Hands-on Gear Review |
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Pros: Very flexible, extendable sling, stable Cons: Expensive, can feel a little flimsy Best Uses: Traditional climbing in general. Especially useful in horizontals like you find in the Gunks.
Manufacturer: Wild Country
Overview
The smallest size of this Wild Country Zero Cam is the smallest spring loaded camming device available on the market. This camming device excels at shallow horizontal and diagonal placements because of its extremely flexible stem. It works well in pin scars and shallow placements but not quite as well for aid climbing as the CCH Alien or Metolius Master Cam. While this is not my favorite cam for aid climbing, it is hard to beat for free climbing. It is one of the few cams with an extendable sling built in, which means you need to carry fewer quickdraws and your pieces are less likely to walk. – Chris McNamara
OutdoorGearLab Editors' Hands-on Review
Likes
The Wild Country Zero Cam is the smallest cam you can buy. The smallest two sizes (1 and 2) are comically small and are only rated to 670lb and 900lb, respectively. That is not much but will hold you on aid climbing situations and small free climbing falls. Wild Country recommends placing them as you would a nut: look for constrictions in the rock. All warnings aside, these tiny cams are awesome. They are often much more bomber than a tiny nut, especially if the crack is more parallel-sided. They are an essential part of the clean aid climbing bag of tricks. In the bigger sizes (3-6), these cams have more competition but still hold their own. They are by far the most flexible cam and can contort into just about any placement. Check out this page to see just how well it goes into awkward spots. Also, because of the extendable sling and wider head, these cams are the least likely to walk of any tested. The extendable sling means you can bring fewer quick draws and runners. Their slightly wider head makes them feel a little more stable – I wasn't able to verify this with tests, but they just feel more stable. Dislikes Most of the things I like come with minor trade-offs. The extremely flexible stem requires more care to keep from getting bent. Also, there is little protection of the cable wires on the stem. For these two reasons, the Zero does not hold up as well to bounce testing in aid climbing situations. The wider head also means it does not fit as well in shallow and tiny placements in sizes 3-6. In other words, sizes 3-6 are as good in Yosemite aid climbing situations as the Metolius Master Cam or CCH Alien. While I like the extendable sling, some people will not. It adds a little more bulk and "snag factor" to your rack. Best Application These are great for aid or free climbing. The medium sizes are not quite as narrow for getting in tricky aid spots. But the tiny ones get in places where other cams just can't. Value These are toward the more expensive end. The bigger sizes will run you about $70. Other Versions Wild Country Technical Friends — Chris McNamara
OutdoorGearLab Member Reviews of Wild Country ZeroMost recent review: March 15, 2011
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 Wild Country Zero Cams. Note the extra slings Credit: wildcountry.co.uk
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