Gear Review

CAMP USA XLC 390 Crampon

1. 12-point Performance
2. Snap-on Automatic Binding
3. Astonishingly Light — 390 grams
4. Durability?

If you're a ski mountaineer or an adventure racer seeking the lightest possible gear, meet your new crampon: CAMP USA's 390-gram XLC 390.

The Camp XLC 390 weighs in at an astonishingly light 13 ounces per pair, despite having an automatic binding. In terms of weight, at least, the nearest competition doesn't even come close.

The XLC achieves its best-of weight reduction by being composed almost entirely of aluminum—including (I believe) the front & rear bail wires. That should certainly give you pause when it comes to assessing the XLC's ultimate durability.

But does it matter?

You're not going to be using these for technical rock, ice, or mixed climbing.

For most skiers, crampons will often stay in the pack the entire time as insurance.

When you do want the XLC 390, it will be to cross steep, hard snowfields—not climb waterfall ice.

For ski mountaineering and adventure racing applications, the XLC 390 therefore excells in the only category that really matters: weight.

What really makes the Camp 390 a surprise, then, is its dazzling climbing performance.

I noticed the 12 points (versus the more common 10 for Aluminum crampons) immediately.

The XLC 390 grabs the snow with authority, especially if you like to keep your feet flat across the hill, rather than front-pointing up.

The extra two points allow the 390 to use shorter points overall (for enhanced durability) without the usual sacrifice in grip.

One caution: newcomers to crampons will find the extra grip makes walking more challenging, as there are more points to catch on rock, snow, and your boot straps.

I was also greatly impressed with the XLC 390's automatic binding. Normally, ultralight crampons use strap-on binding systems to keep the weight as low as possible. Straps are fine, of course, and offer the most versatility when it comes to fitting a wide range of boots. But if you're wearing a lugged ski or mountaineering boot, the convenience of an automatic binding really can't be beat.

If the Camp's feature set sounds too good to be true, you may be right.

It's hard to imagine such a light, all-aluminum crampon will hold up to regular, heavy use for all but the most cautious (and light) climbers. I haven't logged enough time on the XLC 390 to make a difinitive statement on their durability. But I'll ask again, does it matter? Even if the XLC turns out to be a 'disposable' crampon, it still crushes the competition when it comes to weight and function. As they wear, you can always replace them as needed. It's either that, or carry more weight—and how many of us really want to do that?

» back to Climbing Gear Index