ProView – C.A.M.P. XLC Nanotech Automatic Crampons
C.A.M.P. is a company entrenched in experience. Founded in 1889 they’ve been doing this for a while. Like most things Italian; they focus on thoughtful design coupled with style, elegance, and functionality. Much like a Ferrari. Through experience, you get feedback that shapes redesign over and over until eventually, you get a product that is hard to improve upon.
C.A.M.P. has four pillars they adhere to and this product maintains those pillars perfectly. Lightweight, innovative, value, and history.
C.A.M.P. XLC Nanotech Automatic Crampons
Product Description: The XLC Nanotech features the same lightweight materials and construction as the hyperlight XLC crampons with the addition of innovative Sandvik Nanoflex® steel reinforcements on the front points for increased durability, strength, and penetration on hard ice and snow. Automatic bindings offer the most secure fit for rigid boots with full toe and heel welts, including A/T and telemark boots.
Offer price: $220 MSRP
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Quality
(4.7)
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Fit
(5)
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Style
(4.8)
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Durability
(5)
Summary
Adherence to the pillars of the C.A.M.P. philosophy is present. These crampons are exceptionally lightweight and feature innovative design and technology. They are aggressively priced and steeped in history. If you are looking for a technical crampon whether it be for skiing, mountaineering, or alpine climbing, there isn’t a realm that this crampon doesn’t master. A highly functioning and attractive member of any technical climber’s quiver, these deserve a spot in your pack.
Overall
4.9Pros
- Easily adjustable
- Lightweight
- Beautiful design
Cons
- Doesn’t come with extra screws
- Case is small
These crampons are geared towards technical mountaineering so I thought a technical climb and ski would be perfect to test them. Engineer Peak is an iconic peak in South West Colorado, rising above the mighty San Juan Mountains. Dwarfed by its neighbors, it’s not the tallest mountain around. But in my opinion, it may be the most beautiful. My mind wanders to a time when dinosaurs roamed and smoke billowed throughout the sky. Then I force my present reality: I need to climb the volcanic sill with sure footing due to steep icy slopes, disintegrating rock, and high consequences of a fall. I need a light, reliable crampon to do the job. Enter the C.A.M.P. XLC Nanotech Automatic crampon.
Fit and comfort
The comfort of a crampon is in the eye of the beholder. These crampons have a front bail and a rear lever bail designed to fit a wide spectrum of boots. A simple single screw allows for quick adjustment. I purposely waited to do this in the moment because nothing is more frustrating than adjusting crampons with tools and cold hands. Luckily a few turns of a screw, measurement to the boot and they were on. They snugly fit my boots, with no movement or slip noted. The stainless steel dual front points allowed for precision placement and secure movement when covering the dangerous, exposed ground.
Function and performance
These crampons are extremely light. Weighing in at 19.8 ounces with a convenient accessory pouch, you hardly notice they’re in the pack until you take them out. Easy adjustment and secure fit make for sure-footed travel through everything on the alpine pallet. Snow, ice, rock, and even grass were no challenge for these. There are wear indicators showing when replacement of the front points are needed, and despite my best efforts to beat them up on the coarse rock of the San Juan’s; they showed little wear and tear. The anti-balling plates kept snow at a minimum and every kick step efficient.
Look and style
Much in alignment with its Italian heritage, elegant design is showcased with this product. Anodized red illuminates exquisitely when removing them from their carrying case. A stylish harness strap holsters the logo, and the attention to detail in the craftsmanship is apparent.
Room for improvement
From a technical standpoint, these crampons are hard to beat. I’d love to see a replacement screw or two thrown in the bag, or perhaps a wrench attached to the case so you’d be less likely to drop it. A slightly wider case to make access in and out of it a little easier with gloves and adverse conditions would be helpful. Beyond that, these are beautifully made.
Final word
Adherence to the pillars of the C.A.M.P. philosophy is present. These crampons are exceptionally lightweight and feature innovative design and technology. They are aggressively priced and steeped in history. If you are looking for a technical crampon whether it be for skiing, mountaineering, or alpine climbing, there isn’t a realm that this crampon doesn’t master. A highly functioning and attractive member of any technical climber’s quiver, these deserve a spot in your pack.
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About the Gear Tester
Joe Anderson
Joe Anderson is an Emergency Room RN/Flight Medic and has been a Ski Patroller in Durango, Colorado for 12 years. When not at work flying around the Four Corners Region in a helicopter, he spends most of his time off high above the ground climbing or chasing the sunny weather looking for the next pitch of rock, ice or pristine slope to ski.
This review doesn’t make sense to me.
It sounds like the reviewer took them out for a single adventure and discusses durability, as if that would really be tested. The key feature of these is weight, yet the skier has heavy frame bindings. Lastly, the photos of climbing water ice are Black Diamond crampons, so that’s pretty misleading.
Hey Reed! Thanks for your feedback! I connected with Joe, the reviewer, to get this thoughts on the crampons durability since he’s been able to use them for years now. Here’s what Joe had to say: “Those crampons are great and I have had them now for years and they’re holding up great!”
Sorry about the BD photos…we removed those since those are not relevant to this review!