Wild Country Technical Friend Review

Likes
Wild Counry’s Technical Friends are the classic SLCD and though are now replaced by the slick looking, completely redesigned Helium Friends, are still out there and are a decent option for your camming needs.

One thing that we really like about the Technical friend is that it just feels, and looks bomber. No gimmicks here, these units look and perform like a piece of equipment, not a toy. Once in a solid placement these cams inspire you to push yourself with confidence above that last piece.

Though not the lightest that we tested, these cams won’t be weighing you down. The are among the lighter cams on the market, and with the advent of the Helium Friends, there might be a new winner for lightest cam out there.

Dislikes
One of the biggest drawbacks we found with the Technical Friend is that it’s sling is really short: just under 4 inches. The units also have short stems making it virtually necessary to extend the placement in all but the most laser-cut, straight up and down cracks to prevent walking.

Owing to the short sling, we found that theses cams had a tendency to walk quite a bit more than many of the cams that we tested. We also found that the walking occasionally contributed to the cam getting stuck, or wedged into a strange placement making it difficult to clean.

Additionally, the range on these cams is among the lowest of all the cams that we tested making it necessary to carry more cams if you’re building your rack completely of Friends. On that note, Wild Country has reduced the number of cams in its line-up with the Helium Friends (by increasing the range and the overlap of ranges between units) creating a lighter overall rack.

Best Application
Trad Climbing in routes that don’t wander and have fairly straightforward placements. Sling long to avoid walking.