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Druid
Druid Pro
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| Druid | Druid Pro | Matik |
The Druid, Druid Pro, and Matik are closely-related devices and the differences may not be obvious without detailed inspection. Here is a summary of the major differences:
| Druid | Druid Pro | Matik | Comments | |
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| C.A.M.P.’s Category: | Auto-braking descender | Auto-braking descender | Belay-descender device | Quoted from C.A.M.P. web site, downloaded 2016 |
| My Category: | Lever box belay device | Lever box belay device | Lever box belay device | Following C.A.M.P.’s lead here. I would have been comfortable calling the Druid and Druid Pro Lever box descenders instead. |
| External differences: | Has a cam stop inside the rope channel. Has a small keeper ring |
Has a cam stop inside the rope channel. Has a small keeper ring |
No cam stop inside the rope channel. No keeper ring |
The cam stop does not significantly restrict the range of cam movement. |
| Internal differences: | Internal cam provides an anti-panic feature. | Internal cam does not provide an anti-panic feature. |
Internal cam provides an anti-panic feature. Spring for external cam is stronger than those on the others. |
Personally, I prefer the Druid Pro because I am not a fan of anti-panic systems. That is a personal preference, you may feel differently. |
| Appropriate Ropes (per C.A.M.P. web site): |
Semi-static ropes Dynamic ropes |
Semi-static ropes Dynamic ropes |
No semi-static Dynamic ropes |
Semi-static ropes are for rappelling only. Dynamic ropes are for belaying. |
| Appropriate Ropes (for certification, per manual): |
EN 1891 Type A, 10 to 11 mm EN 1891 Type A, 11 mm EN 892 Single, 9.9 to 11 mm. |
EN 1891 Type A, 10 to 11 mm EN 1891 Type A, 11 mm EN 892 Single, 9.9 to 11 mm. |
Not approved for use under Not approved for use under EN 892 Single, 8.6 to 10.2 mm. |
The texts (as opposed to illustrations) in the respective instruction manuals are nearly incomprehensible unless one has a knowledge of these standards. Please read the first few paragraphs on my Standards page for a perspective on standards. |
| Anti-panic system: | "Proprietary anti-panic function in the lever re-engages the cam if the handle is pulled too far where it could lead to unsafe descent speeds." | "Designed for expert users; the lever does not have the anti-panic function." | "Proprietary Anti-Panic system automatically blocks the rope if the user loses control of the descent." | Quoted from C.A.M.P. web site, downloaded 2016 Personally, I prefer the Druid Pro because I am not a fan of anti-panic systems. That is a personal preference, you may feel differently. |
[ Top | Druid Pro | Matik | Return to Lever Box Belay Devices ]
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| Front | Rear |
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| Top | Bottom | Open for Rigging |
I acquired my C.A.M.P. Druid from OmniProGear.com in 2017.
The C.A.M.P. Druid is 65 mm. tall, 120 mm. wide, 47 mm. thick, and weighs 276 g.
The Druid has a spring-loaded, lever-controlled cam between two forged aluminum shell pieces. The shell pieces are held together by two rivets. The rear shell is elongated and is the larger of the two, with a 19.4 mm. eye for attaching to the belay anchor. The front shell is smaller. Both have inner extensions on the end opposite the eye, forming a rope channel. This channel is lined with a stainless steel shoe for added wear resistance. A small pin inside the channel acts as a cam stop.
The stainless steel cam pivots on the rivet closest to the eye. The rope runs through a groove formed in the cam. The cam swings open freely, but when closed to the working position, a spring resists further closure, allowing the rope to run freely. Under heavy load, the cam moves against the spring, pinching the rope against the shoe. A two-piece, spring-loaded lever behind the shell operates the cam. Pulling the lever downward forces the cam away from the shoe. If the lever is pulled to its limit, it releases the cam, allowing it to move toward the shoe again. A plastic cover between the rear shell and the lever hides the mechanism.
The front of the Druid is printed with rigging illustrations, "Druid," "Ref. 2232," EN 12841C:2006," "Max 120 kg," "•10≤ø≤11 mm," "EN 341:2011/2A," "40-120 kg. Max. 100 m," "•ø11 mm," "Temp.-30/+60 °C," "EN 15151-1:2012," "1 9.9"≤ø≤11 mm," "RESCUE BY EXPERT USER," "•10≤ø≤11 mm," a caution icon, and "Max 200 kg." The back plastic cover is printed with the "CAMP SAFETY" logo/ The rear frame is printed with "CE0123," "Patent Pending," a book-with-an-"i" icon, "Made in Italy," "4 15," and "1482." The lever is printed with "DOUBLE STOP - ANTIPANIC." The cam is printed with a rigging illustration, and has "CAMP" in raised letters and "ROPE" with a line in depressed letters.
The Druid has excellent workmanship and it functions well. It is solid, but it is also heavy. This should not be a problem for gym climbers or people who drive to the base of short sport climbs, but I wouldn't consider lugging this one to a remote climb or up a wall.
The lever action has an "anti-panic" feature: once the belayer moves the lever past the release point, the lever function fails. While some people consider it a safety feature, I consider it an annoyance for people who know what they are doing. The lever function provides partial backup for the belayer not knowing how to use the lever, but like all such devices, it relies on the belayer being completely incompetent rather than partially incompetent - by definition, a partially incompetent belayer would drop me too fast without moving the lever past the release point. I'm not convinced that this sort of feature is an improvement on selecting a competent belayer - or not falling in the first place.
My Druid came with a 192-page instruction book written in eighteen languages. While the illustrations are good, the text in the manual is nearly incomprehensible unless one has a knowledge of the international standards.
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[ Top | Druid | Matik | Return to Lever Box Belay Devices ]
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| Front | Rear |
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| Top | Bottom | Open for Rigging |
I acquired my C.A.M.P. Druid Pro from Expé-Spelemat in 2016.
The C.A.M.P. Druid Pro is 65 mm. tall, 120 mm. wide, 47 mm. thick, and weighs 280 g.
The Druid Pro has a spring-loaded, lever-controlled cam between two forged aluminum shell pieces. The shell pieces are held together by two rivets. The rear shell is elongated and is the larger of the two, with a 19.4 mm. eye for attaching to the belay anchor. The front shell is smaller. Both have inner extensions on the end opposite the eye, forming a rope channel. This channel is lined with a stainless steel shoe for added wear resistance. A small pin inside the channel acts as a cam stop.
The stainless steel cam pivots on the rivet closest to the eye. The rope runs through a groove formed in the cam. The cam swings open freely, but when closed to the working position, a spring resists further closure, allowing the rope to run freely. Under heavy load, the cam moves against the spring, pinching the rope against the shoe. A two-piece, spring-loaded lever behind the shell operates the cam. Pulling the lever downward forces the cam away from the shoe. There is no "anti-panic" feature.
The front of the Druid Pro is printed with rigging illustrations, "Druid Pro," "Ref. 2233," EN 12841C:2006," "Max 120 kg," "•10≤ø≤11 mm," "EN 341:2011/2A," "40-120 kg. Max. 100 m," "¤ø11 mm," "Temp.-30/+60 °C," "EN 15151-1:2012," "1 9.9"≤ø≤11 mm," "RESCUE BY EXPERT USER," "•10≤ø≤11 mm," a caution icon, and "Max 200 kg." The back plastic cover is printed with the "CAMP SAFETY" logo/ The rear frame is printed with "CE0123," "Patent Pending," a book-with-an-"i" icon, "Made in Italy," "2 16," and "1380." The lever is printed with "DOUBLE STOP - NO ANTIPANIC." The cam is printed with a rigging illustration, and has "CAMP" in raised letters and "ROPE" with a line in depressed letters.
The Druid Pro has excellent workmanship and it functions well. It is solid, but it is also heavy. This should not be a problem for gym climbers or people who drive to the base of short sport climbs, but I wouldn't consider lugging this one to a remote climb or up a wall.
The Druid Pro does not have the annoying "anti-panic" feature that the Druid has; otherwise, the two are essentially equivalent.
My Druid Pro came with a 192-page instruction book written in eighteen languages. This is the same book as the one provided with the Druid. While the illustrations are good, the text in the manual is nearly incomprehensible unless one has a knowledge of the international standards.
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[ Top | Druid | Druid Pro | Return to Lever Box Belay Devices ]
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| Front | Rear |
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| Side | Open for Rigging |
I acquired my C.A.M.P. Matik from Expé-Spelemat in 2015.
The C.A.M.P. Matik is 65 mm. tall, 120 mm. wide, 47 mm. thick, and weighs 277 g.
The Matik has a spring-loaded, lever-controlled cam between two forged aluminum shell pieces. The shell pieces are held together by two rivets. The rear shell is elongated and is the larger of the two, with a 19.4 mm. eye for attaching to the belay anchor. The front shell is smaller. Both have inner extensions on the end opposite the eye, forming a rope channel. This channel is lined with a stainless steel shoe for added wear resistance.
The stainless steel cam pivots on the rivet closest to the eye. The rope runs through a groove formed in the cam. The cam swings open freely, but when closed to the working position, a spring resists further closure, allowing the rope to run freely. Under heavy load, the cam moves against the spring, pinching the rope against the shoe. A two-piece, spring-loaded lever behind the shell operates the cam. Pulling the lever downward forces the cam away from the shoe. If the lever is pulled to its limit, it releases the cam, allowing it to move toward the shoe again. A plastic cover between the rear shell and the lever hides the mechanism.
The front of the Matik is printed with rigging illustrations, "Patent pending," "Matik," "Ø8.6 9.6 10.2" over a split bar with three check marks in the left bar and two more in the right, a book-with-an-"i" icon, "ONLY ROPE," and "1." The back plastic cover is printed with "CAMP." The rear frame is printed with "CE0123," "EN 15151-1 UIAA," a book-with-an-"i" icon, "2 14," and "0090." The cam is printed with a rigging illustration, and has "CAMP" in raised letters and "ROPE" with a line in depressed letters.
The Matik has excellent workmanship and it functions well. It is solid, but it is also heavy. This should not be a problem for gym climbers or people who drive to the base of short sport climbs, but I wouldn't consider lugging this one to a remote climb or up a wall.
The lever action has an "anti-panic" feature: once the belayer moves the lever past the release point, the lever function fails. While some people consider it a safety feature, I consider it an annoyance for people who know what they are doing. The lever function provides partial backup for the belayer not knowing how to use the lever, but like all such devices, it relies on the belayer being completely incompetent rather than partially incompetent - by definition, a partially incompetent belayer would drop me too fast without moving the lever past the release point. I'm not convinced that this sort of feature is an improvement on selecting a competent belayer - or not falling in the first place.
My Matik came with a 95-page instruction book written in ten languages. While the illustrations are good, the text in the manual is nearly incomprehensible unless one has a knowledge of the international standards.
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