Gear

Have been thinking of buying my wife some"spikes" for putting on ordinary shoes/wellies (Nokians) for walking on untreated footways, car parks etc where ice and frozen snow frequently encountered this year. The following three spikes look interesting and I was wondering if anyone has used them and how they performed:

1. Grivel spider

2. Kahtoola Micro Spikes (both 1 and 2 allegedly are better for deeper snow!!)

3. Charlet Moser Spiky

Many thanks and all the best for the New Year.

Regards, Frank.

Matt C wrote (see)

I can only comment first-hand on the Kahtoola Microspikes, but I've found them to be really superb - quick and easy to put on and offering superb grip across a range of snow and ice conditions. I feel incedibly secure with these on my feet.

2 and 3 are really very different animals.

3 are great for just having in your bag to put on (albeit i found them not particularly easy and you need to line the spikes up properly for them to grip) to cope with a bit of occassional snow and ice.

2 are the absolute dogs danglies for more prolonged snow and ice. easier to put on than 3 and extremely effective. but...heavier, larger, entertaining if you get the chains twisted.

I've just had my Microspikes delivered! So I decided to test them out....

At work we have a ice rink in the main hall at the moment so just before they redressed the surface I put them on and RAN around the rink! They work perfectly! Not one slip.

The onlooking punters seemed quite amused by it all and two of them asked what I was wearing and where they could get some!