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  1. #1

    Default Ice treker/micro spike dilemma

    A few years ago I was hiking southbound in the winter and came across a couple of sobo. So naturally we started talking about gear and I complained about my Micro spikes. I had been caring them for about 1000 miles and never used them. They told me a trick they learned on white blazes where you have these little tiny bolt like screws and you screw them in your shoes for traction. They also carried a penny to turn the screws into your shoes. I've gone way back and checked years ago but all I could find is people talking about basically the same thing. Has anybody ever heard of this trick or know about this trick or try this trick? I really don't want anymore what if's in my pack and I am going to be starting my thru hike after the kick off so I need something. I really don't want to go out there and find out they don't work and end up needing a helicopter ride.

  2. #2
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    I believe you're referring to ICESPIKEs (link below) or other hex-head screws, I use them for road running in the winter and they work well for that purpose, but Katoolah Microspikes are much safer for winter backpacking.

    http://m.thewarmingstore.com/ice-spike-ice-traction.html
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sarcasm the elf View Post
    I believe you're referring to ICESPIKEs (link below) or other hex-head screws, I use them for road running in the winter and they work well for that purpose, but Katoolah Microspikes are much safer for winter backpacking. http://m.thewarmingstore.com/ice-spike-ice-traction.html
    Wow that was quick thanks I really appreciate it. Yes I know the micro spikes are really safe I'm from Vermont and I even have a pair in my car in case I break down. The thing that I learned about the southern Appalachian Mountains is the snow is usually soft and wet and sticky and I end up walking around with 10 pounds of snow on my feet. I'm really happy to hear that you can run with them and they don't fall out I really appreciate the help.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by freightliner View Post
    Wow that was quick thanks I really appreciate it. Yes I know the micro spikes are really safe I'm from Vermont and I even have a pair in my car in case I break down. The thing that I learned about the southern Appalachian Mountains is the snow is usually soft and wet and sticky and I end up walking around with 10 pounds of snow on my feet. I'm really happy to hear that you can run with them and they don't fall out I really appreciate the help.
    I you decide to try the icespike screws, I recommend using a powerdrill to install them the first time, it takes a lot of work to get them through the rubber soul using just a hand tool. Once they're in, you can carry a 1/4" combination wrench to take them out and put them back in, it's a much lighter tool to carry than the included socket driver.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  5. #5

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    Really darn I didn't know it was going to be that hard. They had a penny that were going to use but they didn't say how hard it was going to be. I guess I will have play round with that to see if I can make it work.

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    Quote Originally Posted by freightliner View Post
    Really darn I didn't know it was going to be that hard. They had a penny that were going to use but they didn't say how hard it was going to be. I guess I will have play round with that to see if I can make it work.
    Sorry if I wasn't clear, it's only drilling the initial hole that's really tough. After that a penny very well might work to insert and remove them, I'll probably give it a try myself.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  7. #7

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    Yeah I'll have to do that it sounds like it could work and I think I'll also go to hopeless depot and see what they have for little screws. If the Penny doesn't work I know electricians carry around this little pocket four-way wrench and I'll see if that will work. I'll just take a hacksaw and cut off the three sizes that doesn't work and that might give me the leverage I need to screw those screws in and still be light. All I would need this for is if I walk around to the dark side of a mountain and the trail is solid ice. I remember this one time after Muskrat creek and before standing Indian there's a spot on the dark side of the mountain that I must've fallen at least 10 times. So after that I learned that it's smart to have at least something.

  8. #8

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    When not in use, won't the sole holes allow water to enter the shoe when hiking thru a low creek?

  9. #9
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    I for one am not willing to mess up my 100+ $ shoes that took me a good while to find and then have to stop to spend time screwing and unscrewing bolts into them when I can just slip the kahtoolas on and off. I will probably only carry them through April and then have them send back to me in September if it looks like I'll need them. I'll probably be taking more zero days during that time so planning to make up the weight difference by only carrying 4 days of food.
    ““Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees....” ― John Muir

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    Quote Originally Posted by freightliner View Post
    Yeah I'll have to do that it sounds like it could work and I think I'll also go to hopeless depot and see what they have for little screws. If the Penny doesn't work I know electricians carry around this little pocket four-way wrench and I'll see if that will work. I'll just take a hacksaw and cut off the three sizes that doesn't work and that might give me the leverage I need to screw those screws in and still be light. All I would need this for is if I walk around to the dark side of a mountain and the trail is solid ice. I remember this one time after Muskrat creek and before standing Indian there's a spot on the dark side of the mountain that I must've fallen at least 10 times. So after that I learned that it's smart to have at least something.
    I came across this page written by a more serious runner, hopefully it will be helpful.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    When not in use, won't the sole holes allow water to enter the shoe when hiking thru a low creek?
    This is a legitimate concern, I have only ever used them with running shoes so I'm not sure if they compromise the goretex layer. When it comes to backpacking in real snow and ice, I use Katoola Microspikes.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    When not in use, won't the sole holes allow water to enter the shoe when hiking thru a low creek?
    No I understand what elf is saying you don't drill that far. The screws are very very small. The screw threads are maybe one eighth of an inch at best. Me being who I am I will try brute strength and ignorance first Plan B Will be work smarter not harder and drill little tiny holes. Depending on how the winter plays out I may not do anything at all. You also got to remember I'm the type a guy who'll tie my tent downwind from a tree so I don't have to carry tent pegs.

  13. #13

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    Bring some extra screws, they fall/get torn out.

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by rocketsocks View Post
    Bring some extra screws, they fall/get torn out.
    That was my experience with "Stabilicers" that use a flat sole material and have special screw mounts in them. On flat and softer snow terrain they work ok, once you get on ice or combined rock/ice terrain and doing much elevation gain over a rather short time most of the front screws were lost. Getting larger diameter screws didn't help that problem, so I suspect its the length of the screw bite that determines how well these things hold. I have to agree with Tipi and Lady Thru, compromising the tread and sole material of a high end pair of boots is not high on my list of things to do.

    I don't recall any clumping problems with soft or warm snow using the Stabilicers, but I didn't use them long on trails given the failure of the screw heads. I suspect whatever clumping problems you get with boots and screws will be the same. You may want to try a pair of these before potentially damaging boot treads.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sarcasm the elf View Post
    I came across this page written by a more serious runner, hopefully it will be helpful.
    Sorry, here is the link I was trying to post:

    http://web.archive.org/web/200805090.../screwshoe.htm
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  16. #16

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    Thanks that link was exactly what I needed to see. I just looked back and I realize that I forgot to say why I need to know about this idea. I am starting my thru hike after the kick off. This is why I had a dilemma it's really too late for micro spikes but it's too early not think anything can't happen. So if I do get the 1 2 punch from mother nature I can have a MacGyver moment with these little screws. This should be light enough and small enough to have in my first aid kit for a what if situation. I will also say the things that I do I would not tell other people that it's okay to do.

  17. #17

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    Micro-spikes is best to use on a thru-hike, the screw through the sole is a good trick to know when you are out and get caught in snow/ice but should only be used as a last resort and if you really don't like the shoes you are wearing because after you put the screw through the sole the shoes are crap, micro-spikes really don't weigh that much.

  18. #18

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    Much prefer a slip on/off traction device. I've used hex head screws from hardware stores in a pinch but you'll likely need a pointed tip hex head screw with small diameter to drive them/get then started. Even with the appropriate length hex head screws(which is important or you can damage your shoes features, I've damaged soles and WPness), it's easy to feel the pts of the screw through the sole of the shoe if you are hiking in thin soled running type shoes(increasingly common in backpacking circles) and/or thin stock inner soles. All this can be magnified when carrying a heavier load, hiking in intermittent conditions underfoot that vacillate between snow/ice/hard packed surfaces(wooden/rock trail construction materials/steps, bare slabs, scree, boulder fields, paved road walk/crossings, etc)), thin ice over hard surfaces, shallow depth wet eastern snow, failing to satisfactorily spread out/pattern the impact load onto all the different screws AND maintaining it, etc. I think they work best in thicker soled boots perhaps with not enough traction on continuous icy underfoot hikes and on long stretches of icy trail as an impromptu cheap amendment.

    In my experiences, usually some, such as the Icespikes that STE linked to, pop out when underfoot conditions are intermittent, resulting in further contributing to some of these issues. I've experienced some loss of footing/balance issues when some screws have fallen out. Isn't that what I was trying to prevent? It's often not until these times when I've realized screws are missing. That's not always a good thing when it occurs at importune moments when you expect traction that you don't have.

    I find it personally disagreeably time consuming once on trail driving, removing, and then re-attaching/ replacing lost screws too, trying to avoid these potential issues especially in cold weather when my hands might have some loss of dexterity. I've spilled at least two of those little bags of small screws into the snow this way. They are hard to find. They should paint the damn things day glo orange.

    If the hex head screw traction is working for you and you are considering incorporating more snowy/icy hikes consider stainless hex head screws in the future. And, don't forget to take them out when going indoors on folk's linoleum, carpeted, ceramic tile, and hardwood floors or entering nice automobiles. Be careful too walking on those often dry splintered wooden AT lean to floors, wooden non icy trail steps, door thresholds, etc. I've caught a few screws that way throwing me off balance. These are the issue I've had. They can work well though if you avoid the learning curve mistakes I've made.

  19. #19

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    "Micro spikes. I had been carrying them for about 1000 miles and never used them. They told me a trick..."

    Here are another couple of alternative tricks. Cut down the time and length of trail miles your carrying something like Micro Spikes without ever using them. Look ahead at weather reports and trail terrain(especially elevation in winter). It's easy with all the town access pts on the AT, 24/7 electronically available weather reports, as well as AT elev. profiles. Bounce gear ahead based on those trail conditions where you'll likely need them. It's not an exact science and takes some logistical practice but you'll likely find you're doing this with other gear too. You might even learn to more appreciate less wt and gear on your back. Could be a backpacking in winter game changer.

  20. #20

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    my moto is if I don't use it every day I don't carry it "except tent/rain gear", such as the only pants I carry is the ones I hike in, you will learn very quickly what you need and what you don't.

    I hear this all the time and I believe it is true to that is the reason why don't want to carry a half a pound of Micro spikes. I was just lucky the year I didn't hit any snow for a thousand miles. I started hiking at the end of October and I knew any day now it could snow so I had to carry them. I will have to say since then I have learned a whole lot about backpacking.

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