 Whilst watching the "Still Walking" dvd about the PTC (http://www.walkpct.com/), I noticed that in one clip some-one was putting on crampons on his Trailshoes.
The director of the film, Squatch put me on to this brand Kahtoola (http://www.kahtoola.com/Main.aspx).
So has anyone used crampons like this before in winter over here?
Will this allow me to use trail shoes in winter as well? The following is stpid but worth asking, I assume gaiters are usable with trail shoes as well.
|
 |
 I have a pair of the steel Kahtoolas and the bindings and their flexibility allow you to use them with trail shoes in theory. The anckle binding might be a little tricky though, and I'd certainly want a still sole to the shoe if I was walking on ice as I think it would be fairly uncomfortable. The Aluminium ones have smaller spikes, so they may work better. I'd say it would depend on where you are going and the conditions you are expecting.
|
|
 And yes, gaiters work well with shoes.
Gaiters, especially the short ones, such as those made by Montbell and ID, are also good at keeping grit out of shoes.
|
|
 Not used them in UK winter, but I used camp 6-point light crampons with trail shoes on the PCT in the snow, for several hundred miles. Worked extremely well, and the camp 6-pointers are a very nice crampon. They give a completely natural walking style (unlike instep poons), are very light, and gave me enough traction for this kind of stuff:
http://tinyurl.com/qkqdd
I found gaiters largely irrelevant with trail shoes in the snow as the shoes weren't waterproof, so got soaked through anyway. I'd consider some form of neoprene sock instead. Agree with NSJ that they are useful for grit etc.
|
|
 A friend of mine wears instep crampons even with fell shoes. I've never tried it, so can't vouch for it, but he says it works for him.
|
|
 Hi, I've been rattling on about Kahtoola crampons for quite some time on this forum having both the aluminium and steel KTS version I'd say you'd be fine with the alloy version for the Pct and I know of a chap who did the PCT last year on the RA forum which got me into buying the Kahtoolas for UK winter walking using flexible footwear. He uses trail shoes too.If you post on the RA forum he'll probably reply pretty sharpish.
I've spent this year using my steel Kahtoolas on my bendy Borneo's and I can certainly vouch for them doing the job for anything outside tech winter climbing very well made pieces of kit.
|
|
 There are crampons other than the Kahtoolas that fit trail shoes and lightweight boots well. I've been using Grivel G10s like this for quite a few years. The plastic cradles and flexible bar connecting the front and rear sections mean will fit flexible footwear.
|
|
You can now by a spring steel add on bar for G10's.Wifey made me buy her a pair for winter.
The strap and buckle system on the Kahtoolas is better than the usual fiddle and faff of normal crampon straps IMHO.
|
|
The G10s have plastic cradles front and rear and just one strap that is easy to do up. I haven't used the Kahtoolas so I don't know if these are even easier to fasten.
|
|
So do many use this light weight option for winter hill walking in the UK.
Ie trail shoe and crampon.
|
|
Havn't used them on trail shoes but have used them on 3 season flexible boots with no problems, which flies in the face of conventional wisdom of B1,C1 etc. The kahtoola crampons have a webbing X shape cradle at the front which is fully adjustable and a single ankle strap with fastex buckle and adjustment which I found very quick and simple to adjust and put on my boots with jack frost nipping at my digits.For me the days of my clumpy Scarpa's have gone for good.
|
|
This year I've been using flexible crampons with Keen Targhee Mid boots, really just beefed up trail shoes, and they've worked fine in the Cairngorms even when I needed to keep the crampons on for a whole day. Over the last decade I've worn flexible crampons with many other lightweight boots but whenever I write about it I'm accused of endangering life!
|
|
Im looking to get some crampons for next winter, don't do much winter mountaineering, nothing serious anyway and I certainly dont want to shell out on some winter boots. Just could do with crampons to give me more stability and reassurance. I've got 3 season Scarpa ranger boots whichare excellent and to me seem perfectly adequate for normal winter use other than the fact that they are supposedly not crampon compatible(b0 I think. I certainly wont be doing anything extreme in the winter, were talking Glyders or something. ) - so from what you are saying I may be able to use crampons with these quite comfortably. To me this is excellent news. I will give it a try I think, roll on next winter.
|
|
Endangering life Chris !! I know the feeling, the negative comments I've had about flexible boots and crampons.I took my olde kernackerd re-soled Borneos and my Kahtoolas for a good yomp around the Carneddau, a very icy Hebog and up the east ridge of Siabod this winter with no problems at all.It's about time OM did a in depth report on the use of flexible footwear and Kahtoola/Grivel G10's plus the new spring steel bar.
I really fell that B1 C1 etc is now totally out moded.
|
|
 Interesting. I'm sorting out kit for the next couple of weekends and the Keen Targhee Mid/ Kahtoola crampon combo seems to what is going to to be top of the list.
Chris if you're listening what was the grip of the Targhee sole like in proper snow and ice?
Only had it in the recent soft snow conditions, where it could be a little er, exciting.
|
|
