Shoe Spikes for Icy Tracks (now with Pics)

[Son of a Beach]

I received an ebay purchase the same as this one a couple of days ago. I think this sort of thing is quite popular in Northern Europe for walking around town on icy paths, etc. I'm not sure how long they'll last bushwalking on rough rocky tracks, but at less than $18 delivered, I thought it would be worth trying out.

I'll be taking them on a walk in a couple of weeks and will write up a review if I get to use them.

Has anyone else tried things like this for walking on icy bush tracks?

I've seen others that are more like chains with spikes, and would probably be much tougher, but they're also somewhat more expensive.

[sef]

They're popular at club skifields with walk-in access. I imagine they do the job.

I'd be very hesitant about wearing them in any situation where you had more than a sore, wet bum at stake though. Alu crampons are only a few hundred grams.

[whiskeylover]

Hi Nik,
Couldn't view the spikes you bought, but sounds like a good idea.
We found that the metal things on the bottom of Yowies were a bit dangerous on ice when the snow is not deep enough, especially on boardwalks. Boots are also slippery, but the trouble with Yowies is that with no quick release the pain when you nearly do the splits and there is no give in the angle of your foot is nasty - result -sore muscles from trying to keep legs from sliding further apart!
A friend tried making some homemade crampons, which were quite good in some circumstances, until we tried to walk down the icey track to Waterfall Valley one day and the ice was so thick and completely unbreakable, unmarkable. Then they were deadly. I suspect when the ice is that hard nothing is safe. We ended up having to leap from one side of the track to the other, to spots where there was no ice or leap into shrubbery - so much for low environmental impact!

[Liamy77]

???
maybe:
I think this is the same product?
just guessin.... I'd be interested to hear how it goes....

[Son of a Beach]

OK, I think I've got the linking sorted now, and have replaced the link in the original post. THIS LINK takes you to the same seller where he's selling the same thing (he seems to have a lot of these for sale - maybe he's selling direct from the factory).

In case that doesn't work, or for when that sale has completed and is no longer available, here's some of the images...

Attachments

20100627001.jpg (184.19 KiB) Viewed 2905 times

20100627002.jpg (152.97 KiB) Viewed 2905 times

20100627003.jpg (147.16 KiB) Viewed 2905 times

20100627004.jpg (119.82 KiB) Viewed 2905 times

20100627005.jpg (136 KiB) Viewed 2905 times

[Liamy77]

they look like they might be easier to pack than the ones i found.... butr i think the straps could be replaced on "my" ones... hope the rubber is not too stretchy or waers out onthe others? still - at that price easy enough to replace....

Last edited by Liamy77 on Fri 13 Aug, 2010 10:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Nuts]

Nice one... Certainly cheap enough! Just glance down now and then, make sure they are still there