Micro Spikes
Under what conditions do you wear the micro spikes. I am planning on bringing them and only wear them when there is ice around my hiking path here in Chicago.
Icy conditions. I'm a trail / ultra running and found that a little snow offers enough traction, but ice offers none. Micro spikes, or sheet metal screws for your trail runner shoes work great under icy conditions.
Any incline with the smallest amount of ice can be trip home...a show stopper.
What if the trail (AT) is frozen. should you wear them to try and get some traction on the uphill climbs.
Off pavement, in icy and even snowy conditions, micro-spikes can rock. They improve traction, even when just walking on snow, so you can travel faster with less effort if pushing off with your forefoot on slippery snow is slowing you down and/or making you walking more awkward.
Micro-spikes are at their best when they are walking on crusty or icy snow or packed snow where they bite well and vastly improve stability and forward momentum.
Micro-spikes work pretty well, even on hard water ice that is not too steep. When it gets steep many people opt for classic 10-point type crampons.
If you sharpen your micro-spikes a bit pointer than the factory sharpness, they will bite hard water ice better and allow surprisingly steep ascents on water ice with confidence.
Micro-spikes are not good on pavement (i.e. icy roads and sidewalks). They are too aggressive and lumpy under foot.
Where I have found micro-pikes to truly fail, where longer point crampons become highly desirable, if not necessary, is in real granular snow or ice where the short spikes grab onto what they can but then the granular snow or ice slides on itself because your points don't dig down deep enough to stabilize that granular substrate.
Also, micro-spikes tend to fail when there is shallow snow over a crust such that the snow fills up the spikes and then the snow-filled spikes slide on the crust underneath.
And finally, of course, you can't front-point with micro-spikes. Duh.
My micro-spikes, along with my back-country skis are my favorite winter gear! They allow such incredible access to incredible areas with so little additional effort.
I'm not lost. I'm exploring.
This works surprisingly well with a little practice on where to put the screws. I got it right the second time. I keep an old pair of trail runners around now, all screwed up. Of course they're not as aggressive as spikes, but for a low to zero cost and weight solution (if you happen to have the screws and a nut driver), you can hardly go wrong. I heard about some PCT thrus using this trick one year, and it's a good one.Originally Posted by ultrajoey
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
It's just excess weight on the AT imo. Even Yaktraks are.
Yup, until ya need em.
I would not consider YakTraks for trail use, ever. A lot of people (me included) swear by microspikes in winter conditions. But, as you point there are choices. One can choose to save a little weight and not bring them and hope for the best. Many do.
Myself, I find the risk analysis is pretty clear. The potential of ice forming on the AT from November through March is significantly on north facing slopes to moderate on southern facing slopes. The risk of falling on ice without traction devices is extremely high if not nearly certain, the consequence of the failure (falling) is very high, up to and including not ever being able to walk properly again.
Easy choice choice for me. A pound in the pack is a very small price compared to the potential price tags.
Yup, I think those yaks are about useless, but for walkin' around town on black ice, then they're pretty good. Kahtoolas underfoot on a hard road surface is miserable walking, and that's where those sheet metal screws shine.
Hillsound Trail crampons are a bit more aggressive than Microspikes. My gf used them to walk up a frozen cascade over some ledges a couple weeks ago. I opted to walk around the waterfall. Usually, if i need more than the Hillsounds, I turn around. No sense sliding to my death.
Any thing to say about different brands?
I talked my ex into getting a pair and a cheap pair of hiking poles after her hip replacement.
Do you know of anyone who should have that kind of set-up for around town?
For a typical April-to-September nobo through hike, I'd agree. In winter I'd take them for sure. Definitely needed last weekend in the White Mountains. Not much snow but lots of ice.
People do hike the AT in the Winter, and some even use full on mountaineering crampons!
Those Hillsounds are standard equipment among White Mountain winter peakbaggers. I considered using mine last weekend but squeaked by with the spikes. It was touch and go for a bit. My hiking partner used hers for part of the trip.
Actually, current model Kahtoola micro spikes have pretty much the same "agrgession" as the Hillsound Trail crampons, but, the Kahtoolas stay on your feet better, as described well in a sectionhiker.com review of the Hillsounds. The older, Kahtoolas did have fewer and shorter spikes than the current Hillsounds. Because of the aggessiveness and spike stability of my current Kahtoolas, I am more comfortable on more extreme conditions than my friend who switches from his Hillsounds to his full crampons on climbs where I am happy with just my micro spikes.
The new Microspikes do have a more agressive spike than the older version, and have 12, vs. 11 spikes. I never experienced the issues Phil on Sectionhiker talks about. Im wondering if his was the wrong size for his foot?
I watch my friend's Hillsound's heel spikes rattle around loosly when he walks ahead of me. I haven't watched his come completely off, but we haven't done descents like Phil described and I do have way more confidence wearing my Kahtoolas than he does his Hillsounds. And, the Kahtoolas don't need that darn toe strap to stay secure. It would be fun to try different ones on each for for a hike and compare. Hmm.
Are micro spikes sturdier than yaktrax? I had a pare of yaktrax that worked well on snow/ice on trails. I wore then when running, but all it took to break them was one small root that snagged their rubber frame. Do micro spikes stand up to rocks/roots etc?
Kahtoola Microspikes hold up much better than Yaktrax from what I've seen. Though I've seen them both fail.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote