First off, I haven't used these in the field so consider his a first impression/ease of set up review.
I have the Dynafit TLT8 Carbonio boots and after a season of using a semi-automatic crampon, I decided to give this a shot. I had read a few other experiences that were less than positive so I went in with low expectations. Next, I decided to mount these to a set of Petzl Leopard crampons which are not Dynafit's list of compatible crampons (setting myself up for success!).
So, we have a poorly reviewed product mated to a crampon not specified as compatible. Well, I am a professional bicycle mechanic and I'd like to think I'm pretty handy so here goes...
Honestly? This set up was a snap. I tinkered with the fit, put the toe bails on loosely and got it dialed. I took the bolts off, added loctite to all the threads and carbon paste between the flat part of the toe bail and the flat part of the crampon. Tightened to 6nm and it is REALLY solid. A hard enough impact would move the bail but it might bend the aluminum first.
After getting the toe end perfect, I adjusted the coil length to get the right tension and good to go. The fit is tight, everything seems very secure and even if the bail were to dip down, I don't think it would affect the retention of the boot in any way. I'm stoked, will report back after I've kicked the shit out of these for a few months but all in all; this is a good solution for boots without a toe welt.
The only drawback to the Speed Nose on the Dynafit TLT7 boots is that it doesn’t support crampons with automatic toe bails (the simple wire that wraps around the toe welt). The solution is to get a semi-automatic crampon, or modify your auto with this adapter. Remove the simple wire bail and replace it with this gizmo that fits into the toe fittings and securely wraps over the top of the boots. The mod is rated at easy to moderate difficulty, depending on whether the bail on your crampons is designed to be removed. Enjoy all the benefits of Speed Noses and automatic crampons attachments with the TLT7 Crampon Adapters. Sold in pairs.
NOTE: This adapter is not compatible with the Hoji Pro Tour boots. Some smaller sizes may work but it's not a design feature. It does work with the TLT8 and PDG 2 which use the same shell.
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Questions & Reviews
Comment on this review:
These adaptors are a joke. Maybe I'm inadept but I wasted 2 hours trying to install these. I couldn't securely fasten the boot to the crampon (BD (sabretooth i think) with my Hoji Tour (27.5). The shape of the toe of the boot is completely different than the shape of the adapter so I couldn't get a snug fit regardless of which holes I used. I tried to install them on my wifes Hoji Tour which is a size 26 and they don't fit at all. In addition to the toe shape issue I think the distance between the front of the boot to the bulge of the tongue is too short and can't accommodate the cable across the front.
Better to just buy a pair of new semi-auto crampons that you'll be confident will stay on your feet in a high consequence scenario. I'm honestly surprised skimo sells these given how janky they are.
Better to just buy a pair of new semi-auto crampons that you'll be confident will stay on your feet in a high consequence scenario. I'm honestly surprised skimo sells these given how janky they are.
4/16/2021
Hi Dominik, unfortunately as you discovered, the TLT7 adapters are not compatible with the Hojis. The semis can work well though.
4/22/2021
Got it, it would be great to add this explicitly to the description because my interpretation suggested any boot with a speed nose was compatible.
"Enjoy all the benefits of Speed Noses and automatic crampons attachments with the TLT7 Crampon Adapters"
"Enjoy all the benefits of Speed Noses and automatic crampons attachments with the TLT7 Crampon Adapters"
4/22/2021
Hi Dominik, good suggestion! That was written before the Hoji existed, so we will need to tweak. The adapter is compatible with the TLT8 and PDG 2 for what it's worth.
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3/24/2021
Will this adapter work with TLT 8 CR expedition?
3/24/2021
Hi Matthew,
The TLT8 has the same lower shell shape as the TLT7, so this adapter will work for the TLT8 Expedition CR as well!
The TLT8 has the same lower shell shape as the TLT7, so this adapter will work for the TLT8 Expedition CR as well!
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2/3/2020
Thoughts on compatibility with the Hoji Pro Tour and BD Neve crampons? Same speed nose as the TLT7 but thought I'd ask.
2/3/2020
Kevin - These adapters are not compatible with the Hoji boots.
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1/29/2019
Hi. Will these be compatible with a PDG2 boot too? Thanks
1/30/2019
Yes, They have the same Speed Nose design as the TLT 7
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1/29/2019
Hi, I’ve just bought the camp xlc 390 crampons and they won’t fit on my pdg2 boots due to the speed nose. Would you know if I can use this adaptor to make a secure fit? Thanks
1/29/2019
Hello Ben, There is a bit of craftsmanship involved in mounting these, but it is possible. The same question was asked and answered by a customer below fyi (look at the one dated 3/27/2018).
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This is great in concept but it has two major issues. The first is that the attachment bolts for the cable that goes over the top wear holes in the side of the boot. After four days using the crampons I think they have almost worn through the side of the boot. The second is that when kicking into ice, the toe of the boot rides over the front of the adapter. This results in unusably short front points and makes it impossible to take the crampon off without taking the adapter apart. It would have been a really bad had I not brought the allen key to the top of Mt Baker. I will definitely be complaining to Dynafit about this.
FYI I used the adapter with a size 28.5 boot and BD sabertooth crampons.
FYI I used the adapter with a size 28.5 boot and BD sabertooth crampons.
5/31/2018
Yikes, that's definitely not a whole lot of fun, sorry to hear that. Have you played with the toe bail location at all? I'm not a leading authority on the Sabertooth by any means so take this with a grain of salt, but it's common on a lot of crampons to have two toe bail mounting locations so you can tinker with the front point "length" and it looks to me like there are two locations for the toe bail. If the crampon adapter was mounted in the one that's further back it would do two things: not allow the aluminum bail to pivot down so far which would mitigate your boot sliding out, but it'd also tighten the "instep" cable enough that it wouldn't let your boot slide so far forward. If that extra hole is just a clever weight savings cut-out and I'm misinterpreting it then disregard. At any rate, sorry to hear about the trouble and feel free to email us or give us a call with any more questions or concerns.
6/1/2018
Thanks for the reply and the ideas! I originally had it mounted on the rear hole but that had too much front point out (this makes it awkward to climb ice). I think the issues come from the shape of the sabertooth. First off the crampon is too narrow which doesn't allow the boot to sit right all the way forward in the adapter. Also, the toe bail hole is too high for the shape of the adapter which makes the whole adapter lean forward. This is likely the cause of both of the issues I pointed out in the review.
8/4/2018
Update: I contacted Dynafit about the boot damage and they replaced the boots with a new pair! I'm still looking for a good crampon solution for this boot though.
8/4/2018
Hey Charles! Oh dang, no kidding? I mean that's probably the best case scenario considering the situation, but it's still super annoying that it even came to that. If I find a clean crampon solution that goes above and beyond just the standard semi-auto route I'll make it a public announcement of sorts and then send you an email. Sorry again about all of the trouble.
3/3/2019
The best solution is different boots. I broke the adapter day one. Since then I've been using a rigid rear heel bail for my Petzl Leopard crampons and the rubber toe bail that came with the crampons. If you are sure to run the crampon retention strap through the toe bail, the crampons will stay on your feet. I still wouldn't climb ice with them. Overall, Dynafit screwed up big time with this no welt toe, in my opinion.
Comment on this review:
3/27/2018
I have a pair of the adapters now and am trying to fit them to Camp XLC 390 crampons. The adapter seems to be too narrow to me (I would have to bend it out, awkwardly, to fit the holes for the crampon bails). Does anyone know if this model is actually compatible? Dynafit says that Camp crampons are compatible...
3/27/2018
I think I answered my own question. It is kind of a force fit after screwing in one side. Screwing in the other side seems to form it into place. It looks fine. Will test it this weekend.
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2/1/2018
Hey, I am strongly considering the TLT7 as my new backcountry boot. But I have some concerns about this crampon adapter. I worry that it won't work as well as a traditional boot crampon. I primarily use my set up to climb and ski Mt Hood. Functional crampons are a must and failure could be annoying at best, and very dangerous at worst. Has anyone had experience with crampons and this adapter? It's a lot of $$ to invest if it doesn't end up working out. Thanks!!
2/2/2018
Hi Cully, we've had a number customers with your concerns. This crampon adapter has worked very well for a lot of people. If you really doubt it, you can always go with a semi-auto crampon. I've found that the CAMP XLC Nanotech with the semi-auto bail fits the TLT7 very well and entirely secure.
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11/4/2017
What Crampon would you recommend to pair with this adapter. Used for ski mountaineering in Colorado. Im have the TLT7 Exp. All my crampons are beat up...
11/5/2017
Hey Luke! The compatibility is pretty much unmatched with these things, we've been really impressed and haven't seen anything that hasn't worked with it yet. As for the crampon itself, it kind of depends on exactly what you're looking for. If you're bashing them on rocks and ice all the time, but want a lightweight crampon, the Petzl Irvis Hybrid Crampon is seriously impressive. If you just find yourself booting up couloirs and occasionally scrambling around on rocks for a minute or two, we have all fallen in love with the lightweight and extremely compact Petzl Leopard.
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6/26/2017
Do they work with Petzl Irvis Leverlock?
6/26/2017
Hey Youyou! Absolutely, but I think the Irvis comes with Petzl's flexible toe bail, doesn't it? If it does then just use that, it'll function the same!
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5/30/2017
Will these fit Black Diamond Sabretooth Crampons?
5/30/2017
Hey Chris! Thanks for reaching out! In theory, yes absolutely as long as you're willing to modify your crampon to a certain extent, but we haven't tried that exact crampon combo yet so we're not sure. The good news is that we haven't found a crampon that it doesn't work with yet! Some of the toe bails aren't designed to be removed, but it looks like the Sabretooth crampons shouldn't have any issues as the toe bail pivots.
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2/4/2017
I have seen two versions of this product? Is this the newer version? Do you have a weight for this? Thanks!
2/9/2017
Hi Mike, this is the only version that has hit production. The adapters weigh 28 grams per foot, including the hardware.
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