the green c4 as pro, then put the totem back in since it felt more solid. I didn't need to extend it since never walked or pivoted. Basically, I will buy more of them and it will be well worth it. How do others feel?
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dindolino32
climber
san francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2014 - 03:05pm PT
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Is it worth getting the smallest size?
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Josh Higgins
Trad climber
San Diego
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Totem Cams are by far the best on the market. Yes, they smaller size has a better expansion range than any other cam on the market that size, with a narrower head, and less walking due to the stem. Whenever I'm sketching and I have a choice, I put in a Totem Cam. They are the shizzle.
Josh
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Totems = DA BOMB!!!!
Totem basics(not pictured) = ailens = fixe aliens
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Matt's
climber
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Can someone explain why there are two sewn loops of webbing?
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skitch
climber
East of Heaven
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Can you actually buy them in the US still?
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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I want to buy some but......
It seems like all the security boils down to the strength of the trigger wires. Yes, it looks to me like the trigger wires take place of the main stem we are used to on other cams. I know this can't be the case but somebody please give me an explanation and I'll buy a whole set.
Arne
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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so you can have different lengths to clip into. I like the longer loop for clipping the rope in (less drag and less potential to walk) but prefer the inner loop for clipping my aiders/daisy into (add up those 3 inches and you'll save a few placements per pitch). I sometimes use the inner loop for racking too as I find the longer loop leaves the cam hanging too low in certain situations. You can also clip directly into the black loop and use the unit with only 2 cams engaged (huge in some situations)
The green wires are trigger wires, the black cables run separate. No camming unit would be safe clipping into the trigger wires. That would mean you are retracting the cams every time you weight the unit!
Black diamond has used a similar system on their cams before...
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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You can get them right now, as a matter of fact. I looked into them a while ago when you could NOT get them. The engineering looked so sweet, I ordered the 4 smallest sizes (already had multiple #1 C4's anyway). Have used these for about 6 months+ now and will get the largest when I have the cash. They seat really solid for me, un like the C4 which I have to jiggle a bit to seat nice. I plan to get the Basics and offsets as well.
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Plaidman
Trad climber
South Slope of Mt. Tabor, Portland, Oregon, USA
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If you want to demo a set. I'll be there for Facelift.
And yes you can buy them retail from many of our US outlets.
Next Adventure in Portland Oregon and many others around the country.
I just sent out a boat load recently.
Love Totem. Best out there. But you are talking to a true believer.
The blue which is green alien or .3 C4 Camalot size , is my favorite. I carry 3 on my
Free and also aid rack
Plaid
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Plaidman, are you saying you are packing, or just happy to see me?
Totems yeah!!!
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ghisino
climber
Italy/France
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also a totem lover.
full disclosure: due to my job i had a friendly treatement from them concerning shipping times and price (25% off) so i have a favourable bias to start with.
what can i add to what's already been written?
they walk and rotate a lot less than usual due to the ultraflexy stems, even if the rope is pulling them hard sideways.
they seem to bite suprisingly well in hilarious flared or uneven placements-though i'm not saying that they make marginal placements bomber.
the only possible weak point is that due to the flexible stems, you can't really "push" them in.
therefore a totem is not the best cam to reach for when you are dead pumped, too far above your last piece, in a hurry to clip something and you have a perfect parallel crack in front of you.
they are also possibly harder to retrieve when seriously overcammed, compared to units with more rigid stems.
but whenever you need a precise placement that requires a narrow head and/or a cam that won't walk at all, they are simply amazing and probably the best choice in non-offset cams (compared to aliens, c4, dragon, helium, master cams and c3's)
finally, minor detail: easier to extend properly with a quickdraw, as the sling stays "open"
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Splater
climber
Grey Matter
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To explain why the wires DO NOT act like other cam device stems,
it's easiest to see the Totem website.
The strength wires connect to the OPPOSITE side of each cam, so when you pull/fall on it, it rotates the cam - expanding the device into the crack.
Whereas on all other cams, you are just depending on Friction with the rock to cause rotation of the cams.
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dindolino32
climber
san francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2014 - 10:58pm PT
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pulling on the stem actually torques the cam lobes whereas a C4 requires the friction of the rock in order to torque the lobes. like two opposing tricams. Way narrower heads. Also, I tried to overcam mine and found it popped out easily when cleaning it, but I only did that once. I wouldn't say the stem is ultra flexible, more flexible than an alien I think. Just not super rigid like a C4. Yes, as of now Totems are available in the US
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dindolino32
climber
san francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 23, 2015 - 10:07pm PT
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just saw them at the local REI in SF. The totem stoke is coming!
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MisterE
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Feb 23, 2015 - 10:18pm PT
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There's just something about that wacky lobe radius that feels locker every time I set one.
{apologies to Locker}
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Feb 23, 2015 - 11:22pm PT
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Love mine. I reach for em over c4's every time.
The only thing i wonder about is how the camming angle will work in softer rock. It seems like they exert way more force outward than a typical cam?
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Mar 22, 2018 - 11:01pm PT
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no probs so far in the soft stuff
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Mar 23, 2018 - 01:26am PT
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| Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic |
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