Welcome to the Care and Repair section with tips and suggestions
on how to take care and repair all of the Forty Below Products!

Section 1: Fitting and putting on Forty Below Overboots:

Please try on the overboots with your boots, and also with your boot and crampon together to make sure you have a good fit. To put on the overboots, it is easiest if you do it with your boots in your lap. First, pull the front part/toe area of the overboot over the toes and front half of your boot first. Get this part nice and snug around the toes, then flip the boot over and pull the heel area up and around the heel of your boot. The insulation material is stretchy and flexes, so you can pull the overboot around the shape of the boot. The overboot should have the outline of the sole of the boot match up approximately with the bottom stitching of the overboots. Make sure the overboot is not too tight to the boot as the neoprene expands slightly at altitude.

Be sure to try each crampon and boot with the overboots, as the condition of your specific pair of boots and crampons may affect the ability to have a good fit. Generally, you will need to make the crampon about one notch longer in length when using overboots. If you are using a flip-lever heel style crampon binding, such as with a “step-in” binding, you may need to adjust the thumb screw setting to allow for the thickness of the overboot under your boot.
Test your crampon connection to make certain you are comfortable with the fit and security of attachment for your application. If you have a “Strap-toe/Flip lever heel” design binding, you may want to put some extra reinforcement on the toe area of the overboot, such as two layers of the Forty Below Patch material, a piece of duct tape or glue some nylon fabric, etc in the contact areas of the front posts where the crampon and overboot meet as this crampon binding style pushes the boot and overboot into the metal, and will cut the fabric, so this reinforcement will help add durability to this contact area.

NOTE: some step-in style crampon bindings, and crampons themselves are not compatible with any type of overboot/ boot combination, and you may have to select a different crampon that will fit your combination.

Section 2: Easy Repair for Overboots:

One of the nice features of the stretchy neoprene closed cell foam we use is that it can be easy and effectively repaired. Crampons are very destructive to all materials, so the easy repair is a great feature of these products. Wear and tear can be expected, especially at contact points of crampons such as crampon posts, etc. This is easy to repair with glues such as Aquaseal, Seal Cement, Shoe-Goo, and neoprene glues used for wetsuits and waders. Crampon pokes are easily glued back together.

The upper fabric of the overboots is a Cordura Nylon, that has not been coated, so it helps reduce moisture buildup. Rips and holes from crampons are easily repaired with an “Iron On” type patch. An example of this is the patches you can by at most fabric and grocery stores for jeans, etc. The iron-on method is quick and effective.
Some climbers like to enhance the durability of their overboots in areas crampons such as around crampon posts, etc. We have used a product called “Plasti-Dip”, or other rubber tool handle dip type product. This is available at most hardware stores and is applied with a paintbrush to any area of the nylon covered neoprene insulation. We have found two or three layers works well.

Please contact us if you have any questions or need help with repairs, etc. For major repairs, send the product to us and we will usually be able to repair them for a reasonable charge. Please allow 3-4 weeks, and please call first for the repair address and to discuss your situation.

 

© Copyright  2018 Forty Below Ltd.