Crampons: Care Guide
Our crampons are made to last for a long time. They are designed and built with high quality materials and components but we also need your help with caring for them. No matter if you limit your crampon/spike use to the winter season or if you also use them in muddy terrain it is important to take good care of them.
We are using two different types of steel for our crampons: stainless steel and carbon steel (see list below divided by model). Stainless steel is known for its high resistance to staining caused by corrosion. Carbon steel is known for being stronger, harder and lighter than stainless steel, however the material is capable of rusting if left in a moist environment for a longer time.
Stainless steel is used in the following crampon / spike models:
• FreeSteps6
• FlexSteps
• Trail Crampon Ultra
Carbon steel is used in the following crampon / spike models:
• Trail Crampon
• Trail Crampon PRO
• Cypress6
Recommended care for stainless steel spikes:
1. Always remove your crampons from your shoes/boots after using them
2. Rinse your crampons (whole piece) in cool freshwater (make sure to get any salt away from the rubber and steel surfaces)
3. Place a towel or a piece of paper on a flat surface (room temperature). Lay out or hang your crampons to dry completely
4. Once dry, inspect your crampons / spikes and if all good, fold them with the spikes facing inwards and store in your Spikeeper or other breathable crampon bag.
5. Store your Spikeeper or other breathable crampon bag in a cool and dry place
Shorter spikes, like the ones used on FreeSteps6, FlexSteps and Trail Crampon Ultra tend to not need to be sharpened. If the spikes at the heel area of the Trail Crampon Ultra need to be sharpened after hitting some rocks, you can sharpen them with a flat file (only file in one direction, not back and forth). It is Important to avoid sharpening them to a fine point or over file the spikes, as it can cause them to break.
Recommended care for carbon steel spikes:
Carbon steel is a very strong, hard, and lightweight material (compared to stainless steel), but it can get surface rust if left in a moist environment. Surface rust is not as bad as it looks, and there are steps you can take to manage this to continue using your carbon steel crampons for a long time.
1. Always remove your crampons from your shoes/boots after using them
2. Rinse your crampons (whole piece) in cool freshwater (make sure to ge any salt away from the rubber and steel surfaces)
3. Place a towel or a piece of paper on a flat surface (room temperature). Lay out or hang your crampons to dry completely
4. Once dry, inspect your crampons. If you notice surface rust on the carbon steel, use a WD-40 (loosen the bonds between the surface rust and carbon steel surface) and a cloth to wipe off the surface rust. Careful to avoid getting WD-40 on the rubber or strap portion of the crampon. Once no more rust comes off (check your cloth) you can stop
5. If there is still discoloring left, you can move into using a fine scotch brite. Rub it on the surface and most of it should come off.
6. Once you are done, make sure they are dry. Fold them with spikes facing inwards and store in your Spikeeper or other breathable crampon bag. Store your Spikeeper or other crampon bag in a cool and dry place
As you know the Trail Crampon, Trail Crampon PRO and Cypress6 are equipped with slightly longer spikes than our other models and use carbon steel. Carbon steel is a very strong material and tend to not need to be sharpened. If, for some reason, you need to sharpen your spikes, you can do so with a flat file (only file in one direction, not back and forth). It is Important to avoid sharpening them to a fine point or over file the spikes, as it can cause them to break.