I bought a set of tricams some time ago (0.25, 0.5 and 1) and they quickly became my favourite bits of gear. They are very reassuring when placed in the camming mode (horizontal breaks and pockets etc) and equally as useful in their passive mode although I generally tend to place a wire rather than a tricam in this orientation. One time I have favoured a tricam in passive mode to a nut however was a very strange placement behind a flake where the wire of the nut seemed to be getting in the way and making the placement less secure.

I mainly climb on grit where these bits of gear seem to excel as many gritstone formations lend themselves to horizontal breaks and the sizes 1-2 generally fit most quarried grit shot holes/bore holes.

A few people I have spoken to have praised them in winter for use as protection where a normal cam would be dangerous being placed in an iced up crack but I have never used them in cold conditions so wouldnt be able to comment.

My only complaint about tricams is they can be pretty difficult to place one-handed and this takes a bit of getting used to but once you've been using them for a while its as easy as placing any other piece of protection. Also, they can tend to get quite stuck if loaded but a good bash on the top with a nut key generally sorts that out.

Great bits of kit - 4.5/5

RC

These look odd when you first see them, it's not entirely obvious how they're supposed to be used but it's worth going beyond the initial impression and actually getting some of these.

There are two modes of placement, active and passive. I can honestly say that I've rarely used them in the latter mode; I always prefer nuts for that sort of protection, though it's nice to have the flexibility of having additional options available on the rack. That being sad, they place relatively easily and feel secure when in - I've taken a fall on one so for me the protection value is at least 'real' in my mind.

I find their real strength is in the active 'camming' mode, for this they are great and once you get used to them are very easy to place. They are good for deeper placements and are easily extendable, also the smaller end of the range can be used in a variety of shot holes or similar features that are traditionally difficult to protect.

I have used these in the winter, but sparingly - I've never fallen on them but I have appreciated the 'bite' that the beak gives. That bite can also make these tricky to clean, especially if you take a big fall on them - it's worth paying attention to the rock you are climbing on as these could really dig themselves in or damage the surface of the rock. The worst I've had was fairly easily removed with a nut key and a bash with a large hex.

Really good bits of kit and I can only reiterate the excellent points raised in the other review. These are versatile bits of gear and a worthy addition to a gear selection as they can add an element of versatility and widen your choices of where you can place protection.