Surefoot Get a Grip Advanced Traction Device
TEST SERIES BY RICK ALLNUTT
LONG-TERM REPORT
June 05, 2006

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME:	Rick Allnutt
EMAIL:	rick@backpackgeartest.org
AGE:	53
LOCATION:	Beavercreek, Ohio
GENDER:	M
HEIGHT:	6' 0" (1.83 m)
WEIGHT:	170 lbs (77 kg)
WAIST:	35 in (89 cm)
TORSO:	20 in (51 cm)

Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 17 lb (8 kg) and skin out weight of 25 lb (11 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of about 1100 miles (1770 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and I make much of my own equipment.

Trail Name: Risk
Risk's Ultralite Hiking Page: www.imrisk.com

---

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer:
Year of Manufacture: Sure Foot Corporation
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.surefoot.net/
MSRP: Not Available
Listed Weight: "under a pound"
Measured Weight: (pair, large) 10.4 ounces (295 grams)

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Get a Grip Advanced is a slip on traction device for footwear. It is made from a black rubber material that feels like thick inner tube material. It is somewhat sticky and is very easy to put on my Vasque Sundowner boots. Putting the traction device on my shoe does take two hands. In the photo above, I am standing on one foot while holding the other foot up in the foreground so that the plastic and steel points can be seen.

TRYING IT OUT

The tungsten carbide spikes are fashioned from a hardened steel and are embedded in light blue plastic devices which have a double face. Each one is similar to a thumb tack except that the "tack" has two heads, separated by a distance equal to the thickness of the rubber shoe pullover. If the spikes are broken or lost, they are designed so they can be replaced by inserting a new stud in the hole of the rubber shoe pullover.

Sure Foot has provided me with a replacement set of 6 spikes. The spikes are intended for use on ice and snow.

TESTING STRATEGY

Some of the questions I have about the traction device and will work to answer are below.

- How long does a set of spikes last?
- Do the spikes come out of the traction device unintentionally with normal use?
- How difficult is it to replace a spike?
- Does the metal of the spike wear down or does the plastic portion of the tack break?
- Are my boots comfortable when wearing the Get A Grip Advanced?
- Is the black rubber portion of the traction device durable?
- How well does the Get A Grip device work in the condition it was designed for - ice and snow?
- Is Get A Grip useful for other conditions such as wet rocks or slippery paths?

SUMMARY

What I like so far:
- The traction device is very light and quite compact.
- I am impressed that the size is "just right" for my size 12 boots.A brief summary.

ANTICIPATED FIELD CONDITIONS

I intend to use the Get A Grip Advanced traction device for a number of winter day hikes in snowy and icy conditions. I will use the device for the icy conditions that blanket the Pennsylvania Appalachian mountains in the early spring. I should have the opportunity to use the device for many days of hiking, especially in the first two months of the test. Knowing that winter will not last forever, I will try to make the most of the next two months of testing. It may be possible to use the traction device for steep, rocky, mountain trails even after the risk of icy travel wanes.

---

FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Winter conditions since the arrival of the Get a Grip traction aids have included an icy rain on supercooled roadways and rocks in the woods. Several snow falls have graced the Dayton area, leaving us with slippery paths and trails. The temperatures have hovered on either side of freezing with many rainy days as well. I have tested the devices while walking along bike paths, on weekly day hikes several miles long, and on muddy days when the weather was above freezing.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

First, these things really work.

It is almost funny to see my poor friends slipping through the woods on snowy paths packed down to a glaze of ice - doubly so on steep hills. The traction device has given me a surefooted advantage to catch a breather while my friends are slogging their way up a slippery hill.

The company does not recommend using the traction device except for traction on snow and ice. It is certainly true that they can tear up man made surfaces very quickly. I accidentally scratched the black anodized foot bar of my Jeep when I made a small mistake and tried to rub the snow off the bottom of my feet when getting in the Jeep one snowy morning. My reaction was an immediate "So that's what they mean about for snow only!" But the devices work very well on muddy paths as well. If there is any traction that can be gained in the mud, these devices get a grip on that little bit and keep me from churning my way along a path.

I did loose three of the carbide points on one woods walk when the ground was mostly icy. Somewhere along the path, the small buttons came out of the rubber overshoe. But, with several spares, I was able to just slip some new points in for my next hike. They go in easily, and since that first loss of spikes on the ice, I have not had any further loss.

SUMMARY SO FAR

- How long does a set of spikes last?
### I've not worn out any spikes.
- Do the spikes come out of the traction device unintentionally with normal use?
###Several have gone missing during hikes - three on one icy 5 mile hike.
- How difficult is it to replace a spike?
###Very easy.
- Does the metal of the spike wear down or does the plastic portion of the tack break?
###Thus far, neither
- Are my boots comfortable when wearing the Get A Grip Advanced?
###They are noticeably heavier. However the sole is comfortable while walking on the spikes.
- Is the black rubber portion of the traction device durable?
###So far, no tears, no wear.
- How well does the Get A Grip device work in the condition it was designed for - ice and snow?
###So well that I have been having fun watching my hiking friends slipping - from the top of the hill.
- Is Get A Grip useful for other conditions such as wet rocks or slippery paths?
###Seems to work well on muddy paths too.

TESTING STRATEGY

We are now mainly out of the snowy weather of winter. I do plan to carry the traction aids on a week of April hiking along the Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail. Depending on how useful they are, I may carry them further.

---

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

The testing for this period is in addition to the recommended conditions for the Get a Grip devices. Though Surefoot only recommends their traction devices for snow and ice, I did not have any of those conditions after my Field Report in April. I carried the devices on a section of the Appalachian Trail from PenMar park on the Pennsylvania state line, north to Ducannon in the same state. In addition to this hike, I also used the Surefoot devices on a number of Ohio day hikes. Altitudes ranged from creek bottoms to the tops of Blue Ridge mountains. Weather ranged from just above freezing to temperatures warm enough for me to wear shorts and a tee shirt. While the large part of the AT hike was dry, a number of day hikes were either very wet or raining.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

There has been no snow since the field testing section of my report. However, there has been a lot of rain. I carried the Get a Grips on a hundred mile long AT section hike. They did not get much use, because the weather was unseasonably dry. However, there have been other day hikes right after rain storms when the traction given by the devices were well appreciated. I find that in spring weather, logs and steps and bridges made from wood tend to be very slippery. The Get a Grips do a great job of giving me very secure footing. Several others hiking with me noticed how slippery several bridges were from time to time. I had no difficulty moments after they skated and slipped across a slimy bridge. The spikes bite into the wood just enough to give me a very secure feeling.

SUMMARY

- How long does a set of spikes last?
### I've not worn out any spikes.
- Do the spikes come out of the traction device unintentionally with normal use?
###Several have gone missing during hikes - three on one icy 5 mile hike. I lost none except on very rocky ground and very icy ground.
- How difficult is it to replace a spike?
###Very easy, no tools necessary.
- Does the metal of the spike wear down or does the plastic portion of the tack break?
###Thus far, neither
- Are my boots comfortable when wearing the Get A Grip Advanced?
###They are noticeably heavier. However the sole is comfortable while walking on the spikes.
- Is the black rubber portion of the traction device durable?
###No noticeable wear at the end of 4 months of testing.
- How well does the Get A Grip device work in the condition it was designed for - ice and snow?
###So well that I have been having fun watching my hiking friends slipping - from the top of the hill.
- Is Get A Grip useful for other conditions such as wet rocks or slippery paths?
###Seems to work well on muddy paths too. It is especially useful when wood gets wet and slimy after rainy spells.

CONTINUED USE

I will continue to value the traction devices, mainly as a winter aid. They do work for warmer conditions, but require the use of hiking boots, and I seldom prefer to wear hiking boots in warm weather.

I do want to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Surefoot for making it possible for me to test this traction aid.

This report was created with the BGT Report Generator. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.