Initial Report:

Kahtoola Footwear Traction System KTS

Date: March 4th, 2004

Reviewer Information

Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 3" (1.9 m)
Weight: 207 lb (94 k)
Foot Size: 12 US
Email address: JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State: New York
Country: USA

Backpacking Background:

I've been camping for several decades. I joined the Adirondack Mountain Club four years ago, the Appalachian Mountain Club a year later and am active in both. I have also expanded my backpacking to include more winter trips, mountaineering and backcountry cross country skiing, and participated in the AMC's Winter Mountaineering training program with Chauvin International Climbing Guides. More recently, I have actively studied ways to backpack lighter and more efficiently. During the summer months, my style tends toward very light, but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or tarp for warm weather, and a small four-season tent for winter trips. Most of my other gear is very changeable, as I am constantly experimenting with gear and techniques.
Kahtoola IR

Product information:

Manufacturer: Kahtoola Inc.
Manufacturer's URL: www.kahtoola.com
Year of manufacture: 2004
Size: Large (Medium and Small sizes are also available)
Listed weight: 19 oz (540 g)
Weight as delivered: 19.25 oz (546 g)
MSRP: $129.00

Initial Impressions:

The Kahtoola Traction System KTS arrived in a surprisingly small, white box with the Kahtoola logo printed on the outside. Upon opening the box, I found the Kahtoolas neatly packed in a small, dark red sack with a drawstring top. Also enclosed in the box were a small Kahtoola decal, a marketing brochure and an information sheet containing fitting and maintenance instructions. The marketing brochure echoed the information found on the Kahtoola web site. One of the primary points noted is that the Kahtoolas are not intended for technical climbing, but intended for more everyday situations, including hiking and non-technical climbing. The nylon sack is made of very heavy duty nylon and has a black webbing belt loop on one side and the Kahtoola logo sewn on the other.

I had two quick, clear impressions when I slid the devices out of the sack. The first was that these things pack really small. The second was that they are very attractive! Constructed entirely of bright red anodized 7000 series hardened aluminum, stainless steel and black, heavy duty polyester webbing, the Kahtoola are truly eye-catching. Taking one of the devices in my hand, I attempted to slide the front and rear halves apart, which they did easily and smoothly. The heel support, folded down flat against the heel plate, lifted easily into place and had enough friction that the heel support remained upright on its own.

The first thing that became apparent when the Kahtoola was fully opened was the unique strap system. Unlike the crampons that I have used in the past, which use various ways to integrate the heel and toe straps into a single binding, the Kahtoola has designed the heel and toe bindings to be completely independent of each other. The heel strap is a simple loop which wraps around the ankle portion of the footwear. The toe strap, on the other hand, is a more complex arrangement. Consisting of two straps anchored via webbing loops and metal buckles to two aluminum loops just above the front points, the straps then pass through a tough plastic plate in an 'X ' pattern and then each passes through another loop, a stainless steel 'D' ring in this case, attached to the front plate by thin stainless steel straps, and finally meeting in a plastic, adjustable slider. This slider does not open.

The aluminum toe and heel plates have ten rather short spikes compared to more typical crampons, at 3/4 of an inch (19 mm) in length. The spikes do not come to a true point. The tips are actually flattened slightly, purportedly to improve durability. The plates are connected to each other by a LeafSpring Extender Bar, which is constructed of two thin layers of stainless steel. This innovation appears to allow the Kahtoolas to flex without sacrificing durability and should go a long way to avoiding metal fatigue failure of the bar.

Turning the Kahtoola over revealed a detail that I really like. All the crampons that I have used in the past have used a simple 'nut and bolt' adjustment at the heel plate to permit adjustable fit for different boot sizes or styles. This works well enough, but can be a bit of a nuisance when switching from, say, hiking boots to cross country ski boots in the field and woe to the person that loses a nut or bolt (or more likely, both!) out there. The Kahtoolas provide a cure for this little inconvenience in a very clever fashion. The LeafSpring Extender Bar has a series of seven holes near the heel end. The Bar passes through slots at the front of the heel plate. So far pretty typical, but here is where it gets interesting: instead of the usual 'nut and bolt' assembly, Kahtoola has designed a little stainless steel clip with an attached pin that fits precisely into the holes in the LeafSpring Extender Bar. The clip is designed in such a way that removing it would be extremely difficult, so accidental loss appears to be highly unlikely, yet adjustment remains very simple. Just lift the spring clip and then slide the extender bar to the desired position.

The folding heel plate is constructed of a bent stainless steel rod and a curved plastic plate. The black polyester webbing is threaded through the plastic plate and wraps around the ankle area of the footwear when fitted. All the Kahtoola webbing is black. The heel plate webbing also has the Kahtoola name woven into the strap in red.

The Kahtoolas are shaped, by a slight angle in the front plate slider bar openings, to fit either the right or the left foot and are labeled accordingly, but the angle is large enough to make the fitment obvious. The size is determined by the LeafSpring Extender Bar and the size, ‘Large’ in this case, is stamped on the top of the forward end of the bar.

A couple of nice additional details: on the straps are four silicon rubber retainers, intended to hold excess strap material in place after the crampons are fitted and adjusted, and a small plastic clip on the rear strap intended to prevent it from riding up over the top of low boots or trail runners.

Overall quality and construction appears to be top notch.

Fitting:

I first fitted the Kahtoolas to my Asolo Fusion 90 boots, as I anticipate these will see the most use with them. Fitting was generally simple and straightforward. First, just slide the LeafSpring Extender Bar to the fully open position. Then, opening the locking clip, adjust the bar position so the Kahtoola is just long enough to fit the boot. This need only be done once unless fitting to different footwear. Next, loosen the toe straps and, after checking that the heel plate is fully upright, slide the boot into the front of the device. If the straps are not sufficiently loose, this can take some fussing.  Once in place, wrap the heel strap around the boot, secure the quick release buckle, which is keyed to fit only one way, making a twisted strap much less likely, and cinch the strap tight. Then give the toe strap a tug and the Kahtoolas are in place! Lastly, take a moment to place any excess straps under the retainers and all is good to go. Once fitted, the process takes about half the time as more traditional crampons.

If I have a complaint, it is that adjusting the toe straps to properly fit my boots was a rather fussy process. This is due somewhat to the plastic plate where the straps cross, as the straps slide through this with some reluctance. Mostly it is due to the three loop and buckle arrangements on the forward straps. These are just a pain to adjust. The provided instructions spend some time on going over the proper adjustment of the toe straps and the positioning of the plastic toe plate in particular. Fortunately, once done, these do not require any further fiddling unless fitting to different footwear.

The first time I tried to fit the Kahtoolas back into the storage bag resulted in a bit of a wrestling match. I experimented a bit and found the best way to store them is to completely collapse them and place them point to point. Holding them firmly in one hand and the storage sack in the other, I slip the crampons in heel first. The collapsed heel plates provide a nice wedge shape that allows the Kahtoolas to slide right in. The sack is exactly the right size if done this way, but there is no room to spare! Once in, I snug the sack closed and this ensures that the crampons remain fully collapsed. As the points are facing each other and not in contact with the fabric, wear should not be an issue.

What I like:

1 – Excellent quality.
2 – Light weight.
3 – Good looks.

What I don’t like:

1 – Fussy toe strap adjustment. Fortunately, this is not needed frequently.

Testing Plan:

The Kahtoola KTS Traction System will be put to use as much as possible in the Catskills. As there are only a few weeks of winter left, I will concentrate on some known steep routes and look for icy exposures when possible. As spring rolls in, many well-packed trails deteriorate into hard, icy walkways and crampons are essential for safety. Temperatures should not dip below 20 F (-7 C) or run higher than 60 F (16 C). Elevations top out around 4000 (1219 m) feet or so, and a typical ascent is about 1800 ft (549 m) to 2000 ft (610 m). The trails vary from relatively smooth and flat to quite steep and rocky with occasional pitches that require scrambling. Ice exposure is common and snow almost guaranteed.

I am particularly interested in using my trail runners with the Kahtoolas. I like the weight savings and comfort that the trail runners offer, but I would never consider using them with normal crampons. The flexible LeafSpring Extender Bar may make this a practical consideration. If I have a concern, it will be how much pressure is needed on the straps to ensure the crampons are secure. Strap pressure is no problem with a leather boot, but what of the soft trail runners?

I have had occasional problems with snow balling up on the inside of my crampons and snowshoes in the past. Will the short spikes and flexible Extender Bar prevent this from occurring? My primary crampons are steel and can withstand an enormous amount of punishment. How will the hardened aluminum Kahtoolas hold up in comparison? The points are also flattened for durability, but what effect, if any, will this have on traction?

I would like to thank Kahtoola for the opportunity to test this very interesting product.