Fig. 1

Replacing the trigger wires in a Cam

1. First, make a note of how the old trigger wire is threaded then remove it carefully.
2. Save this as you may need it to do a better fix at base camp.
3. Use some strimmer cord or strong fishing line and rethread the cam. ( See Fig. 1)
4. Melt the end of the strimmer cord with a match or lighter to form a blob. ( See Fig. 2)
5. Let the blob cool and make sure it is larger than the hole.

In spite of the looks, this repair is surprisingly robust! I repaired this cam in the field over 5 years ago and have not done anything more apart from melt the blobs every now and again.

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Some cams do not have a rigid head to support the cam lobes and rely on the stiff trigger wire to keep the lobes in position. I use a bit of elastic bungee cord to pull back the trigger bar. This keeps it in tension and give the whole unit some support. ( See Fig. 3)

Fig. 4 shows bits of an emergency repair kit I will take with me on a long climbing trip. If you haven't got that, use your imagination and improvise with what you can find.

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

Fig. 4