Camalot is a brand of spring-loaded camming devices, manufactured by Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.
The device is used to secure ropes while rock climbing.
There are two types of Camalots, 4-lobed C4s (the original Camalot) and 3-lobed C3s. C4s utilize a patented dual-axle cam system, resulting in a slightly higher expansion range than for a similarly sized single axle unit, and also resulting in increased strength, allowing placement as a passive stopper. C4s range from the small #0.3, to the rarely seen massive #6.
C3s, a more recently released line, are single axle units designed for smaller, narrower placements, and range from a tiny #000 to #2. There is some overlap between the C4 #0.3 and the C3 1 and 2. As with most microcams, the C3 #000 is rated for aid climbing only.
Camalot lobes were designed to have a logarithmic spiral shape, resulting in a constant angle between the cam and the rock at each contact point; this constant angle is designed to always provide the necessary friction to hold a cam in equilibrium.[1]