Metolius Ultralight Master Cam Review

Metolius Ultralight Master Cams take home our Best Buy award because they are well constructed and reliable, and are the least expensive cam in our review. We've climbed many pitches on these cams and wouldn't hesitate to fall on a bomber Master Cam placement. Metolius is on top of its quality control, and we aren't aware of any recalls on the Master Cam. Their expanded range now lets you protect up to wide hand sizes, though the finger sizes will always be our favorite. Most cam companies are adopting a size range similar to Black Diamond, but Metolius is holding fast to their original designs, and their sizes can be bomber when the BDs are too over-cammed. For certain cracks in Indian Creek like the Optimator or Powerline, a handful of red Metolius can inspire way more confidence to plug it and gun it than a slightly tipped out BD purple or a stuck green.

Performance Comparison

Free Climbing

Why no thumb loop? Metolius dispensed with thumb loop in pursuit of weight savings and changed one of our favorite cams for the worse. We miss it so.

When you can barely hold on anymore, and you're so pumped that you can barely pull the trigger, the thumb loop makes all the difference in the world. Plus, a nice, plastic-covered thumb loop is way better than biting down on metal when you need to hold the cam in your mouth to adjust your grip. This puts the Master Cams behind the other small sized cams we compared it to when it comes to free climbing. The stems on the Master Cams are stiffer than most other options, and one of our testers prefers this because it's easier to shove the cam in the crack without pulling the trigger. However, this desperate method often results in a poor placement.

Weight

A size run of Master Cams is barely .1 ounces lighter than the same range of Black Diamond Camalot Ultralight but covers that size range with seven cams, where the BD Ultralights do it with six cams because of their bigger range. Cam for cam, the Master Cams are lighter than almost every other brand. While climbing on a windy day at the City of Rocks in Idaho, our lead tester noticed the finger-sized Master Cams blowing upwards with the wind. A set of these featherweight cams would do well in the alpine or on any expedition where weight is a big concern.

Range

These cams protect cracks from 8.5mm to 71.5mm, or sub-tips to wide hands, using ten cams. Metolius sizes cover some of the “in between” BD sizes very well, with the red Metolius being perfectly cammed between a maxed out BD purple and a too tight BD green.

The orange Metolius makes for a great fat fingers placement between a BD gray and a BD purple. While the BD cams cover a greater range with fewer cams, crack aficionados will appreciate the extra sizes, and the finger sizes up to red do a great job covering the gaps when the BD sizes are over or under cammed. The 00 (gray) and 0 (purple) are some of our favorite micro cams out there, and it seems like we always reach for them before our other options. They are also available in offset sizes up to red/black.

Horizontal Cracks

The stems on these cams are a flexible, stacked cable design, where the two outside cables that come in contact with the rock are sheathed in plastic.

While not as malleable or flexible as some other small cams, the Master Cams are confidence inspiring in horizontal placements, easily bending towards the direction of pull.

Tight Placements

These cams do great in pods and pin scars, especially when compared to larger, more rigid cams like Black Diamond Camalots. However, they no longer win the competition for the narrowest head, so may not fit in the very shallowest of placements.

Durability

Cam stops milled into the lobes on these cams keep them from umbrella-ing if they pull out or are placed in soft rock. The metal on the lobes is also harder and more durable than the lobes of the “Alien-like” designs.

The thumb piece where a Dyneema sling is connected to the stem is a bulky, bombproof hunk of aluminum and our testers joked that it might be useful as a nut placement (don't do it). If you're aid climbing on these cams, repeated bounce testing can wear through plastic protector sheath on the stem.

Walking

Ultralight Master Cams have the shortest slings and are the most prone to walking of any of the models in this review.

The stems are stiffer than other small cams, and they don't come with an extendable sling option like the those made by Wild Country or DMM. You'll want to make sure you extend these cams if you're climbing a pitch that wanders or goes through roofs, so they don't wiggle into a position where they become hard to remove. By no means a deal breaker, but something to consider when you're racking up.

Aid Climbing

Though light and durable, the loss of the thumb loop docks major points from these cams in the aid climbing metric. Those that have a thumb loop are so much easier to clip or Fifi into than a taught, weighted sling. The thumb loop on the old Master Cam allowed us to clip in higher, reach higher, and ultimately climb faster.

Value

The Ultralight Master Cams are manufactured in Oregon and are the least expensive in our review, winning them the Best Buy award! The savings will really add up if you are buying an entire set, so these are likely the best choice for super budget-conscious climbers who need to buy a whole rack, and are also a great choice for a second or third set of cams.

Conclusion