Crampons question
Can anyone suggest something better than Microspikes for use on trail runners?
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But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute--and it's longer than any hour.
That's relativity." --Albert Einstein--
Good luck. Hillsound has their flex steps that are less aggressive than their others. I do recommend the Hillsounds as they have the velcro strap over the top of the shoe which allows them to be snugged up a bit and also makes them cose to impossible to step out of (a common issue with Kahtoola's
Stabilicers may be useful on trail runners but they don't have as much "clinging" power as micro spikes. Hillsound spikes may work better but its a crap-shoot. Crampons with trail runners doesn't make a lot of sense given conditions they are designed for.
Why? I've gotten good use out of tossing microspikes onto my trail runners for the occasional icy conditions.Originally Posted by Traveler
If you want something like Kahtoola microspikes, I prefer Snowline Chainsen light spikes over the other brands. But there isn't a huge difference. The velcro strap Hillsound offers with theirs isn't hard to duplicate on others as I was able to purchase the exact same type of strap off ebay and add it to mine to see if it did anything. The idea of the strap was to keep the spikes from rotating sideways when transversing a slope. Does seem to help a little but for most typical hiking use, most hikers aren't going to miss it.
If you want something more cramponish that works with trail runners, then Kahtoola K-10 crampons (and their even more aggressive KTS crampons), do work with flexible footwear like trailrunners. You can find several reviews on google of people using them with trail runners. I own a pair of K10's but reserve them for when I'm expecting a large amount of icy snow on mountain slopes where safety is a huge concern and use the Snowline Chainsen version of microspikes for everything else. To put it into terms of a thru-hike, if I was to hike the PCT in a big snow year, I'd probably take the K10's into the Sierra Nevada, but for more normal or lower snow levels, I'd bring microspikes.
Last edited by Miner; 12-16-2021 at 11:25.
Originally Posted by Traveler
Crampons with trail runners doesn't make a lot of sense given conditions they are designed for.
Microspikes make sense with trail runners, which are not crampons. In my view, crampons with trail runners don't make a lot of sense given what they are designed for as a general rule.
I use my microspikes on trail runners in spring snow conditions. Add in good set of gaiters and they are just about perfect for early spring/ late winter days.
IMO the strap over the top of the foot is very important as otherwise a typical hiker is going to step out of their microspikes on occasion. It doesnt happen with the strap. I retrofitted a strap to a pair of Kahtoolas and it made a difference. As discussed its not rocket science to rig one up.
I'm with you now. The way I read it the first time, I thought you were referring to something like the Hillsound 'Trail Crampons' as crampons (I'd argue they're just aggressive microspikes). Agreed that there's certainly no justification for a full blown crampon equivalent on a trail runner.
Crampons with trail runners doesn't make a lot of sense given conditions they are designed for.
Microspikes make sense with trail runners, which are not crampons. In my view, crampons with trail runners don't make a lot of sense given what they are designed for as a general rule.
Ditto.....
The Stabilicers don't look like they'll work but they are surprisingly effective. I have used the version w/ screws as studs for 20+ years.
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