DMM Dragonfly Micro Cam Gear Review - By Dan Butler

October 22, 2019

by Matthew Eaton

Dmm Climbing Dragonfly Micro Cam product review - dan butler 1

When I was first discovering aid climbing I read that you will never regret having a few extra micro-cams on the harness, and it wasn’t until I saw the second pitch of Ozymandias that I understood that small bite of wisdom. Micro-cams are the lightweight, low profile solution to thin cracks. With a weight almost comparable with nuts, easier placement and removal and the ability to be placed in parallel cracks, micro-cams have become a staple, not only just in the aid rack, but also in the quiver of modern trad climbers. DMM have extended their range to suit such a need, incorporating their characteristic ‘triple grip’ and 13.75º camming angle into cams that outperform much of the competition in both strength and size.

Pros

Easy Placement - Placing micro-cams is usually finicky and testing. The ability to slot them behind small depressions in the rock is often super important. It seems that DMM have struck the perfect balance between a stiff stem for ease of placement and flexibility to cope with horizontals and less standard placements.
Thumb Loop - Great for clipping in high whilst aiding so that you can gain that extra few centimetres on every placement.
Extendable Sling - Helps in reducing walking and also means you can reduce your drag without carrying a copious number of extra draws. Extending the sling is a quick and simple way to add 12cm of wiggle room to your placement. You can also pull either loop of the sling which is very welcomed when you’re pumped or tripping out above your last placement.
Strong - The micro-cams are well suited to both aid and free climbing, being rated to higher forces than competing micro-cams of the same size whilst also maintaining a narrow head width and lightweight build. The smallest (Green: 7.8-11mm) of their cams is rated at 6kN which is usually at 4kN in other cams brands.

DMM Climbing Dragonfly Micro cam product review - dan butler 2

Cons

Single Axle - Whilst not avoidable in the world of micro-cams, the upper sizes do overlap with DMM’s other series the Dragon Cams. Depending on whether you are free climbing or aid climbing, supplementing smaller cams or getting your first smaller cams, the extra range offered in the smaller sizes of the standard double axle Dragon’s is worth consideration when comparing them to the larger sizes of these single axle Dragonfly’s.

The Verdict

Love ‘em! The dragonfly cams simply look and feel bomber in the rock – Even Blue Mountains rock! They make a great addition to either an aid or trad rack, allowing for easy placement in all sorts of positions. Plus they look awesome! They certainly make it onto my harness for all of my aid pursuits and regularly when I strap on the climbing shoes for a trad climb.