This may be old news to some, since the DMM Dragon Cams were officially released March 3rd, 2010. But I thought I might post a review on them anyway. I have seen a bit of development in these guys, reading articles, watching videos, ect. They have come a long way.The DMM Dragon Cams feature a twin-axel camming design originally used on the Black Diamond Camalots. Tony Christianson originally designed and patented the twin-axel while working for, back in the day Chouinard Equipment, now known as Black Diamond Equipment. The patent on this design expired in the USA in 2005 and in Europe in 2006. Score for DMM since they have been developing the Dragon Cams for over two years! You can find the full line of these new babies at gearx.com. Also be aware there has been a recall on the number 6 Dragon Cam, so be sure to inspect yours!
Where to find it:
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Check out this picture of the Dragon Cam in development, the sling loop at the end of the camming shaft has been modified with an aluminum thumb grip for security and ease of placement. The grooved surface adds extra friction for the thumb and the palm of your hand. They say its also supposed to be useful if your wearing gloves too, I’ll let you speculate. The extended sling is a nice touch also! Click the picture below to get a close up of the camming lobes, they are smooth, DMM has since added grooved lobes for added friction.
The official release design is below. Perhaps the biggest difference (and many people have their opinions whether DMM ripped off Black Diamond) between DMM’s and Black Diamond’s twin-axel is the hot-forged camming lobes. DMM used their special skills to shave weight and add a super smooth finish to each cam. I could go on and on, because these things excite me and butter me up. Though they have been released, they have yet to hit the shelves, keep your panties on and bug you local gear shop about pre-ordering. Until then I’ll be drooling…
UPDATE – After talking to a local gear head, I got the news the Dragons are starting to trickle in. DMM has been rolling these guys out slowly until they meet worldwide demand! Check with your local gear shop, they should have more news on their availability, and possible pre-orders.
Size 1 97g 14kN Purple20 – 33mm 14kN A7051A
Size 2 106g 14kN Green 24 – 41mm 14kN A7052A
Size 3 119g 14kN Red 29 – 50mm 14kN A7053A
Size 4 148g 14kN Gold 38 – 64mm 14kN A7054A
Size 5 195g 14kN Blue 50 – 85mm 14kN A7055A
Size 6 276g 14kN Silver 68 – 114mm 14kN A7056A
Also check out this video of the Dragon in action. Video Here and if your really ambitious cast a vote on whether or not you think the DMM Dragon Cams are a rip off from the Black Diamond Cams!
Find the full rack at gearX.com starting from $74.95
Buy Now – DMM Dragon Cams – Summit Hut $74.95
DMM Dragon Cams Sizes 1-5 $74.95 each – amazon.com
Black Diamond Camalot Set $287.40 – backcountry.com
BD Camalots $59.94-$119.95 – moosejaw.com
It will be interesting to see how these function and working in relation to the Camalots. I use and love the BD cams, these guys look sweet and can’t wait until they hit the shelves. I like the extended slings.