Review on Unleash the Power of the DMM Dragon Cam: A Game-Changer in Climbing Gear by Robert Tirona

On difficult climbs where I'll probably need lots of pros, I wear doubles. For me it's the BD C4 Set (Standard) and the Dragons Set. When I'm doing alpine stuff, where singles probably just need a light attitude, I go with the Dragons. The Dragon cameras cover pretty much the same area as the C4 and (thank goodness) use the exact same color scheme. Some are concerned about the lack of a thumb loop. I never noticed. That means they are placed well and easily. I think they are a little lighter than the C4 but I doubt anyone who climbs will notice a small difference. The biggest plus (but also the only minus I'll go into) is the retractable Dyneema linkage. Very often I find that lengthening the stretch for a more or less straight up and down stride provides enough protection from cam movement that I don't have to follow the runner. It's pretty nice. The downside is that you should replace Dyneema lines every few years, while the heavy-duty nylon lines used on the C4 only need to be replaced every 5 or so. Now, a theoretical strength loss of about 30% due to dyneema aging should play a role when running the rope in the system with an initial breaking strength of about 22 knots. I doubt it a little. But if you strictly follow the books, you have to send them somewhere for a new sling every 2 years. It sucks. In closing, I would like to say two things: 1) I love setting up these cameras. 2) If you want to provide direct assistance, the lack of a thumb loop can pose a problem. However, I mostly free climb.