TheMeatyPython

I remember reading a tweet from the Lead Dev/ Director saying something to the effect of, they are waiting and collecting data to see how players use the item before introducing a repair mechanic. I believe the reason behind this was that it is standard practice for keeping the game balanced. Makes sense to me, I've been able to scale down some crazy ledges and slopes without taking any sprains. If I never had to worry about losing the crampons, I'd never take them off. In that case the whole sprain mechanic would be trivialized to some extent.