This is my most requested video...EVER

I’ve had over 100 private messages to test the Angel Cam. A novelty piece of climbing gear that has a massive range but comes at a steep price. We don’t think you need a rack of these but one on your harness can solve problems other cams can’t. Watch what and how things broke on it and let us know what you think.
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[@HowNOT2]

Emails have good stuff in them www.hownot2.com/sign-up We stock angel cams hownot2.store/products/angel-cam

[@ryenschimerman2127]

Love the store!

[@bryceoverstreet1048]

@hownot2 were you at the dry tooling Crag at cougar mountain?

[@parknex]

I ran into a guy on Cathedral peak in Yosemite with one of these. Said he bought it as a joke but actually uses it all the time.

[@bobohunter1776]

I wish I could buy a $250 cam as a joke...

[@simonsimon9880]

​@feelinghealingfrequences7179 sort of proving his point. It would be great to have all your other needs met, to the extent that you can dedicate a 2 - 5 year investment plan towards a joke. 🤷‍♂️

[@bobohunter1776]

​​@@feelinghealingfrequences7179 Why the fuck would I need a life coach so I can buy a cam as a joke?

[@David-cp6rl]

Well do you want the cam or not!?! I can offer life coaching sessions for $100 per month. When would you like to start?

[@Jok3r00]

@@feelinghealingfrequences7179aww the young man telling everyone else how to buy a $250 equipment in 2-5 years

[@joeyoest1105]

I love it when my life-critical equipment has a 150-step process to follow to use it correctly…

[@olddirtybooger]

Not me. Thinking is hard. I like things that are either on or off.

[@joeyoest1105]

@@olddirtybooger except when experimenting - knobs are much preferable to buttons in that case…

[@nicholasbyram296]

Complicated steps help in lawsuits when you say they used it wrong.

[@rblprd]

@@nicholasbyram296the deceased clearly didn't follow steps 7a, 9c and 29f. These clearly state that you should not die. Thus we are not responsible for injury due to misuses of our products.

[@ashtontechhelp]

What's interesting about that pivot point is not so much that it's so large - but that the hole through the main pivot is so off-centre, providing way more strength in the direction of pull. It looks like a really interesting piece of engineering.

[@xlr8436]

I thought that as first, but an offset hole is actually weaker unless you have compressional buckling issues. I think the actual reason it’s offset is so they can screw the thread of the bolt in without going into the hole that the cord sits in. You can see it when he mentioned the offset hole and the broken plastic. Source: I’m an design engineer.

[@minecraftbers]

I got one this summer and I really like it. To be honest I mostly bought it for the novelty but I ended up actually using quite a bit! Seeing the break test made me even more sure it was a good purchase!

[@tommasomarchesini531]

That's a hell of a review you have done!! I totally agree with you. I've been using this tool for a while in the dolomites area and in italy and I think it is a very useful gear to carry in multipitches and trad routes. It is true that you need a bit of practise to get a proper confidence, but as soon as you start to fall on it you realise the real utility of the Angel cam. The real strenght I think it is the fact that you can use it on both regular and irregular cracks and holes. Don't get lost on the 'too much engeneer' on hoe it is builted.. just give it a try and you will never go back ❤

[@jefe3799]

I got a chance to meet Matteo and Leonardo from Angel AC while I was climbing at Red Rocks and got to play with one of the units. Based on that, I have purchased my own #1 to try IRL. Thanks for the excellent vid breaking it down-- you do rock!

[@user-xb7cv4zj9k]

I am so happy this video finally got made. The fact that one of the lobes broke and then it still held up to 10kn+ is awesome. I bought the first run of these angel cams in 2022 and I've been using them on guided trips, climbs, scrambles and it really shines as an anchor piece for multipitch. I noticed on perfect placements it does not crawl. But yes, super important to learn how to correctly use these. @howNOT2 thank you for this video.

[@perplexedon9834]

2:20 "It just came out" nah look at the footage, you broke a big chunk off the flake Given that bolt failed too, I absolutely agree that its a crap pile of rock!

[@TrueHelpTV]

Looks like a great backup cam for the unknown but it also seems like designing the rope to be above the disengagement handle is a recipe to have it snag on it and open the cam during a whip. I could also foresee a carabiner snagging on the finger hold and during the fall it unlock the device just before it's loaded enough to prevent disengaging. It really should have a 2nd lock, maybe a similar solution you find on the rock exotica pulleys

[@alpenacademy]

New fear unlocked. Thanks a lot

[@projectpodzamcze]

I have been using Angel for a year. A great solution for irregular cracks and slippery limestone. It works great in the Polish Jura.

[@Ammoniummetavanadate]

Ah, slippery limestone, might actually grab one...

[@ryenschimerman2127]

I've been waiting for this one! My question has always been, 'does it fail safe?' The internal gearing has always given me a lot of pause, because in larger placements if those sheared off it would simply collapse in on itself. This is one I think really needs repeated shock load testing, because I have been and remain concerned about aluminum on aluminum gearing. As a material, there's a reason you don't see a lot of use for aluminum gears in industrial settings. Mind you, I also think it's brilliant. Moreover, I totally agree with the aid and anchor uses though.

[@HochstartHarry]

If it the right alloy it should be fine.. some aluminum alloys get more tensile streangth than regular steel..

[@lw671]

But you need some surface hardness for gears. Otherwise it will not work für long.

[@wronawroniasta]

Aluminum gears might not be the best idea, in case they are transmitting torque dynamicly - that's due to wear of surfaces. In this case they are supposed to just staticly press against each other, I'd say the surface wear is limited in this scenario.

[@pentachronic]

And once you get grit in those gears, good luck. IMO not a good design for a hostile environment like dust, sand, rock and water!

[@allalphazerobeta8643]

Aluminum timing gears as a performance upgrade over fiber timing gears is pretty common in older automotive engines. They do fine but make more noise, though not near as robust as metal gears. The main problem with aluminum gears is heat and which will cause them to fail in demanding applications. But that's not a problem for a ratchet that's used once every couple of minutes. I'd be fine with it. There is a lot of surface area in contact. Another interesting fact is that the number of splines on shaft the stronger the connection, even though the splines are shallower. So I'd say those ratchets are fine.given the large number of small teeth.

[@johngo6283]

Superb video, as always. ❤

[@macmurfy2jka]

This always seemed to be useful for aid climbing, to me. Like you said for bumping cams up a crack, all you need is two of these for anything a hand/finger will fit in.

[@christopherpardell4418]

The angled teeth on the ratchet faces means that when you apply force, the plates are clamped together by all those wedged teeth so they CAN’T separate. The plastic spring pawls just ensure they re-engage after spreading so that tensile force will lock them in position.

[@hightalenttraining7546]

Best explanation i have ever heard that its not just about size, but the motion in the, i guess, crat in this example 🙌😂

[@Benlucky13]

damn, these might be the second most expensive cams ever sold, only beat by the larger valley giants at $350 a piece. at $250 it's almost certainly the most expensive cam still in production. #8 camalot retails for $240. when merlin gear was around their #10 was also $240

[@2manyhobbies08]

I bought one earlier this year and I keep it on my rack as a back up if I use a size I already placed. It’s solid but like you said in the video know the good placements for this cam. If you don’t place this cam deep enough in the crack it could be bad. I like it though, comes in handy

[@dereksantavenere2172]

hey thanks for this video i was super curious about the mechanism at work here

[@Info.isfree.openmind]

I know nothing about climbing I hate heights yet this channel amazes me and gives me confidence that maybe , maybe🤭 I’ll try some rope climbing. Very interesting channel!! keep up the good work, saving lives given knowledge!

[@Jefferson-ly5qe]

Find someone to climb with, go to a gym and do some top roping. You'll figure out pretty quickly if it's something you have nay interest in!

[@XuroX.]

Don't bother, you aren't a spider.

[@ghostdog0424]

I had been wondering about those for a while now. Great tests as always!

[@bpfoley89]

I wanna see some drop tests. Vertical crack placement vs Horizontal crack placement.

[@z1522]

Bad placements are not any better with exotic gizmos; the range is impressive, but practically, one is better off carrying the three pieces it covers, because you only get one placement out of it! Practically, its operation being totally opposite to every other sprung cam makes it counterintuitive, and hard to imagine working one-handed. A novelty, for sure, and hard to justify the expense. Great to play with over beverages, but otherwise re: the Angel, the Devil is in the details.

[@TheOutlawProphet]

You missed the most glorious opportunity for an epic pun.."Do you smell that?" "I smell what the rock is cooking!"

[@XuroX.]

No

[@TheOutlawProphet]

I am disinclined to acquiesce to your proposition sir. @@XuroX.

[@bandana_girl6507]

This seems like even an interesting idea if available in a couple sizes (to basically act as a "in case nothing else works" thing, like it does for large offsets and shallow wides)

[@JirafaBo]

I don't even climb, why do I watch all your videos? Entertaining.

[@philflip1963]

My God there are certainly some very ingenius people around and some remarkable manufacturing technology to allow such a thing to me manufactured at anything like an affordable price. Buy one but allways leave using it till last once you've used up all the rest of your gear which probably means you'll hardly ever actually use it! Congratulations to the designer/s for managing to make it as light as it is, and congratulations to the manufacturers for managing to make it!

[@dsgreat3]

I think it would be much more usefull if it was much smaller and covered from the 1 or 0 into the micro cam range. The range of small cams is so tiny plus it would be much lighter so the much smaller increase in weight over a normal cam wouldn't be as bad.

[@kd5nrh]

Dude, have you ever unfolded the instructions that come with carabiners? I've got more documentation than that for a single oval screwgate.

[@angryginger791]

I have to ask, why not wrap the line scale in some high density foam or something to protect it? I mean, just a piece of an anti-fatigue mat with some bungie cords would probably do the trick.

[@bartoszrotter6930]

Hi Great test and review of Angel Cam, I had the opportunity to use it and I am of the same opinion that it is more of a toy, although it is an ingenious and really durable device. But I have a request when we can expect tests of another quite specific device - BigBro TRANGO I would love to see how it performs in extreme conditions and in the largest sizes, for example BigBro 4 or BigBro 5

[@michaelgow8050]

Hey Ryan and team, yet another amusing but also very informative clip. I can't help but thinking that this is OVER-engineered and that's why lots of people treat it as a novelty. It also brings to mind the good old Prussik knot compared to the myriad of ascending devices....sometimes something SIMPLER works as well, or even better and at a fraction of he cost. I don't want to put my foot in my mouth so to speak, but, I would love to get Ray Jardine's take on this thing...( is he still alive? are climbers still talking to him? ) I'm sure he wasn't the only person who dreamt up a camming device, but he certainly was the one who solved the problem conclusively and his commentary would be amazing. Likewise the folks ( at Black Diamond ) who made the quantum leap to dual axles. Another comment, as good as Camalots are, they fail more at the cables than good old-fashioned "Friends" and the make-up of these Angels gives me nightmares in terms of tiny bits to break, get twisted, grunge-up etc. ( of all the cams I've owned for nearly 40 yrs, Flexible Friends seem to be the most "Bomber" generally ) It would be fun to bugger around with one ( in Australia that doesn't necessarily mean what you'd think ) Cheers Mick

[@rupz7064]

seems to be a good one to have around if you're doing a route your not completely sure what you might need. Just one or two as extra on your rack so you have some extra flexibility. problably not for you hardest projects tho because then you will know what you need and would problably want to safe the weight.

[@mikebularz9019]

Thanks!

[@mikebularz9019]

Thank you man! Been waiting to see you put this piece through the ringer of oddball scenarios

[@Darick1988]

WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW I NEED ONE FOR SURE. Thank you i was sypthecal about it but you give the info i need to buy one. thanks for your video. i love you content

[@vikingranch6377]

Yes the algorithm is weird, I’m not a climber. But I do some rigging for construction and vehicle recovery, and I love your break tests, gives me confidence in my gear.

[@noahkungel1496]

Can you do a video on why you think that bolt came out? That seems super concerning to me if I’m going to a crag and falling on bolts that could fall out

[@dwainwarren2952]

I do admit It might be useful for belay anchor placements.

[@SnowIsMyTerrain]

It's good to know that area is exactly as... not amazing as it seems. Drive past every day on my way home.

[@Mitzbergatc]

Do you have videos on breaking Totem Cams? Haven't seen one...

[@MinehowTech]

I'm not a climber, but I've been watching your videos for a while now, which has gotten me interested in climbing. So the algorithm clearly knows something I dont😂

[@mtnmanpdx]

cool vid. Are you doing this testing at Rocky Butte? Location looks very familiar to me.

[@vazap8662]

Wow wow... number of moving pieces.. incredibly complicated manual..... I'll watch this through, but my gut reaction is a no go for angels! Ho and... the price!🤣 K after watching I rest my case. Looks like a super niche item, probably useful if you know exactly where you'll need it and how to use it. But my guess is a majority of the sales will be as an instagram product to "shine on the crag" 😜

[@user-ol9ro9hq6k]

Rather see you play with tri cams than that funky thing but hey. Not boring

[@Etmanning]

Cool piece, but every time I climb I tend to bring less gear. Modern cams really do seem "perfect" for the application. Dont really see a benefit from this or similar designs over current tech. I've often thought about how climbing pro will look in 10-20-50 years , but doubt that this is it. Simplicity and durability are key.

[@madman-kt4xo]

the joke at 0:15 made this video an instant like XD love the content guys!

[@andrewhunter6536]

For reference a 2019 c4 #4 is 258g and the ultralight is 225

[@dennyo1563]

I've never been into climbing IN MY LIFE 😂 but the algorithm brought me here and I'm not mad tbh 😂

[@malicious217]

Can I get just the instruction poster lol

[@Smallfrye]

2:59 Hey look, a Vertical Limit bolt

[@David-cp6rl]

They need to make a really large one.

[@marcosmota1094]

Algorithm suits people who are curious; I like to know how machines work.

[@NDKY67]

How did you make that two tone T-shirt? Is it woven in two colours or somehow printed?

[@williamgrizzle8480]

Keep breaking things I'll keep commenting, happy Thanksgiving.

[@zachbrenner9959]

I'd like to see it get break tested at full width. I want to know what it'll take for those teeth gear ratchet things to shear.

[@obscurelines]

I guess my question is a bit like in photography when we talk about a telephoto lens replacing primes - can this device cover the use of more than one regular cam in terms of the span of gap you are shoving it in? If so, that's a great device. Might be heavy but if it covyer the use of two cams that is excellent.

[@xlr8436]

What exactly do those lower hook like arm extensions do. Trying to figure it out 🤔

[@TheArmyKnifeNut]

Reminds me of the link cam. 🤔

[@andersfrederiksen5811]

Looking forward to get my hands on one of them!!

[@BlueEyesWhiteTeddy]

They really need to find a way to simplify the geometry of the arms because their manufacturing price is probably rather high causing the price to go higher as well.

[@paulnormandy6247]

Maybe I missed it, but the walking seems like a pretty serious concern with these cams. If they walk into a constriction and the cam lobes close they will lock themselves in the smaller position; you mentioned a few times how they sometimes just fell out, do you think this is what happened?

[@LuenWarneke]

"How's the bolt hole looking? Empty..."

[@joshed1937]

How does this compare functionality wise to a meticulous super cam... It seems like with the super cam you get the functionality of two cams while this one substitutes about 3 cam sizes... Anyways it looks sick and I would love to add one to my rack one day.

[@TheMotlias]

a particular tool for a particular use

[@leegosling]

Novelty pro? Excellent. Victorian explorers would be proud.

[@bjorn9875]

Considering that it requires one side to be pushed in, can it fail if the rock is in a > shape on the orange side? Where one "blade" is above, and one below, so when pressure is put on it, they get pushed apart by the rock? If that is possible, how big of an angle would be required? It'd obviously depend on how much friction exists in the up/down direction, relative to being pulled out, but how much have they focused on making it have enough friction for that?

[@GavynPendleton]

I’m expecting this thing to go the way of the link cam

[@jennyjansen754]

I think the algorithm already sends you to non climbers. I know I will never climb but I do enjoy watching things being tested till they break.

[@bencheevers6693]

Can you do an offset where the middle isn't engaged as well? I'm thinking the way it spreads apart might be a weak point, I know you said it was surprisingly sturdy but it's still plastic

[@dwainwarren2952]

Too many parts. Just like the link cam. I'll stick to regular cams.

[@user-ok2vl1yo5s]

The first pull peeled a chunk of rock from the hold

[@corbindallas3220]

The amount of times you said "plastic holding this all together" makes me want to use it climbing lol

[@satanaz]

Don't be a slave to the algorithm, subscribe to his newsletter!

[@chrismeister2554]

Look I’ve been climbing a long time, and have multiple full racks so I wouldn’t have a reason for these. But every time some new piece of gear like this comes out you can tell whether or not this is gonna take off. This thing is simply too complicated to be used or to be manufactured for the broad audience. When the big bro came out it was too simple, but never took off. Also link cams, DONT BUY THEM. Had a buddy damn near lose his life French freeing on a link cam, and these things are even scarier.

[@randydewees7338]

I agree with you about using these contraptions for life critical placements. But there are times where a careful usage is warranted. How far above a bomber placement was your buddy when he whipped? How did the Link fail? I've seen pretty decent looking gear placements with regular cams fail on body weight or small falls. If there isn't another piece close by, it's big airtime. I've used a Link Cam (red) many times for body weight or light tug aid while arranging other gear (bolts) on overhanging first ascents. If there is an obvious crack up there, I take regular trad gear. If there is the visual possibility of a cam placement, I'll take the Link (and a few other tricks). Many sketchy placements in pods/flares that I'd never think would hold a lead fall, but it has never failed (unlike hooks). On the other hand, it's never been a critical piece that if it failed, I'd be screwed. I generally clip direct to it as I don't want it adding to a fall if it pulls out. Regarding the Angel. A friend of mine who is an absolute gear nut has them. I was not impressed enough to get one. I like simple things (outside of my one Link Cam), though I do like the offbeat Totem cams enough they are my main cams.

[@Jwynne_]

What I took from this is that the angle is a oh shit cam for climbers but highlineeers should stay away because they aren’t as strong as normal cams?

[@kiralycsavo0]

Man, you flat-out broke the rock at 2:10, that 6.6 kN wasn't up to the cam.

[@biotik19]

Ahhh! They used plastic!?! for that price tag, I'd assume it's all metal!

[@thatdude3943]

Cool, expensive piece for the rack.

[@sniffmatip3865]

A couple of those must weigh a load.

[@baileynicholson251]

There’s old be 4/5s unles I’m mistaken

[@angrybirder9983]

This looks like a nightmare in anything except perfect splitters. Like, how TF am I supposed to tell if it's solid when placed in an irregular crack?

[@franciscopayaperez9619]

👍

[@XuroX.]

Why do people climb up a straight cliff like a spider anyway, just hoping that something like this would hold you if you fell. I don't get it.... but I don't like heights either.

[@randydewees7338]

If you have to ask... But funny thing is I have two climbing buddies that don't do well with exposure (fear of heights). They can climb like tigers from the ground up. But traverse out an airy but easy ledge to get to a climb, not so good.

[@davidsidwell8749]

Let's take something that works well and over engineer it. I'll stick to what I know works.

[@mikelarin8037]

I think it would be a great idea to drop test one of these repeatedly with normal fall conditions to see what it can handle over time

[@Cardsandstoagies]

It seems engineering for the sake of engineering.

[@pentachronic]

The bolt coming out is very scary. I’m guessing the water has expanded in there from heating during the days and has hydraulically caused it to weaken the hole. That’s another test for you. Place some bolts in different rocks and then heat/cool cycle them some dry some with water and see if there are different failure modes. Stick a thermocouple into the rock too if possible (or maybe attach it to the bolt head for temperature measurement).

[@pentachronic]

WRT the Angel Cam, IMO it seems way too over engineered. It’s someone trying to make a thing that already has adequate solutions. We have offset nuts and many different cam types and tri cams. A set of nuts will weigh as much as this thing!

[@pentachronic]

@@kiereluurs1243 It would also apply to heating water too. Thermal expansion of water is not as great as ice but it’s still would go through a lot of contraction/expansion cycles during night/day. Ice tends to form and stays frozen for a whole winter. Water expands up to 4% when boiled.

[@pentachronic]

Also I question if the glue (if used) is very compliant as it may be brittle under compressive forces ?

[@thedapperturkey]

Its funny I have never even done top rope, lead climbing or outdoor climbing I currently just indoor boulder but i always come bacl bevause its so interesting.

[@lukearts2954]

We called them "friends" in the 90s. When did they become "cams"...?

[@princenabby1]

Once other companies started to manufacture similar devices under different names?

[@lukearts2954]

@@princenabby1 ah, we still call a ball-point pen a "bic". We still call a photocamera a "kodak". I guess it's in my local culture to stick to names. We even have a word for them, when a trade name becomes the common word, or when a set of words is so often used that they will not change. We call it _petrified expressions_ . Much like we won't call spam fortune or hereford... It's spam and will always be spam.

[@princenabby1]

@@lukearts2954 Thanks for the interesting disquisition on petrified language. I have no problem with people who use it, but I don't want to be a fossil myself.

[@lukearts2954]

@@princenabby1 It was not an attempt to convince anyone. Just saying how I'm probably culturally biased toward using older words... (it was mostly autoderogatory, in case you didn't notice)

[@princenabby1]

@@lukearts2954 No worries. You have very cute dogs, btw.

[@xxgofkyrselfxx8557]

The one girl was wrong...amazing stuff

[@markpell8979]

I vote No.

[@Kackspack0815]

Do you need some kind of permit to do these tests in nature? Because of the damages to the rocks…

[@rockdean1]

Super glue will fix it

[@nickgoodall578]

I'm a mechcanical engineer. I'm sorry that my people did this. We're not supposed to. We take an oath.

[@zackarimiller]

first

[@TrueHelpTV]

first

[@ryanpenrod1859]

Always disappointing to see so much plastic on a high-end product that's tasked with protecting your life.

[@angrybirder9983]

However, none of the plastic parts are actually load-bearing. The entire stem, everything below the cord attachment is only there to adjust the lobes. Basically every cam has a plastic trigger and that's perfectly fine, plastic is light and cheap.

[@YouTenaza]

I'm not into trad climbing but.... Heavy, expensive, with it's own learning curve, and without much use to know if it has important hidden flaws. Only to acomplish what can be done 99% of the time by other methods. That's something I would not take with me. It looks really cool anyway.

[@harlanstockman5703]

Have you ever tested big bros?

[@ButtHoleLVR6969]

That hat is horrid bro