I have hiked and car camped all of my life, mostly in the relative flatlands of the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan, but also in areas east of the Continental Divide, such as South Dakota, New England, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and more. I have been backpacking since 2002. I keep my pack weight to 25% of bodyweight. However, I am always trying to lighten my load further to enhance my comfort and enjoyment as I like to hike big mileage.

Traction Equipment Experience
I also put in extensive miles trail running and road running, and I do not let winter keep me in the house. In winter, I usually end up strapping on the snowshoes. I've tried a different traction system in the past without satisfactory results. I have never used technical crampons.

NAVIGATE THIS REPORT

Reviewer Bio	Final Observations
Product Information	This is Cool
Summary	This Could Be Improved
Field Conditions

PRODUCT INFORMATION

MANUFACTURER	Kahtoola, Inc.
WEB SITE	http://www.kahtoola.com
MSRP	USD129.00
MATERIAL	4130 Chromoly Steel
CLAIMED WEIGHT PER PAIR	1 lb 7 oz (662 g)
ACTUAL WEIGHT PER PAIR	1 lb 7 oz (662 g)
SIZE TESTED	One size fits most
SIZE RANGE (According to manufacturer)	US Men's 4-14/US Women's 5+
DIMENSIONS, COLLAPSED (for packing)	8 x 3 x 2 in (20 x 8 x 5 cm)
OPTIONAL STOW SACK SIZE	10 x 8 in (25 x 20 cm)

OTHER PRODUCT INFORMATION

US Patent #6,742,286
CE Certified EN893 standards

The manufacturer states that these are for non-technical use, including hiking, backpacking, glacier travel, adventure racing and peak bagging in icy and snow-packed conditions.

More information can be found in my Initial Report.

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SUMMARY

The Kahtoola Traction System Steel are a reliable device for negotiating icy conditions. They fit a wide variety of footwear quite securely. It is somewhat difficult to make large changes in sizes, but once the change is made, KTS performs admirably.

FIELD CONDITIONS

Once again, Mother Nature played odd tricks on Michigan and we enjoyed a relatively mild late winter/early spring, with nary a patch of snow nor a spot of ice. I had an extended backpack trip planned for Michigan's UP in early March, but a family emergency kept me from a lengthy visit to the Great White North. Thus, I had to settle for a final test of 2.5 days in Michigan's northern lower peninsula. I spent a weekend hauling my backpack through the Jordan River Valley area.

Alas, there was not much ice to be had here, either! The regularly traveled trail was relatively easily traveresed with no aids. However, there remained patchy snow and some icy spots in low-lying areas and along reentrants. Thus, I had to go off trail to put the KTS to the test.

It had snowed ever-so-lightly a day or two prior to my arrival. During the weekend I was there, conditions ranged from lows in the 20s F (-7 C) to highs in the 40s F (4 C). Overcast skies, fog and misty rain were on tap for the weekend. The area is hilly by lower Michigan standards, and features Deadman's Hill, which tops out at 435 ft (133 m) above the river. Trail area is somewhat rocky and rooty.

My pack weight was just under 40 lbs (18 kg).

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FINAL OBSERVATIONS

In my field report, I had several criteria I still wanted to evaluate on the KTS, mostly related to durability. For example, I wondered how quickly the teeth would dull. I certainly haven't reached the point yet, with approximately 8 additional miles (13 km) on the KTS during the long-term report phase (for a total of 54 miles [87 km]). Thus far, there have been no signs of the teeth dulling.

I also wondered how the webbing would hold up. I have yet to encounter any fraying on the webbing. I also did not encounter enough ice and cold weather to test my hypothesis about using nonstick cooking spray on the teeth to prevent ice buildup.

Thoughts on adjusting
Prior to this testing period, the Kahtoola Traction System had been used on an older pair of LLBean, Gortex-lined boots (model unknown) that I usually use for snowshoeing and a pair of Vasque Velocity trail runners. In each case, I had no difficulty fitting the KTS to my footwear.

At the end of the season, I purchased a pair of NEOS Adventurer overboots. These are definitely the largest boots in my collection. Although I have not had the weather to test the KTS with the NEOS, I wanted to test the fit.

Fitting the KTS to my trail runners and my LLBean boots was relatively easy because the difference in size is so small. Fitting them to the NEOS, however, was an adventure!

Although the KTS fit system is elegant in its simplicity, it can be a bit tough to lift the spring clip and move the extender bar. Additionally, figuring out how to widen the toe webbing to fit over the NEOS took this geometrically challenged woman more than a couple of minutes. In the end, the KTS fit the NEOS absolutely perfectly. I highly suggest fitting the KTS to footwear prior to hitting the trail when your hands will be covered in gloves or mittens.

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THIS IS COOL

The collapsible heel means these babies pack down very small.
Fits many different types of footwear securely.

THIS COULD BE IMPROVED

I know they need to offer long straps to accommodate a lot of boots sizes, but I wonder if there could be a better system for tucking the straps away.
The spring clip and extender bar may be tough to deal with in the field. However, they truly ensure a secure fit.

Thank you to Kahtoola and BackpackGearTest.org for the chance to test the Kahtoola Traction System crampons.

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Read more reviews of Kahtoola gear
Read more gear reviews by Lynne Durham

Long Term Report

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