Wild Country

Zero Friend Cam

What Our Gearhead® Experts Are Saying:

"The Zero Friend fills a real gap on a trad rack — those thin cracks, pin scars, and pockets that are too small for a standard small cam and too large or irregular for a nut. The narrow head is the standout feature: it gets into features where wider cams simply won't fit. The single flexible stem with armored plates hits a useful middle ground — stiff enough that the cam doesn't walk when you pull the trigger, flexible enough to handle placements loaded at odd angles. The extendable Dyneema sling is a practical touch that saves a draw on routes where you'd otherwise be clipping an extension anyway."

Who It's For

Experienced trad climbers protecting thin cracks, pin scars, and shallow features on technical routes

The Zero Friend is for trad climbers who already have a standard cam selection and need to fill the small end of the range — or who climb on rock where thin, irregular features are the norm. It's best suited to climbers with enough placement experience to evaluate marginal features confidently, since small cams in pin scars and pockets reward careful assessment. Climbers new to trad who haven't yet built a full rack should prioritize mid-range sizes before adding micro cams.

What It's For

Active protection in thin cracks, pin scars, shallow pockets, and tight placements on trad routes

The Zero Friend covers the size range where standard small cams run out of room — 0.33in to 1.58in across six sizes — with a narrow head profile that accesses features wider cams can't enter. It places in both vertical and horizontal cracks, and the double axle design gives each size greater expansion range than a single axle allows, which improves versatility across irregular crack widths. The extendable sling handles deeper placements and reduces rope drag without clipping a separate draw.

Why We Like It

Narrow head profile, double axle expansion, and a flexible stem that holds placements at odd angles

The machined cam faces are cut for friction rather than smooth contact, which improves bite in the granite pockets and pin scars where these cams spend most of their time. The double axle gives each size a wider expansion range, so you're not hunting for the exact right cam when crack width varies — a meaningful advantage in the irregular features this cam is designed for. The single stem's armored metal plates keep it stiff enough to resist walking when the trigger is pulled, while remaining flexible enough that placements loaded off-axis don't lever the cam out. Dyneema sling keeps per-piece weight between 1.8oz and 2.91oz across the range, and the extendable configuration doubles as a built-in draw on longer placements.