Black Diamond Camalot Ultralight for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

9.5
out of 10
18 Positive, 1 Mixed & 0 Negative
from 19 Reviews
Retail Price:
$99.95
Used Value:
$59.97
Sale Value:
$89.96

Black Diamond shaved a quarter of the weight off its best-selling camming device to make the Camalot Ultralight more appropriate for long approaches and alpine climbing. A critical glance will show that each cam weighs a couple ounces less than its appropriately sized C4 counterpart, and although that doesn't seem like much, when you're hauling three number threes up Castleton's North Face, numerous threes and fours for Lone Peak's Hyperform, or a desert rack up Washer Woman, these ultralight beauties really make a world of difference.

Black Diamond achieved a lighter weight out of the already light C4 by replacing the stem with continuous Dyneema rope infused in plastic. Black Diamond also optimized the stem and thumb loop to enhance ergonomics while placing and cleaning. But the double-axle design for passive placements, as well as the color-coded design, Black Diamond left unchanged, because if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Specifications

Brand:
Axle:
double
Cam Lobes:
4
Claimed Weight:
[0.4] 2.15 oz, [0.5] 2.61 oz, [0.75] 3.14 oz, [1] 3.56 oz, [2] 4.44 oz, [3] 5.89 oz, [4] 7.96 oz
Manufacturer Warranty:
1 year
Material:
[sling] Dyneema
Placement Range:
[0.4] 15.5 - 26.7 mm, [0.5] 19.6 - 33.5 mm, [0.75] 23.9 - 41.2 mm, [1] 30.2 - 52.1 mm, [2] 37.2 - 64.9 mm, [3] 50.7 - 87.9 mm, [4] 66 - 114.7 mm
Recommended Use:
climbing
Stem:
single, [core] Dyneema
Strength:
[0.4] 8 kN, [0.5] 10 kN, [0.75 - 4] 12 kN

Full Reviews

10
Light, with a solid trigger. I especially love the #.75-#3 And I like the x4 the best for the .5 and below.
Marla Bailey Gearhead, backcountry.com
March 14, 2020
10
These things are fantastic when Alpine climbing and you have to haul all your gear up the mountain. I paired these with some UL wire gate carabiners from BD and color-coded them properly and they look sick as well as perform flawlessly. 10/10 would recommend for anyone trying to go Alpine Climbing.
Spencer Allen, backcountry.com
November 22, 2019
10
Holy cow does my backpack feel significantly lighter on the approach when I rack up with the Camalot Ultralights. I had the pleasure of falling on the #2 on North Face of Castleton the other day, and I'm psyched to say it held.
Derek Newman, backcountry.com
July 15, 2019
10
These are great, for high alpine missions, or long multi pitch routes. It's nice to cut back on weight, for those bigger days. The one downside, is that the dyneema doesn't last forever, but life goes on!
Kevin R, backcountry.com
January 27, 2019
10
Awesome pieces. Pair them with a nano carabiner for ultralight setups. The weight difference in a full rack of ultralights vs. the regular c4.
Joshua Miller, backcountry.com
January 23, 2019
10
These work just as well as the ol' standard c4 except they weigh a bit more and might not last 20 years. I'd get a rack of these for those big adventure climbs to go fast and light. Save 'em for those big days and save the classic c4s for everyday use and they should last a darn long time.
Daniel Murphy, backcountry.com
December 6, 2018
8
I have a double rack of C4's 0.3 - 4 and I was curious about the potential weight saving weight with ultralights, so I did some calculations. A rack of ultralights .4 - 4 is approximately 8.1 ounces lighter than the C4's, meaning that a double rack would be 16.2 (or 1 lb) less than a double rack of C4's. I decided to switch out my positron quickdraws for OZ quickdraws and OZ Alpine draws (12 total- 6 standard and 6 alpine) which cut 16.8 ounces from my rack. I considered the quick/apline draw exchange to be more worthwhile because it's rare that I take two 4's up with me, but I always take my quickdraws from extending and placing nuts. All in all it just depends how much you care about weight and what kind of climbing you like to do (wide stuff is more worth it to get in ultralights) There are the deets, up to you from here!
Jayce, backcountry.com
November 28, 2018
10
Super light. Great way to shed gear weight if you're working with a double or triple rack. Also great for trips into the alpine when you have a solid trek ahead of you before you go vertical. Shed weight but not performance, great investment!
Jacob Stenberg, backcountry.com
October 26, 2018
10
I bought a #0.75 for one of my friend's as a gift to add to his rack. Here is what he had to say: Confidence has a new acronym: U L C 4. I used to think the ultralights were for weight weenies, and then I carried a rack of these things around at the creek over one weekend and saw the light. Now I have 2 racks of the ultralights. They really have changed the game for me, from long alpine approaches and pitches to the laser cracks of the creek, the savings in weight is substantial and you can feel it. These are definitely my go to rack for almost any objective I have planned. I will continue to buy these bad larrys until BD creates something even lighter in which case... I should probably start scouring for pennies now...
Carmen Groom, backcountry.com
October 25, 2018
10
These are super light but yet feel super durable. I trust these suckers!! Highly recommend these to anyone looking to enter the vertical world that is looking for a lighter harness. Great for weight weenies! They are beautiful.
cole addison, backcountry.com
September 6, 2018
6
A size 0.4 ultralight had a structural failure that resulted in an injury. The lobes are rather thin if placed near the tighter end of the acceptable range. This is because there is a whole in the cam head to allow for the dual axle design. See the report here http://bit.ly/2OTuhz2 for pictures and more info. Notice the compression of the lobe near the top of the picture relative to the outline of the opposite lobe on the same cam (the green line). The deformation is due to compression of the thin area into the hole below.
bb, backcountry.com
August 8, 2018
10
these are easy to place, light weight and strong
Ed Parker, backcountry.com
August 6, 2018
10
Love these cams, check out this video for all the in-depth details behind the engineering and design!
William Bowen, backcountry.com
May 14, 2018
10
These are a great supplement to regular C4s for alpine adventures! Not as durable but they aren't supposed to be and the weight savings is significant. I would not suggest starting your rack with ultralights but if you're filling in multiple sizes I would highly suggest them.
Matthew Lundberg, backcountry.com
March 26, 2018
8
Got this cam for my dad and brother and they really like how light it really is. It helps with the gear load on long hikes in but as mentioned in other reviews the weight of the cam could affect the life expectancy of the cam.
Tyler Hull, backcountry.com
February 9, 2018
10
When you are climbing trad. crack line. It's your good friends.
peak, backcountry.com
November 26, 2017
10
Great, durable product from a trusted company. Take a 20% OFF coupons from coupon-code.info
Cain, backcountry.com
September 6, 2017
8
These cams are great if you have to carry them very far. The light weightness of them is very noticeable when you have the old cams and new ones in your hands. With that said, I would caution buying these for everyday use at your local crag. As all lightweight gear tends to be they just wont last as long with the same amount of abuse. Buy the old cams for your regular use and buy these for going high into the alpine where weight makes a difference whether you make it to the summit or not.
Dean Raynes, backcountry.com
September 1, 2017
10
My rack is all regular C4 doubles except I have a #.4, #3 and #4's that are Ultralights. Therefore, I am constantly comparing the two. I have NOT taken a fall on one of these yet. So this review is based on placements, walking, usability and field experience. - Light. Per expected. And impressively so. Compared to a standard C4 the difference is very evident. - Places nicely. Goes in, stays put. Good trigger action. I have not had any trigger wire issues like some others have voiced concerns with. More time will tell how much less durable then these are then the regular C4. Obviously if you're taking whippers on your cams each outing, maybe stick with the bomber standard. But if you love saving weight on the rack and you can afford the price tag (and these are $$$$), then go for it. I like having both: save some weight but also keep the gold standard as the lion's share of my rack.
Stephen, backcountry.com
June 19, 2017

Camming Devices Reviews