Reviews > Snow Gear > Crampons > Kahtoola Traction System - 2004 > Steve Nelson > Initial Report

Initial Report: Kahtoola Traction System
February 28, 2004

Reviewer's Information

Name: Steve Nelson
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Weight: 158 Pounds (72 kg)
Boot Size: 11-12 US (45-47 European)
Email address: nazdarovye at y..oo dot com
City, State, Country: San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

As an interface design and usability consultant by trade, I'm always excited by analyzing and improving designs and processes; backpacking provides a fertile and fun arena for that. I have been backpacking since I was a kid growing up in upstate New York: we backpacked and canoe-camped in all seasons throughout the Adirondacks and nearby areas, ranging as far as La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve, Quebec. As an adult, I've backpacked and hiked extensively in California, but also have taken trips throughout the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, and return often to the Adirondacks.

Backpacking Style:

In the last year I began educating myself about lightweight and ultralight backpacking, and have been applying more and more of this philosophy to my outdoor jaunts and gear upgrades. I like moving fast, and lightening the load facilitates that. I also enjoy urban strolls, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and aviation in addition to hiking and backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions.

Product information

Manufacturer: Kahtoola
Product Name: KTS "Kahtoola Traction System"
Manufacturer's URL: www.kahtoola.com
Year of manufacture: 2004
Size: Large (available in Small and Medium as well)
Listed weight: 19 oz (540 g)
Verified weight: 19.25 oz (546 g) on a digital scale, plus 2.5 oz (71 g) for the tote bag.
MSRP: $129.00

Product Overview

The Kahtoola Traction System is an innovative 10-point crampon marketed as a lightweight solution for "recreational hikers" and adventure racers occasionally traversing snow and ice, as well as for mountaineering use in non-technical climbs and approaches.

The crampons feature shorter spikes (3/4 in or 19 mm), meant to "reduce snagging, ankle twisting and snow packing," according to the manufacturer's literature. They also utilize a "LeafSpring Extender Bar" for the center support, meant to promote more natural flexing. The Kahtoolas are designed to be adjustable in the field without tools, and fold up to a compact size for storage when not in use.

The points are constructed of heat-treated 7000 series aluminum alloy, and most of the other metal components are stainless steel. Straps are of polyester webbing and claimed to be "water/freeze resistant."

Initial Impressions

The Kahtoolas arrived packed in a garnet-colored tote bag approximately 5 x 9 in (13 x 23 cm), along with a fold-out instruction sheet and product brochure.

(Note: the architect's scale in this picture is approximately 12.5 in (32 cm) long.)

The crampons fold up for compact storage—the picture below shows one still folded, and one opened up and extended, ready to be put on a boot:

The picture also gives a rough sense of the red anodized aluminum plates with the points, the extender bar connecting the plates, and the two sets of straps, pads and connectors. The rear straps are connected to a fold-up aluminum heel support. The plates are asymmetrical—unlike some crampons, these have left and right versions.

On the underside of the heel is a springy bar with a peg that catches on holes in the extender bar, allowing for easy adjustment of overall length (visible in a picture below). The straps have plastic buckles and ladderlocks, as well as silicone rubber strap keepers and a plastic clip meant to hold the rear strap onto the laces of low-top shoes.

The tote bag is made of thick Cordura-type material. It includes a drawstring and cord lock, plus a webbing strap sewn on one side to facilitate lashing the bag to a pack, harness or belt.

All materials appear high-quality and the construction and finish are all excellent.

Initial Tests

I tried the Kahtoolas on a number of different pairs of shoes, including Salomon winter boots, Merrell, Salomon and Teva high- and low-top hiking boots, and Nike athletic walking/running shoes, in sizes ranging from 11 to 12 US. I walked around home with them, but since we have no snow and ice in the Bay Area (fortunately, as that would be quite a mess on San Francisco's hills!), real use will have to wait until next weekend, when I will take them to Yosemite. So, my comments for the moment are limited to fit and general usability.

The instructions note that the strap system must be adjusted for each pair of boots or shoes, particularly the toe straps and accompanying pad, which must be substantially loosened and repositioned to accommodate larger boots. The system on the underside is a snap—just pull up the bar and peg, slide the extender to the correct length, and let it click back into place. The toe straps, on the other hand, are a bit trickier. I found that they took some effort to get adjusted right (which is critical for the correct fit—the toe of one's boots must slide fully forward, yet be properly gripped by the straps and pad). Also, at my shoe size, I'm starting to push the limits of the width of the forefoot strap attachments. These are meant to be bent outward for just this purpose if needed, which I did.

I also found that these adjustments varied (sometimes considerably) from shoe to shoe. Since it's unlikely I'll be swapping boots in the middle of a hike, this is fine; I'll make sure they're adjusted at home to fit the footwear of choice for a particular trip. I also noted that, for low-top boots, the strap keeper that clips onto laces is definitely a necessity—otherwise the strap slips up over the tongue of the shoe and presses against my lower leg and ankles.

Once the Kahtoolas were correctly adjusted for a particular boot, I found them easy to put on; the only issue is that the ladderlock on the toe straps seems hard to tighten down with the shoes in place. Once properly tightened, the Kahtoolas felt secure and snug—my guess is that they will hold on and stay on in the field.

I did note one potential shortcoming with the Kahtoolas for my size of foot.

As you can see from the above picture, the stance of the crampons is rather narrow, especially for the (counting from left to right) second and middle pairs of points. Whereas my other pair of lightweight crampons has the widest pair of points in the middle, the Kahtoolas do not; the middle pair of points is actually a half inch (13 mm) narrower than the fourth pair of points, measured tip to tip. The second pair is an eighth of an inch (3 mm) narrower than the heel pair, measured the same way. As the crampon points sink into snow or ice, the difference would lessen due to the shape and placement of the points, but when walking on rock or hard ground, the Kahtoolas provide a somewhat narrow midfoot platform.

As a result, I found that my foot was much more prone to supination (rolling toward the outside) than with my other crampons featuring a wider midfoot stance, and especially when used with low-top shoes. Any adjustable crampons become progressively narrower in proportion to their length as the bar is extended, but this is exacerbated by the design of the Kahtoolas and the fact that it appears that their point plates are exactly the same across all sizes. My concern is that, for larger boot sizes like mine, this will reduce stability in the field and increase the risk of ankle injury, especially where some rock or bare ground needs to be covered in addition to ice or snow.

The storage bag is just ever-so-slightly too small, in my opinion. With the Kahtoolas stacked point-to-point, it took a bit of work to get them back into the bag.

Testing Plan

I will use the Kahtoolas primarily for traction on snow and ice in the mountains while backpacking. However, I will also use the Kahtoolas for walking on approaches to snowshoeing and skiing trips (e.g., the steep icy hike up to Clair Tappan Lodge from the highway), as well as for hiking on non-backcountry trails. In addition to trail use, I will test them around base camp and cabins, and if conditions support it, for walks in east coast parks and neighborhoods when I'm traveling for business this winter. (The manufacturer lists all of these as intended uses for the product).

Though it's already somewhat late in the season, I still have several winter overnight trips planned this year in the Sierra Nevada range, as well as some day snowshoeing and skiing trips. I will also be on some Spring and early Summer backpacking trips that include pass traverses in locations where there is likely to be residual snow. The Kahtoolas will accompany me on all of these trips.

Issues I'm particularly interested in assessing include:

• (The obvious) Do they provide the claimed traction boost on ice and consolidated snow? Are the points long and sturdy enough for safe traverses on icy, snowy slopes, and in mixed conditions including exposed rock?
• Stability: Are my concerns about stability and supination warranted?
• Effect of Conditions: Do the points ball up in some snow conditions? Are other components such as the "water/freeze resistant straps" affected by cold, moisture, or icing?
• Usability: How easy are the Kahtoolas to put on and remove, including with gloved/mittened hands?
• Fit: Do they hold onto my boots well in the field? Do the "traction pads" make a difference? How much difference does the size and shape of the boot make? Do they work with overboots?
• Flexibility: Does the "LeafSpring Extender Bar" promote fast, comfortable hiking, and does it affect stability?
• Wear: How well do they hold up? Do they cause wear on the shoes and boots with which they are used? How quickly do the points wear down (and do they bend)?
• Repair and maintenance: How easy is it to maintain them; how easy are they to re-point (if necessary), and how much does this accelerate wear?
• Packability: How easy are they to stow and carry for hiking, backpacking and travel? (I note that Kahtoola has paid some attention to this, including collapsing and easily adjustable elements in the design of the crampons).

For each of my outdoor tests of the Kahtoolas I will document snow/ice and temperature conditions, trail conditions (including angle of slope and existence of exposed rock, scree or dirt), and boot information.

Summary

The Kahtoola Traction System crampons are high-quality, lightweight crampons meant for non-technical hiking and mountain travel. I like their weight and compact design, and look forward to testing them in the field. My one reservation is that they appear particularly narrow for my size of boots, and that this will reduce stability in the field.

Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Kahtoola for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test.

Reviews > Snow Gear > Crampons > Kahtoola Traction System - 2004 > Steve Nelson > Initial Report