lightweight crampon bag

[Ben Wald]

Most crampon bags and rubber point-protectors weigh at least 4 oz’s. Are there any lighter alternatives that protect the rest of your gear and are simple enough to use in the dark?

Stubai advertizes a 65 gram (2.3 oz) crampon bag. Has anyone tried that?
Alternatively, how about bags made out of spectra or kevlar?

I’ve heard of people wrapping their crampons in an old foam mat, but when I tried that it was bulky. (My crampons have a ‘new classic’ binding which adds to the bulk).

Sometimes I just strap the crampons to the outside of the pack, but I prefer to have them inside when rock climbing or bushwhacking.

[Anonymous]

Try taking a 2 liter soda bottle, cut off top and bottom and slit down one side. Wrap up one in each, and secure with a rubber band. These bottles are suprisingly puncture resistant.

[Ben Wald]

Excellent suggestion, Andrew. Thanks! Now you’ve got me thinking about plastic sheeting, would lexan/polycarbonate be even tougher? (Soda bottles are made of PETE). I cut open a soda bottle, and it’s roughly 1/64 inch thick. Does anyone know whether 1/64 polycarbonate sheet is readily available?

[Dale Wambaugh]

Hmmm, a 1/2 gallon milk jug might be just about right for a pair of crampons. You could dissect the top to form flaps and secure with some cord strung though holes made with a paper punch. An old Platypus might work too. I’m still up for a Tupperware box though.

[Graham Williams]

Sure, you could get 1/64″ PETE or 1.1mil PE, but what’s the point? As for the spectra fabric thing, well, it’s not going to be economically feasible.

I’d recommend a bottle and duct tape.

[Ben Wald]

Graham, I was suggesting lexan/polycarbonate (not PETE) sheet, on the grounds that it might be tougher than the PETE found in soda bottles. But after some destructive testing on soda bottles, I’ve concluded that the soda bottles are tough enough.

[Ben Wald]

Dale, milk jugs are made of a different plastic (HDPE) that is not as tough as the PETE found in soda bottles.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Agreed– I was thinking of the size. If they fit, you could drop the crampons inside and tie the top shut.

[David Olsen]

I’ve been using the same two 1 quart oil containers
cut and sewn together to make a plastic tray for
20 years. I made a nylon zipper pouch to hold it
all, then ice screws and a small fluke fit in there too.

[Graham Williams]

BTW, Plastic bottles and a pop rivet or two make pretty damn awesome Anti-Botts. I actually took some shoe glue and glued on some closed cell poly foam to the top in order to insulate them to make my best ever anti-botts. Unfortunately I lost them, but I’ll probably make a new pair this winter.

[larry savage]

I’ve been using a plastic cutting board for a pair of crampons all this season.
These are usually sold in packs of three different colors and we usually replace our kitchen ones yearly, I just grabbed one and use a heavy duty rubber band. Has the added bonus of a cute fish imprinted in the corner.

[Joshua Gilbert]

I know this is an old thread, but I just realized today that you can take a snowclaw and wrap it around your crampons, and protect your bag from your points. Assuming that you are already carrying a shovel and you use a snowclaw, you get yet one more use for your already multi-use tool, and no holes in your pack. I have a snowclaw guide, which is a bit stiff for this application, although still functional, I imagine the racer model, which is supposed to be more flexible would be ideal. One caveat: If you have large feet (12.5 for me)your front points will stick out the one end, oh and you need some kind of strap to hold the snowclaw closed.
Josh

[James Watts]

Wow, that's a pretty good idea (slaps self on head). I usually carry mine in a BD crampon pouch secured to my pack with the sleeping pad straps, but if I ever carry them inside, I'll give the snowclaw a try.

[YAMABUSHI !]

2x thick cordura sheet has worked for me… just wrapped around

but the soda bottle idea seems cool

[David Stanhope]

I use the Wild Things gear Crampon Bag. It's 6oz. I want to say it's kevlar reinforced but don't quote me on that. It's very durable and fits crampons and has room to spare. When I climb I attach my crampons to the outside of my pack but I use the crampon bag just for transportation so it doesn't rip any of my other gear.

http://www.wildthingsgear.com/legacy/?p=1255

[Nick Gatel]

I have been using this at 5.5 oz. But now you all have got me to thinking about this. I shall watch this thread with interest.

[Jace Mullen]

So what would the advantages of a bag be over the little rubber point protectors? Wouldn't the protectors be lighter? Maybe im missing something here, as I just ordered my first pair a couple of days ago (Grivel G12 fwiw).

-Jace

[YAMABUSHI !]

A bag or some sort of cover will fully enclose your hopefully sharp and pointy crampons from fragile things like a down jacket, shell, or even your pack itself.

the rubber point protectors would work in theory but lets be real, out there, your not going to want to fiddle with little rubber dots, with cold hands and maybe a cold brain. thats a 100% headache. K.I.S.S. or if you like

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
-Leonardo da Vinci quotes

g12's are great. dont get sucked in to buying every product out there. there are thousands of dollars that need to be spent for mountain equipment, point protectors are at the very end of the list.

Hey Nick:

I thought of doing a tutorial but if you cant figure that out you… IMEANCOMEON!

1.7 OZ

[Derek Goffin]

I solved 2 problems at once. I used a piece of old polyurethane groudsheet and made 2 inside leg half gaiters that hold any baggy trousers close to my leg to stop the crampons spiking them and enclose the crampons with the same elastic and hook and loop, when they are stored. weight 40grams 1.4 ounces They actually nearly surround my partner's kahtoola's too as I often carry both.

[Nicholas Luhr]

I don't bag my crampons… But when I tuck them into an outer stretchy pocket, I just sandwich the points together so they can't pierce anything.

[drowning in spam]

The soda bottle case is pretty slick and simple, plus they would be good for catching water from shallow creeks and seeps, and may even work as a snow anchor if a bit of twine was run thru it.

[. .]

As for the crampons, I've usually just strapped them to the outside of my pack with the points facing out: net 0 oz.

We used to use those soda-bottle (or sometimes Clorox bottles) contraptions when caving (with the addition of a shoulder strap), because they are so durable and you're constantly taking off your bags to squeeze through narrow passageways.

If they must go inside for some reason, then I set them with points facing inward and wrap the straps around them. If need be, I sandwich a pair of socks in between them to keep the points from sticking past one another. Then I wrap a fleece or other more abrasion resistant item around them.

[Jimmy Bui]

I too would like to keep my crampons on the outside to both save volume within my pack, easy of access and to keep the melted ice and dirt out. I've made a crampon case from two small milk jugs, but it's more trouble getting the crampons down to their minimum size and stuffing it in the case. Does anyone have experience or any ideas on constructing a crampon patch on the front of the pack?

[Douglas Ray]

For years I have just used an old stuff-sack made of light un-coated nylon and it has worked just fine. I have also used the stubai bags the OP mentions and they are quite nice, but the old stuff-sack is lighter.

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