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Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon

$129.95
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42 Reviews

Contact Strap Crampon

For general mountaineering, icy bootpacks, or mountain treks that include snow or glacier travel, the Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon gives you durable, lightweight dependability. Black Diamond designed the Contact with stainless steel for low weight and to ward off rusting.
  • Horizontal front points provide more security in steep snow
  • Full-strap attachment system works with any boots or even shoes
  • Anti-balling plates keep snow from sticking
  • Item #BLD1066
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Manufacturer Warranty
1 year
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Tech Specs

What do you think about this product?

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Nice Crampon for Hiking and Ski Boots

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
Fit:
True to size

Very nice crampon that fits my North Face Ultra Fastpack 10.5 hiking boots as well as my Hawx Ultra XTD 120 26.5 ski boot. Used it when I was hiking Heliotrope Ridge at the start of November when it's completely covered in ice and the traction was exceptional.

1 for 2, not bad

bought 2 pairs - one pair fit size 10 woman boots perfect, and im totes pumped to use in the north cascades this year.....bummer though, bought a second pair that didn't fit a size 12 mens boot. i read the reviews earlier and thought i'd take my chances (since it really isnt a huge or heavy duty boot at all).....unfortunately it is maybe a 1/2 inch too short.

Black Diamond Contact Strap

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

Capable and universal, the strap feature lacks the stability of semi or fully automatic attachment options, however they can, and have, been strapped to just about any closed toe footwear (I do recommend mountaineering boots). I have put just under 10,000 feet of gain on these and can say they certainly do the job. Good traction for a 10 point and the durability of steel to boot. While they are certainly not a technical crampon I will confess to having scaled some occasional vertical ice using my pair and the front point do bite better if you file down the tops. Primarily used now as loaners for friends I rope into trips, and still going strong. One complaint, the bar is indeed a bit short.

Capable

Work well with my La Sportiva TX4 Mids

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

First of all, I wear a size 44.5 La Sportiva boot that fits great on the forth hole away from the end of the extension bar that came with the crampons. I read many reviews that the bar was super short, but for simple hiking/approach mid boots, they are plenty long. A size 44.5 snowboarding boot might be pushing it. GRIP: They hold well to all snow and ice conditions that I have encountered so far. They are probably the least grippy in steep slush, as the front spikes aren't quite enough to make up for the lack of horizontally placed spikes under the ball of the foot that are sometimes present on snowshoes. DURABILITY: Time will tell I guess. I had to walk on and off repeatedly over snow and rocks on one hike. The metal spikes look like they got chewed up pretty good on the tips. Crampons are not collectors items and are designed to be used until they are no longer useful. As long as they don't fall off my feet at a bad time, I'm fin with the wear and tear. FIT: They fit great on my TX4 Mid GTX approach boots. It's almost like the boots were designed to take strap crampons, as the heel locks into the strap in a way that will likely never come undone, and the toes have enough protection to keep from getting rubbed hard. While it's preferable to have a stiffer boot for crampons, the TX4 Mid has enough ankle support that combines with the low height of the sole and wide footbed to make it more stable than a pair of lightweight mid boots should have any right to.

Old faithful

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

I have used these on a few outings over the years and lent them to friends and it is nice to have one set that will fit so many different shoes and boots. I'm excited for the next time I get to use them.

Haven't used it yet

Familiarity:
I gave it as a gift but have feedback to share

Looks solid and will work with boots with no toe or heel lip

Nice Product-Wrong Description

Familiarity:
I returned this product before using it

I would write a great review but these crampons do not fit my size 12 hiking boots. Item description explains it fits all size boots; however, I would have to order Long Flex Center Bars from Blackdiamond for $19.95 to fit a size 12 as Backcountry does not have these on their website. The BC description does not describe the gear I ordered.

Those of us in the size 12 category thank you for your review.

I use size 12 boots and they fit both of mine, sorry you had a different experience.

Great Crampons

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

These crampons work great for me. I'm not an every week-end user. When I do need crampons in the North Cascades these universal crampons work really well with my Asolo boots.

The bomb

I just used these today for the first time on a great ski mountaineering adventure and they were fantastic. Easy to get on and off the feet. They make you feel some much more confident when conditions get sketchy. Great product!

All time favorite crampon

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

This is one of the most versatile crampons I've ever owned. They fit on everything from my approach shoes to my mountaineering boots. I purchased these for spring hiking in the mountains and they have worked great.

Very Happy

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

My first pair of crampons, I bought them right before my Mt. Adams climb. I tried them on with my Keen boots before the trip and they seemed to fit well. I did cut off almost a foot of the adjustment strap after trying them on and I haven't regretted it, they come with a lot of extra length. We strapped up at 4:30am and used them for a good 5,000ft up to the summit. After putting them on I never had to tighten or adjust them. They didn't slip around on my boots and they seem like they would fit any ankle boot. Great all around crampon, I highly recommend them!

Excellent Crampons

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

We give these a 5 star because they do an incredible job doing what they are supposed to do. They are well designed, last a long time when taken care of well, and will strap to anything from a mountaineering boot to a backpacking boot to a ski boot. The downside of these is that they are not the ideal crampon to get if you have a mountaineering boot, as a more secure crampon would be the Black Diamond Sabretooth pro crampon which seats well on mountaineering boots intended for use with these crampons. That being said, BD makes excellent gear and these crampons do a great job!!

Great crampon

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I'd never worn a pair of crampons in my life but tried these over the weekend and they dominated! After a quick learning curve which included stabbing my leg once and shredding my pants a little, we were able to hike up 2000 feet of varying snow conditions and didn't have any problems, even up 300 near verticle feet to get out of a lake basin. For a newb like me, these things perform awesome. Can only give 4 stars because still had to buy the separate extender bar. They should just come with it.

Yes, I bought another set of crampons

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

It's been a very icy winter in New England and micro spikes won't cut it and my other crampons don't fit my hiking boot. Decided to go with these over something like the Hillsound crampons. Other than needing to trim the strap down, these are a great pair of crampons for hiking steep trails with heavy, hard ice flows.

too narrow for snowboard boots

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

Maybe I'm just too old or too stupid, but I can't make them fit my snowboard boots (Burton Ruler size 10.5 and DC Travis Rice 10.5) properly; the attachment points are too narrow for the boots. Or am I doing something wrong? One of the crampons came off numerous times yesterday - on a steep, icy face, where there was no secure place to rest and fit or turning back. A bit too exciting for my taste. When they stay on the boots they are great, the teeth grip as they're supposed to, and they're really great when then the split board crampons aren't enough.

Hi Christian - I use Burton Rulers (also size 10.5) and am planning to do some splitboard mountaineering - do Burton Rulers work for that (tread is limited, so presumably only with a strap-on crampon like this), but if this crampon was too narrow - what crampon do you recommend would work better? Were Burton Rulers stiff enough? Also what split board crampon do you use?

Nice basic crampons

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I bought these crampons to use with medium weight hiking boots with flexible soles. I have rigid crampons for my plastic AT ski boots. I want to use these for light/easy summer snow/glacier use. They fit my boots OK (Lowa Renegade). I like the fact they are stainless steel, my old crampons are rusting some.

Works perfect! Fits Perfect!

This crampon works perfect with my Rome Libertine Size 10.5 boots. The tightening system is reliable and easy to use. The low weight makes this crampon maybe the best of its type. I would have expected a fabric case included, though.

This

have you made any adaptations to the crampons? I'm a size 10.5 as well and the crampons barely fit lengthwise and tend to come off if the terrain gets rough...

flexible

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

ever tried to use a stiff crampon with flexible hiking boots or snowboard boots? it sucks. feels like you're Achilles tendon is being stretched with every step. this crampon flexes in the middle - perfect for strapping to flexible boots or snowboard boots. used them for shasta. light and grippy.

Great All Round Crampon

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I've had the Contact for the past 3 years and they make a great all round pair of crampons for use with all boots. Great for boots that don't have stiff soles and welts to accommodate auto or semi-automatic style. Never had problems with these coming loose. I've since upgraded to another Black Diamond semi-auto crampon for AT gear and new boots so these are now being used for others who want to try out the mountaineering scene.

At the top of a steep snow climb...

/

Any chance these crampons will these fit a size 14US men's boot?

Will these work with scarpa t2 eco sz 29? Looking for a crampon that will. Any ideas?

Will these fit on a mens downhill boot, size 27.5 nordicas?

Hey Mark, These crampons should work just fine with that boot and sizing. The crampons fit European sizes 36-46 and you would fall under a 42.5. If you have any other questions or need assistance with an existing order or placing an order, please feel free to contact us on Chat or call us at 1-800-409-4502. Thanks!

New to crampons and wondering how well these will work for hiking on mixed terrain. Typical trails I hike in springtime will have sections of hard-packed snow and ice interspersed with sections of rocky terrain. How well will these work on the rocky sections and will it be damaging to the crampon ?

Would these crampons work well with my Scarpa AT ski boots for steeper/ more technical ski tours (Shasta, Lassen, etc)?

Is the price listed for one crampon, or a pair??

Hey Tallin, the price listed is for a pair of crampons. I have these same crampons and have loved them!

Will these fit a size 12 snowboard boot? If not then what would you suggest?

Hi David! Thanks for reaching out to us with your question! These will not fit without also purchasing the extra long center bar. If you get the correct center bar then you are good to go! Need more info/beta? Want help getting geared up for your next adventure? Feel free to reach out to me directly @ nreed@backcountry.com

Will these crampons fit a small foot? Size 36

Yes, they will.

Will these fit a pair of La Sportive Trango S evo gtx?

Yup they sure will. You could even get a pair of crampons with the heel being a wire bail, little more secure. You can call or email me directly. 801-736-6398, or bporreca@backcountry.com

will these fit on Scott (formerly Garmont) Excursion tele-boots with classic 75mm duckbill? Or is the duckbill too wide for the front strap

is this crampon going to fit size 8 1/2...

is this crampon going to fit size 8 1/2 US ? All comments seem to be size 11 or 12. I know the length adjust. But, isn't the boot going to shift and move around between the side post on a smaller size boot? Especially when put under the intense stress of climbing.

Hello bob, This crampon will fit your 8 1/2 US size shoe. The size of the regular bar ranges from EU 36-46. You will just need to play around with it till you get the perfect fit for the boots you will be using. I hope this helps. http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/climbing%2Fcrampons/contact-crampon-BD4000690000ALL1.html

is this crampon going to fit a size 14...

is this crampon going to fit a size 14 (US) boot?

Jay, This crampon will fit up to a size 46 euro or 12 US boot. It will work with the Black Diamond long center bar, which you'll find at http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond-long-center-bars If I can help set you up with these and or other mountaineering needs please give me a call at 1-800-409-4502 ext 4405 or email me at ssowle@backcountry.com

Will they fit on http://www.garmontusa.c...

Will they fit on http://www.garmontusa.com/garmont/outdoor/footwear/zenith-hike-gtx.html?___SID=U ???? or which crampons would you recommend for general use to walk on ice or to climb up to 60 degrees???

Hi Antonis, Those crampons will fit perfectly on the Garmont Zenith. My on;y concern is that your boot may not be supportive enough for you to use if you end up needing to front point for long periods of time. For general snow travel, that set up will be fine, but on ice, you'll wish you had a stiffer boot (to allow for kicking and frontpointing).

Hi, I'm going to summit Mt. Shasta via...

Hi, I'm going to summit Mt. Shasta via the standard Avalanche Gulch route this weekend and am wondering if these are the correct crampons to buy (I have these lightweight mountaineering boots: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/asolo-lothar-gore-tex-light-mountaineering-boots-waterproof-for-women~p~3236w/) I summited via the standard route 2yrs ago, but I rented all my gear at the time and don't recall what type of crampons I used. Thanks!

These crampons will fit on just about any footwear. The Asolos will be fine with the crampons. for a more aggressive boot with a heel welp the "clip" crampons will be better suited for. Enjoy Shasta!

I'll second Reid's comments. These will work well, but it looks like the Lothars have enough of a heel welt to accept the bail on the BD Sabretooth clips. That's the better choice for a solid and secure crampon.

Thanks so much, Reid and Phil! So although these crampons are versatile, should I go with the BD Sabretooth ones instead?

Hey Daphne, Doing a little more research to make sure the heel welt was in fact big enough and the sole stiff enough, based on what I've found, I would have to say yes, with the Lothars being able to accept a hybrid crampon, the Sabretooth clips are the way to go. You'll get in faster and have a more secure fit.

And I second Phil on this one, I've since moved on to the sabretooth clip, not as versatile but solid fit on boots with heel welt. The additional points help with stability and can be used to climb ice. You'll feel much more secure! Contacts are nice for light glacier travel

Looking to be able to strap a pair of...

Looking to be able to strap a pair of crampons to my T1 (teleboots) in addition to my Asolo TPS (leather hikers). Wondering if these make more sense than the Sabertooths?

Yes - I don't believe that the TPS boots accept a heel bail, so the sabretooth would not fit those, while a strap fitting would work with either boot.

I want to purchase crampons for general...

I want to purchase crampons for general mountaineering. I would appreciate some help knowing what differentiates between the BD Contacts and the Sabretooths. For example, what type of conditions would the BD Contacts be superior to the Sabretooths? and vise versa..

For light mountaineering and glacier travel I'd go with the Contact. The points are less agressive and it works with any boot. For forays onto vertical ice look to the Sabretooth but only if you have a boot with a heel welt as the crampon attachment will need one.

I'm having trouble deciding between the...

I'm having trouble deciding between the Clip-On and Strap models. I think I will primarily be using these crampons with ski boots (Dynafit TLT5) for ski mountaineering, but it would be nice to be able to use them with my hiking boots occasionally as well and not have to own two pairs of crampons. Are there significant disadvantages of using the strap model vs the clip-on with ski boots?

I have the TLT 5s and use a clip crampon mostly because they are way easier and faster to put on when you are standing at the base of a colouir. I guess if you were willing to futz with them a bit and really didn't want two pairs I'd get the strap. But waiting for my partner to put on his strap crampons while I'm already booting the chute can get old.

You will get much better stability with the clip on. Its give and take. Strap crampons always feel "loose" on my AT boots and snowboard boots.

I need a crampon for splitboarding and...

I need a crampon for splitboarding and general mountaineering. but I only have enogh dough for on pair will these work on a 3/4 mountaineerng boot without compramising funtion?

You may have issues fitting both snowboarding and mountaineering boots into the same set of crampons. I've seen people have to bend the crampon body to get snowboard boots to fit in them, but that would make them too loose for mountaineering boots.

Haven't tried them on snowboarding boots, just mountaineering boots, but another person's review indicated they work for a wide range of boots.

These will fit your snowboard boots if the heel is narrow enough to fit the metal tabs. Grival does make a wide bodied strap crampon that fits really good also

thanks guys, I eventually bought a pair, and they fit awesome on all these boots BD Quadrant A/T boot La sportiva glacier mountaineering boot La sortiva pamir hiking boot Burton Ruler snowboard boot

Would these crampons work for technical...

Would these crampons work for technical ice climbing ,scaling frozen waterfalls?

No, these are a very lightweight glacier only type crampon. You want something like the Black Diamond Cyborg for ice climbing, or at the very least the Sabertooth.

Will these work with stiffer snowboarding...

Will these work with stiffer snowboarding boots such as the Burton driver X?

you will find that snowboarding boots are super wide and will have trouble fitting onto them... it might not be the greatest fit but it could give you a bit more traction if you need it

Depends your heel and toe width, they fit my DC judges. Grival makes a wide crampon that works great!