Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon

Curated from 66 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: December 10, 2024

Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon

Brand: Black Diamond

Price: $169

Snoop Score:

5.9

Sentiment

5.4

Popularity

3.7

Technical

7.3

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Snoop's Take

The Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon is designed for versatile use in various climbing scenarios, providing a reliable grip on icy surfaces. Many users praise its effectiveness with approach shoes and compatibility with snowboard boots, noting that "it worked great" in diverse conditions. However, some caution against using these crampons with softer, more flexible footwear, as they may not perform as intended on steep terrain. Overall, the Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon is a solid choice for recreational climbers seeking a dependable option, but users should ensure their footwear matches the crampon's design for optimal performance.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Crampons

The only issue is getting my feet wet.
Positive Feedback

These boots on a steeper section will likely snap this bar and you’ll be left with zero traction whatsoever.
Negative Feedback

5.9

Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon

Buy on Amazon for $169

Technical Ice Climbing

6 / 10

Glacier Travel

7 / 10

Ski Mountaineering

7 / 10

Winter Hiking and Trail Walking

5 / 10

See how this compares to all Crampons

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.

Effective with approach shoes

“The only issue is getting my feet wet.”➕

“I wear my strap ons on trail runners when I have to.”➕

Effective for ice climbing

“Felt pretty solid didn't notice the difference between them and my grivel crampons.”➕

Compatible with snowboard boots

“I've had no issues using Black Diamond contact strap crampons with my snowboard boots.”➕

“Have these. Work great.”➕

Good compatibility with larger boots

“This is the answer. I wear Scarpa Phantom 6000's size 49s with BD Sabretooth Pro crampons and use these extenders”➕

Compatible with strap style crampons

“You should be able to use them with strap style crampons.”➕

“They’ll fit a strap-on crampon but definitely aren’t ideal”➕

Common and well-liked brand

“nothing wrong with strap on crampons, and BD's are common and well liked.”➕

Versatile for various footwear

“Unless you're doing steeper ice climbing they'll work fine for everything else.”➕

“Boots are your most important piece of equipment.”➕

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.

Boot flexibility limits crampon compatibility

“These boots on a steeper section will likely snap this bar and you’ll be left with zero traction whatsoever.”➕

“I don’t expect to be doing intense technical climbing in my ski boots since kicking would be painful (my toes are right against the end of the boot) but would want to be able to use the crampons and ski boots for general mountaineering (e.g. walking uphill with an axe on Shasta).”➕

“I think it will be fine.”➕

“Front & rear are both fine. That's just how it is with AT ski boots & crampons.”➕

Compatibility issues with boot flexibility

“Much stiffer than my Scarp Zodiacs and completely different from a soft hiking boot I’d use for the woods or trails.”➕

Limited real-world experience with extender setups

“Dont know anyone with real world experience with this setup though”➕

Not suitable for snow/alpine climbing

“They are a great hiking boot, but for CO snow, consider something like the Trango’s from Sportiva.”➕

Crampon compatibility issues based on boot flexibility

“Personally, having sold these boots I wouldn't recommend them for anything more than casual snowshoeing and winter hiking.”➕

Not suitable for flexible footwear

“Black diamond crampons on trail runners”➕

“I hated it. The shoe was not rigid enough for the crampons to do their job properly so the whole hike kinda sucked from that point on.”➕

“The issue with using crampons that have a bar with shoes/boots that are not fully rigid is that you can bend and break the bar when the shoe flexes.”➕

Issues with compatibility of toe straps

“People often switch the petzl semi toe strap onto the pro versions. It doesn't fit perfectly.”➕

Not suitable for technical climbing

“First bought the full strap pons because my boots lacked welts.”➕

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

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PETZL Irvis Hybrid Crampons	$197	6.7	Details	Buy
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BRS HuaYe Professional Edition Ice Crampons	$52	6.4	Details	Buy
Amarine Made Anti-Slip Ice Crampons	$29	6.4	Details	Buy
Cimkiz Crampons Ice Cleats Traction for Boots and Shoes	$23	6.3	Details	Buy
Grivel Air Tech Light EVO Wide Climbing Crampons	$194	6.0	Details	Buy
Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon	$169	5.9	Details	Buy
Tomaje 24 Spikes Crampons for Shoes	$13	5.5	Details	Buy
Kahtoola K-10 Hiking Crampons	$119	5.1	Details	Buy
WIN.MAX Crampons for Shoes	$19	5.0	Details	Buy
AYAMAYA Upgraded 24 Spikes Crampons Ice Cleats	$19	4.9	Details	Buy
Climbing Technology Nuptse EVO Automatic Crampons	$119	4.8	Details	Buy
Yaktrax Adventure Grip Crampons	$34	4.6	Details	Buy
GRIVEL Air Tech New-Matic Evo Crampons	$159	4.5	Details	Buy
Magiduck Crampons for Shoes with 24 Stainless Steel Spikes	$9	4.2	Details	Buy
AIROKA Crampons Ice Cleats for Shoes and Boots	$44	4.0	Details	Buy
Salewa Unisex Alpinist Combi Crampons	$130	3.5	Details	Buy
Leapiture 4 Toothed Crampon Hooks - Lightweight Climbing Claws	$32	2.7	Details	Buy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.

Comparative experiences with different crampon brands

“I have the black diamond neve cramping which are a similar concept, except they use a wire to connect the two pieces instead of dyneema.”➕

“I use the Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro with my Inov8 Roclites quite regularly and it works great.”➕

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’

Debate about appropriate crampons for new boots

“Favorite semiautomatic crampons? Hello -”➕

“You can still use strap crampons on the new boots, you just can't use automatics.”➕

“The weight is amazing, but if I remember correctly other people have had issues using those in conditions other than pure snow/ice, and without the stiffness of ski boots.”➕

“Irvis Hybrid. In theory the harfang is more solid but in practice they can be a pain in the ass.”➕

Discussion on suitable crampons for different activities

“Where you wanting to go with these, OP? Glacier travel? Ice climbing? Trails? Icy driveway?”➕

“I was wondering which crampons would best suit my mountain boot, Millet Supertrident GTX, any recommendations and help would be appreciated, thanks”➕

Discussion about proper gear for glacier classes

“They work on moderate slopes 40-70 degrees of hard packed snow, and some ice (I haven't run into Blue Ice yet though), if you frontpoint.”➕

Recommendations for sock choices for crampon use

“Built in blister protection.”➕

Recommendations for crampons for snowboard boots

“Crampons for snowboard boots? Hey all, looking for recommendations for crampons for snowboard boots.”➕

“Grivel G12 Wide is a common crampon for snowboard boots, don’t have any experience using them tho”➕

“Yep, Grivel G12s are perfect for snowboard boots and a wonderful introduction into pons.”➕

“Starting to get more into the couloir climbing but I think going hardboots is the way for anything technical if I don’t want to carry the extra weight.”➕

Discussion on compatibility with various crampon brands

“It seems like the crampons work fine for them.”➕

Inquiry about universal style crampons for transitioning between activities

“most crampons size up to 12US or size 48eu and are too small for my boots.”➕

Discussion on hybrid binding styles for crampons

“Overall, get the boots that will work best for you.”➕

Considerations for gear when transitioning to mountaineering

“I want my equipment to take good care of me.”➕

Preferences for snow and mud walking crampons

“For long walks through snow and mud, hybrids are really nice.”➕

Debate on using strap-on vs proper boots

“My current boots are not made for clip system so my only option is to get strap on version.”➕

“On proper mountaineering boots, nothing beats proper step-in crampons though.”➕

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.

Discussion on reputable crampon brands

“Honestly doesn’t matter for your needs. Just get a reputable brand like Grivel, black diamond, CAMP etc.”➕

“personally a big fan of petzl crampons because they are so modular.”➕

Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon

Curated from 66 real Reddit conversations

Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon

Snoop's Take

Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon

Technical Ice Climbing

Glacier Travel

Ski Mountaineering

Winter Hiking and Trail Walking

What it does well!

Where it needs some work!

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Core Power Plays

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

Cautionary Callouts

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