The other day, my wife and I started to head out to the grocery store and discovered a sheet of ice on the ground. Not the kind of ice you can gently walk over, but the slick, smooth, and slippery type of ice that will land you on your back in a split second. We turned around and went back inside.
(Note: We don’t own the property, and the leasing office is responsible for salting the sidewalks. I have since given them a piece of my mind, as this was 11am on a Sunday.)
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I had known about Yaktrax’s ice cleats for a few years, but this was the first time there was a demonstrated need for them. Later on in the day I ordered a pair for myself (size medium), and one for my wife (small).
My wife normally requires a little convincing before buying new gear for herself at my suggestion, but okayed this purchase without hesitation.
Yaktrax Pro ice cleats are not suitable for when the ice is fairly thick – for that you will want spiked cleats – but they seem decent for icy ground. The device attaches to your shoes or boots and features 1.4mm steel coils that are wrapped around rubber webbing. Unlike spiked shoes, they *shouldn’t* damage walking surfaces.
Our new Yaktrax Pro ice cleats just arrived, and I plan to check the fit later tonight. I don’t know if or when we’ll be able to test them out.
I prefer not to go on long treks when the sidewalks or roads are iced over, and purchased the Yaktrax more for contingencies where we might need to go somewhere without delay.
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I remember reading that, at least when I first learned about Yaktrax a few years ago, the Pro version was a little more durable than the original Walk version. That heavily influenced my decision to buy the Pro version, but there are also a number of improvements.
Compared to the Yaktrax Walk cleats, the Yaktrax Pro has thicker steel coils (1.4mm vs. 1.2mm), more premium webbing material (natural rubber vs. synthetic blend), and a removable strap that provides a more secure fit over shoes and boots.
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Price: ~$23
I have been wondering, what do you wear on your feet when the ground is icy and slippery? Something like the Yaktrax cleats, something else, or nothing?
Here’s the kind of slipping and sliding we bought these to help avoid:
http://youtu.be/TGH_XOS5mGQ
Josh N.
Like booties that keep from tracking into customers’ houses, these make for a great solution to keep you from falling on ice when you don’t want to change boots. They’re not really durable enough to replace winter boots completely, but they slip on quickly and securely and you will not fall with them on. I got them after falling once and having a sore hip for 6 months. If the rubber does break on them a zip-tie will often make an easy repair. They’re well worth the money and don’t take much space, I keep a set on my truck at all times.
John S
These are a brilliant idea for saving me from falling in my Minnesota climate. I have always heard good things about Yaktrax but this may just push me over the edge to grab a pair.
fred
I bought something similar at Lowes – but they had spikes. These would seem to be more floor friendly – and they are certainly cheap enough.
When I used to winter camp with my Scout Troop (mostly in PA and New England) – I used instep crampons like these:
http://www.amazon.com/Petzl-Crab-6-Instep-Crampons/dp/B0011JFOKU
You became proficient in toe-walking to get you in and out of a tent without puncturing the floor.
Stuart
Crampons are great for walking through thicker ice, or iced-over dirt trails, but I imagine they’ll dull really quickly when walking over thinly iced concrete or asphalt.
Jon
I was at a jobsite in December with quite a few folks wearing various cleat/spikes with their workboots. We had two instances of people falling after having portions of coils on the Yaktrax getting pulled out of shape and caught on the lip of job trailer doors. They should be safer for flooring surfaces vs the spike type, but still take care with them. I imagine if they’ll get caught on trailer lips it would be pretty easy to get caught in carpet at some point. Always inspect your equipment!
Stuart
Even if these are less damaging to floors than crampons and other spiked devices, I remember reading they can be slippery on smooth indoor flooring surfaces.
rob
I have owned a pair similar to those for about 5+ years. Use them in the Tahoe area when I walk my dog and at my previous house they were great when I used the snowblower. A steep uphill driveway was always slippery even when I had on good snow boots, these really made a difference and I always felt I had traction. I also have liked these to throw in my truck when I am out at work and possibly will be stuck in snow on the way home and can throw these on over my dress shoes.
Rick
I’ve have the Yaktrax Pro and the Kako ICEtrekkers that I purchased from REI here in Minnesota.
http://www.rei.com/product/806475/kako-icetrekkers-diamond-grip-traction-system
I walk my dog everyday even in the sub zero we have been having. I liked the Yaktrax, but eventually wore them out. They don’t do well on dry pavement and are actually more slippery than plain boots there. There are good on ice and very good on packed snow. The Kako version is better on dry pavement and similar to the Yaktrax on ice and snow. They are better on a stiff boot sole and not so great on running shoes as the rubber frame that keeps the gear on tends to curl up my running shoes. They don’t do that if I wear my boots.
I am looking for a new 12v car battery charger any advice?
Thanks,
Rick
Stuart
I have definitely seen those Kako attachments before as well, and remembering thinking they look aggressive and durable.
I figured I would see how the Yaktrax goes. I also didn’t think my wife would be so amenable to the Kako Icetrekkers, which are nearly double the price of the Yaktrax Pro. They look like they’re worth it, but a little overkill until I have a definite proven need for them.
Stuart
Regarding the 12V car battery charger:
This is something I don’t really have experience with, but if I had to buy one RIGHT NOW, it would probably be this $48 Battery Tender model, as it seems to have decent reviews on Amazon.
There’s also a reasonably well-liked Black & Decker one for $17, but the Battery Tender charger seems more functional and popular.
Chris
Can’t go wrong with a battery tender, keep it hooked up in my basement all year round on the atv battery because the atv is parked all winter and would rather not have it sit outside in the cold to ruin it. The battery tender keeps it fully charged all the time, never a problem.
Chris
Regarding the yak traks, I had something similar before and they work well. I use to wear them at work at a different job but i was outside all the time and they helped give that extra bite on ice but I don’t wear them now but they do come in handy on ice if your on it a lot
Jerry
I had decent luck with YakTraks, for ice, but they will cake up in certain situations, and can be hard to put off and on under some conditions, which can be a pain if you go in and out a lot, and don’t want to scratch floors.
For these instances, I have a couple pairs of overboots that have grit, like very rough sandpaper on the bottoms. I got them loose enough to slip off or on easily, and just wear them in conditions where it has slush on top of ice, which is where they work the best. They flex enough nothing builds up on the bottom, even in the grit. As a bonus my shoes stay dry and clean. They help a lot on glaze ice, but are not as good as YakTraks.
I remember getting them in a store that sold safety equipment, but for the life of me, can’t remember where that was.
Steven
I’ve have owned a pair of the Yaktrax for about two years and I love them. Here in Arkansas we get more ice than we do snow. They are very durable and provide great traction. I have even ran in them when I was training for a half marathon. I really did not have any problems running in them. I am not saying this was safe in any way and results may vary from person to person. They were just very good for traction when walking.
Henry H.
I use some Yaktrax with my Gore-Tex Salomons for running on cross country ski trails. I just pack them both with me when I go up the mountain to snowshoe, and if the conditions aren’t great, I put the Yaktrax on and run. They work great for the packed trails, which can be a bit slick in places.
Kevin
I was in L.L. Bean on Tuesday looking for gloves, but came across a similar product they had ,a product called Stabilcers. I was going to get the lite version, but I wasnt wearing the boots that they would be going on,,so I passed on buying them. They slipped on like an iphone case rather than a strap method, seemed like a quality product.