Forums The Gear Room Crampons for soft boots Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)Author Posts February 8, 2015 at 8:14 pm #780235 bcall8 125 PostsI apologize if there is already an old thread on this. I will be picking up my first set of crampons and wanted to see what other people have been using with snowboard boots. I an currently riding Burton Ions so I will need some sort of strap crampon. My first instinct was to go with the Black Diamond Contact because I have had good experiences with Black Diamond products. Should I look elsewhere? Are there other strap crampons that seem to fit better on snowboard boots? Also, should I stick with steel or go lighter with aluminum? Thanks February 9, 2015 at 9:17 am #780242 HansGLudwig 601 Posts*If you plan on walking mostly on snow, save weight and go aluminum. *If you know you’re going to walk on rocks (or mixed conditions: ice, snow, & rock) go steel. *Some people get away with using Alu on mixed conditions by sharpening them after every use. *Givel makes a wide crampon which works great with snowboard boots; it’s become sort of the standard to which others are compared. *Camp USA’s Stalkers don’t need an aftermarket long bar to fit on big boots (snowboard boots 11+) and they come with a bag. In my experience, BD makes good stuff too. However. . . *There is talk on this forum (and other places) about cold forged stainless—from which BD makes certain ‘pons—not being so good. After it’s cooled, then bent. . . something about stresses crossing structural lines causing micro fissures. . . I don’t really understand but I have seen pics of broken tools that make my butt pucker b/c they failed pretty far off the deck. Anyway, stainless ‘pons are fine if they have no flaws (or if you don’t use them really hard), but you have to know what to look for when you inspect each, single crampon—or avoid stainless altogether and go for ChroMo or something else.Personally, I went with Camp Stalkers and have been pretty well pleased. They are a bit heavy but it beats not having ‘pons and I walk over thin snowpacks with exposed rock & scree. I have never wished for wider ‘pons BTW. And this time of year, you can find them for less than $100.Be sure to bookmark Splitboard.com's Recent Activity page... http://splitboard.com/activity-2/ February 9, 2015 at 10:05 am #780248 HansGLudwig 601 PostsFound the blog post http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/08/crampon-durability-stainless-or.htmlBe sure to bookmark Splitboard.com's Recent Activity page... http://splitboard.com/activity-2/ February 9, 2015 at 10:06 am #780249 HansGLudwig 601 PostsBe sure to bookmark Splitboard.com's Recent Activity page... http://splitboard.com/activity-2/ February 9, 2015 at 11:44 am #780255 JMAutio 59 PostsI have BD Contact Straps and I cannot recommend them. They were ok on my ca 2006 malamutes (26), but very bad on 2011 malamutes and I mean VERY bad, they never stayed on. On the old mutes I was able to climb easy vertical ice (top rope) with them, but on the newer ones they dropped off while walking on snow slopes. Ofcourse the issue is partly the boot also, the newer mutes are no as stiff as the old ones, but the volume etc seems quite similar.I also like BD stuff in general, but these have been poor. Check Grivel G10 wides maybe? The heel loop looks higher on G10 than Contact straps, that’s how I feel I walk out of Contacts, boot flexes under toeball and pops out from the heel.Seems like BD has also made these stainless, another reason to steer away? I have the older ones like these http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/upload/530052/images/BlackDiamond-Contact-Strap.jpgedit. I fitted the contact straps on my TLT6’s (hardboot) for the moment, before I´m able to try out some XLC390s on them. Guess what, the fit is pretty much perfect.. February 9, 2015 at 12:23 pm #780258 bcall8 125 PostsThanks guys… Hans I’m in Vegas so thin snow pack is the norm like you. These would probably only be used for spring trips to the Sierra but it sounds like I should just go steel and not worry about it. Ill look into Camp and Grivel February 9, 2015 at 2:05 pm #780259 powslash 382 PostsYeah Grivel G10 is a go. February 11, 2015 at 1:47 pm #780324 Incalescent 225 PostsStubai Ultralight Universal.I would not go steel unless I were climbing technical ice. Cost, weight, and hazard not worth it.If you have a heel bail and want one crampon that is more all terrain check the Petzl Sarkens.http://goldenincalescent.blogspot.com/ February 11, 2015 at 8:43 pm #780335 stoudema 551 PostsI’ve had good luck with the Grivel Air Tech light aluminum crampons for most snow conditions. I also have a set of Grivel G12’s that work great for mixed snow/ice/rock. Used primarily on the Burton Driver X size 9 boots w/o issue….. November 15, 2015 at 9:39 am #785940 SchralphMacchio 474 PostsDoes anyone know which of the options discussed above in this thread have more flexible center bars? Looking at either changing the center bars in my older BD Contacts or possibly the entire crampon (with something that has a higher engagement point on the heel strap as discussed above). November 19, 2015 at 3:23 pm #786119 powderjunkie 1669 Postsnot sure schralpI use stubai universal aluminum crampons and have not had any problems with them. i’ve heard good things about Grivel crampons.i have a pair of steel crampons and i never use them, just too heavy and overkill for normal couloir booting and stuff like that. November 20, 2015 at 3:20 pm #786163 96avs01 875 PostsSchralp, Grivel has spring steel bars that I double up to get an ideal fit with my G14s on the Spantiks for ice climbing (needed due to the rockered sole, not that I can do that for awhile though). They would work with any of the Grivel crampon lineup. Let me know if you want some pics.165 Venture Divide/Spark Frankenburners/La Sportiva Spantiks 163W Jones Solution/Phantom Alphas/Dynafit TLT5s 162 FurbergChris December 27, 2015 at 4:16 am #787605 Matt Wood 328 PostsPetzl Vassics. I can use them on my mountaineering boots in rigid mode and they fit my snowboard boots perfectly and easily switch to flexible. Just my 2 cents April 19, 2018 at 11:15 pm #818590 Trygve 24 PostsAnyone here tested the Petzl Irvis Hybrid? Steel in the front and alu in the rear, connected with Dyneema cords. Weighs in only at 550g, and was used by Ueli Stöck at his “82 summits in 62 days”. (Now he was probably a bit more balanced in his steps than most of us are….). May 1, 2018 at 5:52 am #818922 VtVolk 29 PostsI use the Petzl Irvis Hybrids on my hard boots. Great pons! The are noticeably light on the feet, and the dyneema cords let them fold up to about half the size of normal crampons, making them much easier to throw in the pack. Mine came stock with both fully auto and semi auto front bails, which was a bonus. November 2, 2018 at 1:52 pm #823809 Trygve 24 PostsThanks for your answer! Didnt realize I got a reply until now. I bought them myself for use on my Burton Imperial softboots (no heel welt so had to buy the heel baskets). I think they work OK on snow and hard snow at shorter segments, but on mix they flex too much around in my opinion. I ended up buying a pair of Petzl Sarken in addition for trips I know there will be longer segments of very compact snow /ice or mix. Another point for having hard boots haha Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)You must be logged in to reply to this topic.