[pct-l] Traction--Katoola choices

[dnielsen at djmurphycompany.com]

Well believe it or not the Katoola manufacturer is in AZ so I am planning to
stop by their facility and check it out.  I will report back. 

 

Thanks Dave

 

 

 

  _____  

From: Kevin Cook [mailto:hikelite at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 12:38 PM
To: Peter Shaw
Cc: dnielsen at djmurphycompany.com; Scott Williams; pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Traction--Katoola choices

 

I bought some MicroSpikes during the holiday sales last year. I can't say
how they work in the Sierra during a thru hike yet, but I did use them here
at home. I live at 7000 ft and we get plenty of snow, so I would take them
with me on my hikes. They worked great! I never had a problem with them
shifting around on my boots or shoes. The way the chains and little plates
are arranged make for a pretty stable platform. I also own "real" campons.
The MicroSpikes aren't quite the same, but they sure felt just as secure on
my feet. In some ways, moreso. With the crampons, I always felt as though my
boot was shifting in the bindings on top of a platform that was stuck in the
snow. They never did move, but I meant that it felt the platform was
separate from the boot, and I was strapped down to it. The MicroSpikes feel
more like part of the shoe. I feel my foot shifting in the shoe more than
the shoe moving in the binding. Like Diane said, the rubber is pretty
sticky. It seems to grab very well to both my boots and my shoes. For
reference, I'm a size 9.5-10. They fit great on the shoes, but it was
tougher to get them on over my boot. My MicroSpikes are size medium.

I don't own Yaktrax, but I've borrowed some. I also agree it's not fair to
compare the two. I think the rubber on the MicroSpikes is much stronger than
the rubber on the YakTrax.

There's my 2 cents FWIW.

On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 10:49 AM, Peter Shaw <pshaw999 at cox.net> wrote:

Dave,

I believe it is unfair to compare microspikes with YakTrax. I have used both
and agree that the YakTrax do not stay in place on your boot very well. I
hiked Baden Powell in early '09 with YakTrax in the snow. They were fine
going up hill but coming down they slid around the boot and ended up on the
top. Microspikes, on the other hand, are much more stable. I used those on
my PCT hike in '09 and thought they were a wonderful invention. I never had
any issues whatsoever with staying in position on my boots, there was no
indications of any wire/grommet failures, they had outstanding grip on the
iciest of slopes and the fact I could walk on snow, then trail, then more
snow without having to keep taking them off was a big advantage over
crampons. I'll be using them again this year on the CDT.

Peanut Eater