Walking On Ice: Stabilicers, Yaktrax, etc...

[East Hill]

Oh, those are aspects I had never considered! I think Quillfred and the rest of us PNWers are thinking about steep, hard packed ice, in the city. That's what we had for the last few days.

East Hill

[DebW]

There's a new brand of full crampons called Katoolas (or something like that) that have short spikes and hinges for flexible shoes. Some hikers use them over trail runners. I believe they're aluminum and lightweight, which means they would wear down quickly if used on rocks or bare pavement very much. Might be a good choice for steep ice in the city.

When using any type of crampon, you need to learn kind of a bow-legged walk so your feet stay further apart than normal and you don't catch your points on your pant legs and trip. Gatiers are good for keeping the pants out of they way, but gaiter tears are still pretty common.

[Quillfred]

For the most part, my use of the anti-slips would be flat and hilly ice for around home and in the mountains (parking lots). I will be spending a week in Juneau and Wrangell (Alaska) in December but I don't have illusions about walking on the glaciers. Time for XC skiing.

I found a few more links this morning (thanks coffee) that provide some debate. The recommendations do shift based on the steepness, frequency of use, altitude (climbing vs walking).

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/arch...hp/t-3862.html

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...egory_rn=69710

divingbiker - I am leaning towards the Yaktrax for my applications. I won't be using them often enough to worry about durability. Glad to hear you like them.

DebW - I haven't hiked in the winter before but have had pretty good luck with my poles and Vibrams crossing the occasional ice field on Rainier trails during the Summer and Fall. However, if we continue to have snow and ice with any frequency, I will consider http://www.kahtoola.com/ Thanks for your well-considered answer.

EastHill - You're right there. I posted this after hearing a quick mention of Yaktrax and Shoe Claws mentioned on the news. I figured if I was thinking about it, others might be too.

Thanks!
Quill

[Aliva21]

Everyone I know who have used Yaktrax for hiking have had a negative experience with them. The seem best suited for flat, level terrain i.e. icy sidewalks. The Lee Valley icers seem to be the way to go for hiking slippery trails.

[lph]

Ok. So I can't help being very curious... exactly how did this thread come to be resurrected in July??

or am I being very Northern hemisphere-centric here...

[NoNo]

I got Yaktrax last winter to help in my walk over from the train station. I thought they were great. Without them, I had zero traction and nearly wiped out with every step. With them, I could practically jog on the ice. Granted, this was on flat terrain, so I can't comment on how they'd work for hiking, but overall I was very happy with them. One of the better $20 I've spent

[Biciclista]

I have yaktrax and they made life a lot easier when everything around here was covered with icy snow. It's not all flat here. But i've never tried the other product so i can't compare. Maybe they ARE lots better; but Yaktrax is what i have for now.

[Pedal Wench]

Ok. So I can't help being very curious... exactly how did this thread come to be resurrected in July??

or am I being very Northern hemisphere-centric here...

I was thinking the same thing - imagining my icewalker insteps with a pair of shorts and tank top.

[SadieKate]

Everyone I know who have used Yaktrax for hiking have had a negative experience with them. The seem best suited for flat, level terrain i.e. icy sidewalks. The Lee Valley icers seem to be the way to go for hiking slippery trails.

Ok. So I can't help being very curious... exactly how did this thread come to be resurrected in July??

or am I being very Northern hemisphere-centric here...

Because we have a new member and one-time poster who hasn't got the hang of the date thang yet.

[Irulan]

I was looking into similar products for a disabled relative. There are lots of reviews online, there are definitely some products out there that get consistently crappy reviews.