Black Diamond Camalot C4 Cam

The C4 represents decades of refinement to Ray Jardine's original spring-loaded camming device concept, and it has become the standard by which all cams are measured. The dual-axle design provides a wider range of placement sizes per unit than single-axle competitors, and the hot-forged trigger and cam lobes deliver the mechanical advantage needed for clean one-handed placements in cracks from 0.

5 to 6 inches. Each cam is individually pull-tested to a minimum of 14 kN — over 3,100 pounds of force — and the design has been proven across millions of placements in every type of rock climbing worldwide.

The stem uses a flexible cable that allows the cam to function even in horizontal and roof crack placements where rigid-stem cams walk out. Black Diamond backs the Camalot with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and offers a resling and inspection service that can extend a cam's reliable service life well beyond a decade of regular climbing use.

Replacement slings, trigger wires, and axle components are available for purchase. At $75 to $90 per unit, the Camalot C4 protects climbers' lives — the cost per year over a 15-year climbing career is negligible compared to the value of reliable protection.

The Camalot does not just belong on this list. It helped define what buy-it-for-life means in climbing equipment.