November 16

TRAILRUNNING CRAMPONS: CAMP ICE MASTER VS ICE TRACTION CT. TWO SUPERSALES PRODUCTS

Posted by Héctor Rubio on November 16, 2020 in trail running gear, trail running spain | Leave a comment

Trail running crampons: Camp Ice Master vs Ice Traction CT. Our TRAIL RUNNING GEAR section brings us today the two best-selling TRAIL CRAMPONS on the market: Both italian houses share philosophy, weight and even price.

TRAILRUNNING CRAMPONS: CAMP ICE MASTER VS ICE TRACTION CT.

Mountain Races cover, like mountaineering itself, many different terrains and techniques: They take us from the fast American trails to the high mountain technical skyrunning races so beloved in Italy or the “Trail Blanch” on snow/ice so popular in France.

However, unlike the mountaineers, the trailrunners do not have the piolet with us as much as we should, only our poles. So, if we fall down in any steep slope, with very hard snow or ice WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BRAKE. We will fall slipping until we crash into the first rock that crosses our path.

ON HIGH MOUNTAIN, IT IS NECESSARY TO CARRY PIOLET AND CRAMPONS, ALWAYS.

If for some reason, you don’t carry or want to use the piolet, at least wear crampons and help yourself with the poles. The combined use of both elements, training and competing, provides you the safety that will prevent, if you know how to use them, the vast majority of scares and accidents from slipping on ice.

And have them at hand! Nothing sadder than having to help a wounded man after falling on the ice and telling you that “Yes, I had crampons in my backpack, but I didn’t want to stop and put them on…”

This 2019-20 season started with good snowfall, so the ground is still reliable for jogging in most mountains, as white element is not yet deep enough to use rackets or boards, nor so little to start causing numerous mountain accidents due to ice plates.

That’s why, before the snows become ice, it’s time to remember why many high-mountain races, often consider crampons as mandatory safety gear.

The Spanish market has two best-sellers, both veterans. The Camp Ice Masters on one side and the Ice Traction CT on the other. They are tremendously similar in almost everything and they are also the best trail running crampons out there, at least thats our opinion: For safety, lightness and price.

We go with its datasheets and then conclusions of the comparison, after more than two years of use with each one. At first glance, once they’re on, they look almost identical… but they’re not 🙂

CAMP ICE MASTER (PRICE-35€/WEIGHT-500GR)

DATA SHEET: Crampons for walking and running around the mountain horizontally, light and designed to fit any type of footwear. It consists of three interconnected parts: Thirteen steel lugs mounted on three articulated blocks, to match the natural tread. A set of steel links attach them to the bottom of the shoe sole and rise to the shoe’s midsole, toe and heel.

A thick rubber band secures the crampon to the entire top of the foot and fits additionally with a velcro crossed over the instep. All of its elements are designed to work together, such as very durable and reliable materials for good grip on snow and ice and sliding surfaces. It is provided in the sizes, weights and colors detailed below and comes in a rigid box with a zipper for the port.

CAMP ICE MASTER: SIZES AND WEIGHTS

S 35/38 – Grey (460 g)
M 39/41 – Orange (470 g)
L 42/44 – Red (480 g)
XL 45/47 – Blue (495 g)

CLIMBING TECHNOLOGY ICE TRACTION (PRICE-35€/WEIGHT-500GR)

DATA SHEET: Like the previous one, they are also crampons to walk and run on the mountain horizontally, light and designed to fit any type of footwear. It also consists of three interconnected parts: Twelve steel tips (One less than the Camp, as it has no front center tip) mounted on three articulated blocks, to match the natural tread.

A set of steel links attach them to the bottom of the shoe sole and rise to the shoe’s midsole, toe and heel. A thick rubber band secures the crampon to the entire top of the foot and fits additionally with a velcro crossed over the instep.

All of its elements are designed to work together, such as very durable materials for good grip on snow and ice sliding surfaces. It is provided in the sizes detailed below, marked by different colors and is delivered in a practical plastic bag that is closed with tanca.

CLIMBING TECHNOLOGY ICE TRACTION. Sizes and weights.

S 35-37 512g Yellow.
M 38-40 524g Green
L 41-43 534g Blue
XL 44-47 556g Black

TRAIL RUNNING CRAMPONS: CAMP AND CT TECHNOLOGY. MODE OF USE

The fastening system applied by both Camp Ice master and CT Crampons makes it very easy and fast to put on these crampons using Trail Running shoes. To do this, simply unfold the crampon taking note of the front and rear. Next, we put the toe and pull, with the crampon unfolded, the rubber structure back strongly, until we notice that it fits properly in the heel.

It is essential to pull up the back rubber on the heel, because only in this way do we tighten the chains tightly enough with the tips. The upper Velcro is a useful complement to adjust the rubber so that the chains do not lose tension, but the true adjustment and tension of the system is achieved only if we have left the rear rubber perfectly placed before. We’re going to get that rubber and the chains, not the Velcro.

As we see in the diagrams of Camp (above) and Ice Master (below), the crampon piece is equipped with 12-13 rigid tips, which nail perfectly in hard snow and even in most of the ices we find.

TRAIL RUNNING CRAMPONS: THEY’RE FOR RUNNING, NEVER FOR CLIMBING.

Very important note: these crampons don’t have front lugs to nail if things get too steep, or a rigid structure that helps us hold on to the skewers nailed in front of us.

Insist: The lightweight trail crampon cannot replace the rigid glacial climbing crampon with its front tips. It is a reliable tool for horizontal progression or on soft slopes….that if used from 33° can give you important scares, depending on the conditions of the snow /ice.

TRAIL RUNNING CRAMPONS: COMPARATIVE CONCLUSION CAMP OR CT?

Two big light crampons, although if I have to choose one, I’d bet the Camp Ice Master. Let’s see why. In both cases, the combination of that moving part on the skewers, with the chains give it great flexibility, and adaptation to the shoe in each step. The two hold equally well, with the firm rubber ring and velcro. The practical feeling with either is that they are perfectly tight and you can lengthen strides and run without fear as long as the slope is not over-felt.

Durability is excellent in both, not for nothing are both firms specialized not only in mountain material, but also in material for safety and vertical work. The value for money, as so often happens with Italian Alpine products, is truly excellent. No wonder, then, that every winter a few thousand of both products are sold in our country.

WHY CAMP THEN? WARRIOR NUMBER 13 DECIDES THIS BATTLE.

That front center tip is a detail that makes something less fluid to run, run, right. But, when things get difficult it gives you a little more confidence when biting vertically. As the film read: “And behold they call me, they ask me to take my place among them, in the atriums of Valhalla, the place where the valiant live forever.”

To the Valhalla of the Viking warriors we would like to go many, no doubt. But for now, we’re in no hurry to get there. That, after all, is why we put our crampons on. 🙂