Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Boot chains or crampons? Favorite brands and why?

I'm looking at/for traction for mtn hunting in the snowy timber. No glaciers, but want something more than my hunting boots w/lug soles. Should I be thinking shoe/boot chains, or crampons? Thanks! Ken

I think crampons will cause serious problems in timber and maybe even injuries.
boot chains might help some but when you step on a branch pointing downhill in snow when traveling you're going to be on your ass no mater what. I have all my boots resoled to huge air bobs right after I get them and it has made a big difference for me. I hit the ground much less often now even when on really steep terrain.
Good Hunting
Lj

The Kahtoola hiking crampons work very well. Hillsounds makes some similar. I've not tried the microspikes/chain crampons. There have been a couple of very good threads in the Backpacking forum on crampons. EdT I think has tried most of them! Might take some digging (use the google 24hour search) to find them.

Good advice, guys! What are "air bobs"??
LLBean said that the Hillsound crampons are a little more aggressive than the Kahtoolas.

I used YaxTrax this year and they worked amazingly well. I had the sport models with the strap that goes over the instep and they fit my Asolo hikes well. I wish I has used them in the past.

I don't really know how to describe them. Many boot manufactures have at least one or two models with air bob soles. But my boot are resoled with a very aggressive type made in Idaho. There very deep and don't break off on the rocky slopes. I even resole good boots made in Germany. Stay away from air bobs from Asia, they use very soft rubber and they break off easily.
Lj

They look like this. They hold better in snow than regular Vibrams do.

Thanks!, Rock.

Shoot: what kind of terrain? Any windfall/trees/limbs on the ground?

Hey Rock Chuck I didn't know you guys in SE Idaho even know what snow is
I thought about taking a pic of the soles with my cell phone but it's beyond my tech ability to get that on a computer
Lj

I have used Kahtoola spikes for several years and they are a game changer on steep, slick, slopes. I got them on Amazon for less than retail. I think they also sell crampons-which are more aggressive. I think that the crampons could be problematic, as the spikes are longer. They are made more for glacier stuff.

It does not take many falls on ice, to make the Kahtoolas look pretty good.

REI has both and I wanted to look at them. I'm thinking that the more aggressive Hillsounds might be too much? I have a "real" pair of crampons from decades ago, but they definitely are too much.

Heavybullets, I have a pair of boots that need resoling, where did you get them done at?

I just screw a few hex-head sheetmetal screws in my soles, if'n I need more traction.....

Ice Trekker Diamond Grip. Easy on and off. Grip well and even improve traction a bit in soft snow.

I'm not sure what kind of conditions you would be hunting in to require shoe traction though.

Yak Trax I've seen have a tendency to come off. Katulas are too much.

Casey

When the Air Bob soles first appeared they wore pretty quickly. I don't think they were asian made soles either. Maybe they have been improved.


Casey

The Kahtoola K10s are great, but if you're not careful you'll destroy a good set of gators and pant legsreal quick like. Get the steel ones...if they even make the aluminum ones anymore.

I've also had a few set of various brands of 6 points, and while they work great, the strapping mechanism to secure them to your boots doesn't last long.

Air bobs have never impressed me much. I still fall on my ass with them. Nothing beats spikes and the Kahtoola K10s are the best/easiest that I have found without getting into serious glacier climbing gear.

Ya,, those K10s are similar to my 1960s crampons. Too much for just a little added traction to boots... maybe not??

I have used and can recommend Hillsound Trail Crampons for everything except for ice climbing.

When side walking on steep slopes they will not "twist" around the boot, like I have seen others do.

Like with all non-technical crampons you will have to watch for snow balling under them, and in soft snow you will have to take that snow from undreneath every now and then or you will, dangerously, loose traction.

Yes.

Crampon style is going to pierce sticks and then.....well, it could be hysterical to watch.....
Plus, more often then not here in the west a guy is moving from deeper snow to rocks and such. Trying to sidehill with crampons is tough. A shoe traction device that is easy to get on and off and can be shoved into a coat pocket is a lot more convenient.

Ice Trekker Diamond Grip is the best shoe traction I've found. It stays on, obviously is made for ice/hardpack, does well enough in soft snow, can be worn while crossing dry ground and rocks.

$45-$50 at REI. Probably can be found a bit cheaper other places.

Casey

$5 cheaper at Amazon than REI

Ya,, I was looking at those IceTrekkers, as well. The Kahtoolas have a shorter spike than Hillsounds.

My boots are similar to the ones in the pic and should do well in most snow conditions. I was actually looking at something like boot chains??

Looks like those Diamond Grip IceTrekkers might be a good compliment to my boots, giving me traction on slick surfaces, including sticks/limbs.

I won't be mountraineering; just want some extra traction, to carry with me, just in case.

I think the crampons would be dangerous. I have tried 2-3 different brands of the chain types that are held on with rubber.

Mostly here at home.I do a 2 mile walk almost every morning and most of the county roads are iced over for 3-4 months at a time.

Those chains wear out pretty fast and don't help much in deeper snow ( 6+ inches) unless you break thru all the way down to the ice.

My boots hold pretty well in deeper snow. It's ice that's my problem so the chains might do very well.

This.

Can't be any simpler or cheaper.

Look at the Diamond Grip. I'm thinking there should be a strap over the top of the boot.

https://icetrekkers.com/product/spikes#product_comparision_chart

You'll have to go down the page, to the "Comparison Chart" button.

What about a pair of logging calks? Running around in a snow covered timber of the wet side is great place to use them. I have run them hunting in the snow and muck covered timberlands in WA quite happily.

Just expensive, but a great option!

I just ordered the latest version of the YakTrax Diamond Grips from Amazon, for under $40, shipped.

That can't be too good on your soles, though, if used several times over the years.

My progression is; diamond grips when aggressive boot soles fail, easy on/off and pretty versatile and cheap. Next option is snowshoes of small-meium footprint w/ aggressive crampon across articulation at ball of foot. My new ones are Morpho w/ snowboard type bindings. Pretty easy on/off, are carbon fiber so very light and easy to maneuver in the woods. They also have climbing lifts for the steepstuff. I only use crampons on ice/frozen snow, and prefer the step in type which require specific types of boots. If I am wearing crampons I am probably holding an ice axe.


mike r

Tom---Pecks Boot and Shoe --- Moscow Idaho 83843 He charges about $70 and warrants his work to never de-laminate. Excellent work, never had to take a pair back to him and I beat the chit out of my boots.
Tell him you want the air bobs with the Idaho logo
Good Hunting
Lj

If you really want 4x4 traction on ice or slippery vegetated surfaces. Carbides on top, regular logger caulks on bottom. Hoffman's Boots in Idaho does them.



I've used the CMI Instep Crampons on top of rubber boots for more edge grip.



Just about cracked my skull open using climbing crampons in the woods. Those spikes got hung up on some root tendrils and I went ass-over-teakettle pretty bad - never again.

I've spent a lot of time wearing crampons, ice climbing and alpine mountaineering.




If you don't know what you are doing you can punch a hole in your leg pretty easy. On many occasions I've had to wear crampons to hike in on the approach. I hate that. It's miserable to wear crampons for general hiking.



KC

Us older guys don't lift our feet like younger ones. I don't shuffle but I do tend to catch my toes on stuff more often than I used to. Crampons would put me on my face a lot.

I like these - cheap, easy, quick. I mostly use them ice fishing but have used them on late season elk hunts too. The chains/springs seem like they'd take you for a ride if you stepped on the wrong log/branch under the snow.

http://www.thewarmingstore.com/stabilicers-walk-orange.html

I have used YaxTrax for just walking around, they work very well and are cheap. If you were planning on some serious climbing then Crampons are the only way to go.

Not really. I use the Hillsounds and the trail crampons have really short spikes, I've never had a problem or worried about hurting myself or tearing my gaiters.

They go on/off pretty quick, which is the big advantage over permanent spikes.

Have you used Hillsounds in wet snow and tree limbs?

Nope, just on packed snow and ice. The spikes are short, but if you're gonna be stepping over a lot of blow-down any kind of spikes might be a problem.

I held the Katoolahs in my hands today, at REI. They would give good, slick conditions traction, like wet snow/slick limbs, w/out skewering limbs. I did take a measurement on my fingernail/key, which I'll measure later and post.

hiking poles

I hunt in really steep country on foot. I've been using the katoolahs for a few years and recommend them. I have a couple of friends who bought the Black Diamonds and they are inferior. The down sides to the crampons are side-hilling (they grip like crazy but wear your legs out as your ankles sort of roll to match terrain) and they sometimes pack with snow when it is warmer (not as badly as bob soles in my experience). They are also loud when crossing rock. On down hills they hook up so well that your knees can get sore. The newer ones have some sort of rubberized material that helps with the snow pack. They get good traction when on rocks and grab on wood like crazy. You can climb like a goat in them. They hold up very well and are a great investment for steep slick country. No more falling, except when you hook your gators, then down you go. After a bit of use you learn to walk in them.

Mike, Did you mean Black Diamonds, or Ice Trekker Diamond Grip??

They are black diamond. The rigging is inferior I think as they had problems keeping them in place.