Modern Use
The invention of SLCDs revolutionized rock climbing because it meant that parallel or flared cracks could be protected. Furthermore, unlike pitons, SLCDs can be removed easily without causing damage to the rock, which made clean climbing (climbing without damaging the rock) practical on many more climbs. Since the invention of the Technical Friend (which replaces the original one-piece machined alloy shaft with a brazed assembly incorporating a length of thick stainless-steel cable, which is better able to cope with loading over an edge), there has been a great deal of development of the SLCD by a variety of manufacturers. For example, the adoption of the dual axle design by Black Diamond, the invention of three-lobed camming units to fit smaller cracks, and the more recent invention of the Link Cam by Omega Pacific, a design that allows one SLCD to span an even larger range of crack sizes. Behind the store display rack, work done by companies such as Metolius Climbing helps to keep cams safe in the market place and apply technical advances in their designs. SLCDs are sold in various sizes to fit a diverse range of cracks from about 6 mm to 300 mm wide, though devices of below about 10mm or above about 100 mm are not often seen.
Modern trad climbers often climb with numerous and variously sized SLCDs to cover a wide range of crack sizes, sometimes with duplicate units depending on protection requirements of the climb. Some crag climbs, such as those in Indian Creek, require numerous pieces of the same size as the crack maintains about the same size for the whole climb.
Read more about this topic: Spring-loaded Camming Device
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