Alien X Cam Review — Mammoth Climbing Guides

Racking up with the 6th generation Alien X in Joshua Tree, CA. Photo by Kyle Queener

Camming units have come a long way since the early rigid stemmed “friends” introduced in Yosemite by Ray Jardine. Now, there are many cams on the market, so which ones do we go with? I’ve been exploring different small cams (<1.3”) over the past couple of years after my go to cam designs were either changed or discontinued. Recently, Fixe Hardware released their newest generation of Aliens cams, the Alien X, and I decided to drop by the Bishop, CA shop, grab a full set and rip down to Joshua Tree to try some of the hardest finger cracks in the park.

Quick history - Alien Cams (originally manufactured by Colorado Custom Hardware) were the original small cam powerhouse that outperformed most other cams in Yosemite because of their ability to fit where other cams just couldn’t. Because they were flexible and the head width was so narrow, it made them unbeatable in the Sierra granite and the desert sandstone of the South Western United States where they gained their legendary status. Today there are many cams that follow the same design concepts, but the new Alien X by new manufacturer, Fixe Hardware, delivers that old school reliable feel that you may remember from years ago with the original units but with some modern upgrades.

The gist - The Alien X feels really good in your hand and comes in the original five sizes (see chart below). The trigger action is spectacular in the larger sizes and the thumb loop is very ergonomic and comfortable. True to the original, they’ve maintained their incredible flexibility in the stem, it’s incredibly lightweight and the extendable sling helps shed a couple alpine slings off of your harness. The softer alloy of the cam lobes offer the extra bite in your placements and add a little piece of mind when you’re above your last piece. Additionally, you’ll now find that the yellow, gray and red sizes can be placed passively with loads up to 5Kn.

What do I think? - The Alien X will find itself most at home with both free climbers and aid climbers, as they pretty much always have. I found them to perform just as well, if not better, than many of the other small cams I have on my rack and their ability to sink into placements easily is such a relief when you’re getting pumped and need to slam in that ‘thank god’ piece. I found the extendable sling to be a huge plus, even though at first glance I thought I’d dislike it. Extending pieces is simple with this design. My only gripe over these units is a bit of a catch 22, the soft alloy cam lobes. While these provide me with extra confidence when I’m above my last piece, I know that they won’t last as long as some of the other cams on my rack. However, for me, it’s worth the shorter lifespan to feel warm and cozy knowing that the yellow alien 15 feet below me probably isn’t going to blow out of some Sierra granite if I take the ride.

Kyle Queener climbing Acid Crack (5.12d) in Joshua Tree National Park. Photo by Connor Brown

Customer Service - In years past I’ve heard some gripes over the customer service at Fixe Hardware, but this is something I have never experienced. I use Fixe Hardware for most of the hard and soft goods for the guide service and also in my personal climbing kit. Stopping by the shop in Bishop, CA is always a pleasure and the guys are always quick to set me up with whatever I’m looking for. I honestly couldn’t ask for better customer service.

Brass tax - In my opinion, there isn’t one cam to rule them all. There are many cams out that all have their niches, strengths and weaknesses. My advice is to develop a diverse rack of cams that will cover you in a wide range of scenarios and/or the ones you find yourself in the most often. Personally, as someone who prefers long and hard free climbs, I look for cams that are lightweight and offer a wide range of sizes. For the past 15 years my typical rack has been a single set of double axle cams (like the Black Diamond C4 and Z4’s) and a single axle counterpart (like the Alien X or the Metolius Master Cam). Currently, you can find me climbing on a set of Alien X’s, a set of BD Z4’s for finger sized pieces and in the medium to large sizes, doubles of the BD C4 Ultralights from #1 to #3.

Bottom line - Do I think the Alien X’s deserve a place on your rack?

Absolutely.