Yaktrax

[2Ply]

Has anyone used Yaktrax ? I plan to do more winter hiking and have used Icewalkers instep cleats but want more coverage.

[Moose2001]

2Ply...I use them at work all the time. (I work at a ski area in VT). They are pretty good for what they are intended for....walking on icy parking lots, sidewalks, etc. I don't think they would hold up very well to any hard hiking nor would they really give you acceptable traction on a steep, icy slope. Better than nothing at all on your feet but not what I'd want to winter hike in.

[TJ aka Teej]

Any other suggestions for similarly lightweight but maybe a little more heavy duty?
Yaktrax come in two styles of sturdyness (is that a word?), Walker and Pro. I've used the Pros on the Air Line in the Whites over a fifty foot section of slanted ice, on Katahdin in an October sleet storm, and I highly recommend them.

[gravityman]

Check out http://www.kahtoola.com

Less agressive crampons that you can wear with running sneakers. I LOVE mine for winter hiking!

Gravity Man

[Trail Yeti]

I have a pair. I use them for walking around campus (icy stuff) in the morning before they salt everything down. I also use them on day hikes, just in case the slope is froze over...they give you enough traction so that you don't slide all over the place. Also very easy on/off.
I think they are great, but have never used them in really deep snow.

[TJ aka Teej]

http://www.kahtoola.com
Those look much more serious than yaktrax!

www.yaktrax.com (http://www.yaktrax.com)

[springerfever]

I've had my Yaktrax Pro's for a year and highly recommend them Extremely lightweight, I wouldn't want them for continuous use but they are great when used occassionally , and did I mention LIGHT.......

Up on the AT in the Smokies last February, I was hiking in six inches of fresh snow and having to navigate frozen ice on the trail. The Yaktrax, along with using poles, give you the additional purchase you need to keep from seriously hurting yourself. Easy to use and worth their weight in gold when needed..

If faced with being between two sizes..get the smaller of the two..you want these babies secure!!

[DebW]

I recommend instep crampons with points an inch or more long. They have 4-6 points under your instep, so if you're on mixed terrain, you can step on the rocks with your toes and the ice with your insteps. I've had my pair 25 years and they've never rusted or gotten too dull, but it's a brand that's not made anymore. The CMI instep crampons is probably the closest thing on the market today. I used my insteps in November climbing Mt. Eisenhower in the Whites when the trail was a sheet of ice. I just stomped up the ice when everyone else was looking for ways around it. They're great for late fall when you might have rock or ice or snow. But in mid-winter, I'll always carry full crampons when going above treeline.

[gravityman]

Those look much more serious than yaktrax!

www.yaktrax.com (http://www.yaktrax.com)

Yes, they are more serious, and heavier than yaktrax. But if you want to do real winter hiking, they are indespensible. The yaktrax are not going to give you the traction that you are looking for in snow and ice. These will. And they work with running shoes, which instep crampons and full crampons won't. We used them to go up Mt. Manadnock and Mt Washington (2 times) in the winter. We hate wearing boots, even in the winter.

But if you are looking for something to use on a thruhike to negotiate the smokies, go with the yaktrax. If you want something for day hiking up bigger mountains or really good purchase, these are the babies for you. You don't even think about them when they are on.

Gravity Man

[bretb]

I bought a set of yaktrax prior to a 3 day hike this week in GA. Being from Florida I am by no means an authority on hiking in ice and snow but in using then I found that they do work good on icy spots on trail. They do lack durability when used in rocky terrain. Mine held up ok but my friends broke after an hour of use. When using them I noticed that they do move a bit on your feet and if you don't pay attention to it you will find that the rubber will be stretched quite thin from shifting on one side or the other.

Bret

[tlbj6142]

Check out www.stabilicers.com (http://www.stabilicers.com). They have two models. The heavier model is a good fit between YakTrax and Kahtoola's.

[Presto]

My wife tried out a pair of pro model yaktrax during our winter trip on the Superior Hiking Trail. Maybe her boots were a bad shape for them (la sportiva boots) but they kept on slipping off the toe or heel, or both. There was 6 to 15" of snow so maybe this contributed to the problem. That being said, they did seem to work well when they stayed on her feet.

[MedicineMan]

http://www.cmi-gear.com/catalog/essentials/crampons.asp

these are sweet but those Koots look good to, the instep crampons are obviously lighter and last year carried me over long sections of ice in Georgia...

There is also the Flyin Brian approach, a small socket set and small lag screws that you install into your sole when needed.

[Big Dawg]

From another thread: I just got back 4 days ago from hiking the AT in the smokies (awesome trip) & used the YakTrax. 2/3 of the trail had some amount of ice/snow, so some sort of crampon, etc. is needed. The Yak Trax gave me traction-----when they were on,, the problem is that b/c of the way they are made, they tend to slip to the side/front/back based on whether your hiking up/down, on snow/ice, or regular trail w/ rock/roots. (There were plenty of areas where one side of the ridge was 6-12 in. of packed snow/ice, then cross over the ridge, & there was clear trail-----so these Yaks need to stand up to snow/ice & rock/roots,,,too much of a hassle to take off Yaks each time you come back to clear trail). During the trip, they broke 2 places on mine, & 3 places on my friends pair. We repaired w/ rope, which broke again. These seem to be great for low impact, flat surfaces w/ snow/ice, like driveways, but definately not for the trail, in my humble opinion. I researched this b-4 I bought, & it seems yak trax works for some. I would only use these again if they were the only traction device available. Better options in above & in other posts.