Fig. 1

Forged or Rigid-Stemmed Cams

Rigid-Stemmed cams are dead easy to re-sling. They usually have holes drilled in the rigid stem to take a Gunk's Tie Off. To re-sling these cams, leave the old tape in place and just add a longer Gunk's Tie Off made from 5-6mm Perlon cord. (See Fig. 1) This tie off has to be longer than described in the Wild Country article so that the original tape and cord can be equalised. (See Fig. 2)

The additional equalised Tie Off will share the strain with the original sling when the cam is loaded and you also have the benefit of being able to use the rigid-stemmed cam in shallower placements by clipping into the Tie Off.

Disclaimer: You must read the Wild Country Gunk's Tie Off article carefully before trying this modification.

Note: Click on the pictures for an enlargement ( 500kb)

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

These units will need a little bit more ingenuity as they do not have that conveniently drilled hole usually found in their rigid stemmed counterparts.

You will need:

1. A bit of flexible wire.
2. A bit of tubular tape, about 9 cm. You can reuse the original Perlon tubular tape, just cut it very close to the stitching. You won't be able to reuse a Dyneema/Spectra tape as they are a flat construction. 
3. One 10 mm wide x 30 cm long sling as the replacement tape.

Note: Click on the pictures for an enlargement ( 500kb)

Fig. 4

Construction

1. Thread the 30 cm sling into the hole previously occupied by the original sling. Feather it so that the sewn part is furthest from the hole, i.e. at the karabiner end. (See Fig. 4) This will minimise drag on the cam by ensuring that the new sling will be floppy at the cam end and stiffer at the rope end.

2. Heat seal the ends of the tubular tape to prevent fraying. Thread the wire through the new sling. (See Fig. 5) It will help you thread the sling through the tubular tape. And if you are using the original tape, there will be no change in the identifying colour.

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

3. Thread the sling through the tubular tape. This sleeve is not load bearing but it does  keep things neat, keeps the original identifying tape colour and protects the new sling against abrasion.

4. Clip your favourite karabiner into the end of the new sling. Note: In Fig. 7, the tubular tape has been removed for clarity.

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

5. Finally slide the tubular tape towards the karabiner end. This will hold the karabiner in place and leave a gap at the stem end for the tape to flop loosely. (See Fig. 8) The floppiness will minimise rope drag and help prevent the cam from walking.

6. The repair takes about 5 minutes and costs one 30cm sling, about £3.50.

7. Fig. 9 shows a dual stem camming unit getting the same treatment.

Fig. 9