Crampons

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We keep pairs in our our vehicles as well. You never know when you will need them when you are on the road. Most cost less then $20, so they are a very inexpensive safety device. They work exceptionally well.
 
We very rarely have a need. When one does come up the stories are hilarious and ingenious. One guy used a fishing pole to bring in the newspaper. I guess it was within casting range. One guy used Golf shoes. This was back when spikes were steel. I don't think the current plastic spikes would work as well. Crampons are probably a good investment.
 
We use the ones shown below. They have tiny, pencil lead thin, tungsten tips. The tips are replaceable. I like them because I can wear them on the porch, in the house, or in the car without damaging anything. I hardly know I am wearing them. They grip on glare ice like crazy. Google: "IceTrax"

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I designed and made a pair of crampons a couple of years ago. We had a couple of feet of snow followed by a very heavy freezing rain that deposited a few inches of ice over the compacted snow. The only cars on the road were 4 wheel drive with lugged ice chains on them. and they were traveling very slow.
I took my boots out to the shop and worked up a design that gave me spikes about 1" long and a rim to fit my boots. A few holes and some paracord and I could navigate just fine. I did eventually cut them and riveted a flat spring to the front and rear halves which allowed my shoes and the crampon to be more flexible. They are made of mild steel so they won't last long and they need to be resharpened after a couple of hours of travel.
 
Meerkat said:
Here in Florida its called flip flops:). We do get cold sometimes though .
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We live in a great part of the country, huh!
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I thought the thread was about some 'heavy-duty' feminine-hygiene product.
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randyt said:
Had a ice storm in my area last night. Couldnt walk to the van without slipping and sliding. Needed to go to wotk and feed the animals. In the closet i keep a pair of crampons. They came in handy today.
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Photos, Please, I want to see the snow & ice. We do not get much in South Carolina.
 
My job issues us 4 buckle, felt lined overboots with metal studs. They are extremely efficient in icy conditions and quite warm, as well. They're made by LaCrosse, and run about $140. I'm glad I don't have to buy them myself.

I have some Yak Trax type of things but I rarely use them. They fall off when I walk. I need to find something else...
 
The last time I had to use my ice cleats was at this icefishing contest. $150,000 in prizes. Grand prize was a brand new 4x4 full size pickup. The contest ran for 3 hours on a lake about 20 minutes from where we live. There was sometime like 20,000 ice holes on the lake (do you see what I did there?)

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There's a cheap pair of boots I have with hard rubber soles that I try not to wear when it's icy but the soft rubber soles of my Sorel Pacs have always done just fine for me for more than 40 Wyoming winters.
 
200years2late said:
There's a cheap pair of boots I have with hard rubber soles that I try not to wear when it's icy but the soft rubber soles of my Sorel Pacs have always done just fine for me for more than 40 Wyoming winters.
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I have a pair of Sorels that I have owned for 50 years (I am wearing them in the photo below). The soles are as smooth as a baby's behind. At one time, the Sorels were okay on ice, nowadays they need some help on ice.
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randyt said:
or just get some logger boots with calks..
Viking VW56-13 $144.81 Viking Caulked FOpen RoadesterBoot | Zoro.com
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i loved my calk boots...west coast made in oregon make great boots. i had both calks and they made me a custom pair of vibram soled boots . i had another pair of rubber bottom/leather upper calk boots...like bean boots i got from hoffman boots in idaho that came up high on lower leg. that tall leather upper really protected your skins in that heavy brush.

the leather calks can get rough in snow as it tends to form balls on bottom and before you know it you are on snowball high heels. the rubber pack calk shed the snow easily.the leather you needed to kick a tree regular to shed the snow.
 
I have five or maybe six pair of calk boots, most are Huffman brand, some Viking. Most are heavy Felt Pack boots with calks. i have one pair of knee high ones, that take a 1/2 hour each way to put on and off. In Cold and Snow (no ice) I wear BAFFIN BOOTS. They are about ten times better then Pack Boots and twice as good as Bunny boots. I actually mostly wear bunny boots in the summer.
 
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