Reviews/Thoughts on Camp Tour Nanotech and XLC Nanotech Crampons?

[Practitioner]

I am looking at buying some crampons, exclusively for ski mountaineering use. I've been looking around, and it seems that the Camp XLC Nanotech and Camp Tour Nanotech both provide some of the benefits of steel crampons with the weight saving associated with aluminum crampons.

Just wondering if anyone had experience using either of these two crampons, i couldn't find any reviews for the tour nanotech online.

[bfree]

No comments on those exact models, but I have the XLC 390s and really like them. Incredibly light for the traction they give. Same exact 'pon as the XLC Nanotech without the steel reinforced front points. That said, I only use my 390s for ski mountaineering and have never tried any steep ice with them. I switch to full steelies in late summer when the skis come off and rocks are more abound.

[lynchdogger]

Those pons the op is asking about are best suited for snow only. So many other ways to save weight these days why buy a pair of pons that cannot handle abuse of rocks? Don't get it but to each their own. Steel baby. Years and years of abuse and still trucking. Less likely to fail in the field after a few and there are those key pieces of gear that failure can ruin a day or a trip or worse.

Petzl sarken does it all from grade 5 ice to general mtneering. 480 grams each.

Or the Vasak for more general mtneering.

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[LC]

Those pons the op is asking about are best suited for snow only. So many other ways to save weight these days why buy a pair of pons that cannot handle abuse of rocks?

Because weight saved is weight saved. It's weight vs burl, as with most gear, but if you'll rarely touch ice/rock then the weight saving might be worth it.

I have two years on the XLC Nanotechs. On my first day using them (mostly firm snow but no ice) one pair of rivets that hold the steel front points bent or stretched leaving a bit of a gap & wiggle. Camp repaired them on warranty and they have been fine ever since mostly on snow, some rock and very little ice. If I was buying again I'd probably just get the 390s fpr the same usage. If I was on rock more or knew I'd be kicking into ice sometimes: Tour Nanotech.

[old goat]

Nanotech? I wouldn't buy them based on the name alone. WTF does Nanotech mean talking about crampons?

[hoarhey]

I have the XLC Nanotechs.
First time I used them ended up being a 2 day ice climbing course with Exum in Lake Louise near Dubois.

They worked fine for that, and my guide said that they would probably be fine for climbing the grand as well.

But yeah, the other 12 aluminum points will get dull fast on rock.

There are tradeoffs for sure.

Nanotech has something to do with metal treatment...

They have used it on the steel front points of the XLC 390 crampons, as well as one of their lightweight axes.

[hick]

Love my full alu camps, rock full steels for nasty shit. That being said, I've done some light mixed with the full alu 390 and was wishing for steel points for the bit of ice I encountered. I say give them a go. The weight savings is VERY noticeable to me for long steep pulls. So worth it.

[agwat1111]

I've never regretted owning my steel Grivel crampons, used them on scree last weekend on the way to my ski objective. I have read many posts where people complain about their aluminum crampons....

[rod9301]

i just got fine camp race?? Crampons, the ones that have two pins in the back to hook up to dynafit bindings. Really really light and work great.

I think that most of the time alu crampons work well, and you are more likely to put them in the backpack than a pair of 2 lbs steel ones.

If it's so icy that aluminum bounces off,o turn around anyway.

scree just take them off, but I was on plenty of mixed with my older pair of alu crampons, and they did fine.

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[dark_star]

Was always wondering about those race crampons, I read a review which was decidedly mixed. But a great concept. Maybe next time I get a few $$$ kicking around...

[GeezerSteve]

Camp Nanotech bindings are based on Camp all-Al pons but have steel alloy front points riveted on. A couple models of Camp AL pons are popular with ski tourists. Whether they are the right crampons for OP depends on what kind of routes he plans to do. If you're frontpointing more than a few moves, get steel pons. But, Al pons work fine for general non-technical alpine travel, including most glacier routes. I cannot imagine schlepping steel pons on the stuff I do these days, e.g., Ptarmigan Traverse, Eldorado, Glacier Peak area high routes, Isolation Traverse, volcano standard routes, etc., where Al pons work great. In the past few years I've used Al crampons >100 days yet my steel crampons haven't left the gear room.

[Jonathan S.]

Those pons the op is asking about are best suited for snow only. So many other ways to save weight these days why buy a pair of pons that cannot handle abuse of rocks? Don't get it but to each their own. Steel baby. Years and years of abuse and still trucking. Less likely to fail in the field after a few and there are those key pieces of gear that failure can ruin a day or a trip or worse.[...]

If you're just climbing up what you're about to ski down, say, anywhere in the Presidentials, then steel crampons are just bafflingly pointless. (Ditto for climbers/skiers I've seen on big volcano snow routes like Adams South Climb, Rainier Emmons, Shasta pretty much anywhere, etc.)

Was always wondering about those race crampons, I read a review which was decidedly mixed. But a great concept. Maybe next time I get a few $$$ kicking around...

They work really well ... once you take a couple minutes for two very simple mods:
http://www.wildsnow.com/6008/camp-gear-review-crampons/ [scroll to the very end for "Dec 18 '11 edit/update"]
... and then spend many more minutes getting the length *exactly* dialed in perfectly (i.e., definitely *not* the crampon of choice if you plan to swap back-and-forth between two pairs of boots).

That said, a friend's Tour 350 model:
http://www.camp-usa.com/products/cra...ur-350-324.asp
... has a traditional attachment system and barely weighs even more than my 290 (although the Race 290 is pretty nifty for folding up super small in your pack).

I still have my XLC 390:
http://www.camp-usa.com/products/crampons/xlc-390.asp
... which in addition to a traditional attachment system has two more points. I've never bothered with a compare/contrast for one on each foot, but I think the extra bite of the 390 is noticeable over the 290/350 even when just climbing up what you're going to ski down.

I previously had the XLC Nanotech: in addition to the extra bite from the steel front points, the front points are also longer, so even more bite just from that. (However, I sold them since I just had no need for anything more aggressive than the 390 -- and I have no idea when I last used my steel crampons...)

[Jonathan S.]

Nanotech? I wouldn't buy them based on the name alone. WTF does Nanotech mean talking about crampons?

CAMP is just using Sandvik's terminology:
http://www.smt.sandvik.com/en-gb/mat...dvik-nanoflex/

The spike on the Corsa Nanotech axe:
http://www.camp-usa.com/products/ice...a-nanotech.asp
... penetrates impressively well for a single-digit-ounce axe.
(The pick is almost excessively sharp!)

[uniboyskiier]

Despite what many people are saying, aluminum crampons are really enough for most ski mountaineering. It just comes down to the routes you're interested in. Aluminum crampons work great when they are only needed for short sections of non-technical snow. If going any steeper into white ice, ice, or mixed, get steel.

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[GeezerSteve]

Despite what many people are saying, aluminum crampons are really enough for most ski mountaineering.

Actually, only one guy is dissing Al pons for most routes.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I have XLC Nanotechs. They work as advertised. I'd say they're noticeably, but not dramatically more confidence inspiring on ice than aluminum. If you regularly climb small, moderate sections of ice, they're worth the extra weight and expense. But if you already have a pair of aluminum crampons, or if you will just be walking up snow, I wouldn't bother upgrading. The difference isn't that big.