Just back from back-to-back testing three different ice-gripping things.
Sometimes the world won't listen. Like when you desperately want to test a bunch of micro crampons and the weather steadfastly refuses to play along. So it was a bit of a relief this morning when the Peak dawned bleak and sub-zero, the last few days of slushy snow and melt went arctic and I could finally get out onto the hill with the things.
Then There Were Three
The interesting bit wasn't so much the difference between the Stabilicers and their rounded cleat things and the full-on Pogu Spike and Kahtoola micro crampons - as you'd guess, the cramponesque designs simply have more outright grip, but making any sort of call between the Pogus and the Microspikes.
They're both very similar on paper and in the flesh, even down to the red, stretchy harness, but there are subtle differences. The Pogus use spikes on plates, a hinged one up front, and have more spikes at the back plus a security strap. The Kahtoolas are slightly lighter, have fewer spikes overall and the rear and front set are connected underfoot longitudinally in a way that the Pogu Spikes aren't.
Run, Jump, Scuff...
So what do you do? Well, what I did was stick one on each foot, go looking for ice and play with the things - run, jump, stop, scuff and so on. Drag them over water ice. Frozen turf. Snow. Steep, iced-up cobbles and so on.
And at the end of it all, what I can tell you - proper reviews to follow - are that although I reckon the Pogus should have more outright grip thanks to the extra heel spikes which are also multi-directional and on really steep, hard, water ice you might notice, in the conditions I used them, there was no discernible difference in performance between the Kahtoolas and the Pogus. That said, the Pogus are more prone to tangling up in your pack - that missing central link.
But basically, they both stayed on, they both gripped well on all the surfaces we used them on bar a bit of steep, defrosted, sludge, and neither slowed me down or intruded negatively on my day. And that's the great thing about micro crampons, they don't need extra skills to use - you maybe need to stamp down on really hard ice - you don't need special boots as they'll fit anything within reason. I used a pair of flexible Adidas Terrex Fast Mids, and you'd have to try really hard to catch a point on your trousers or opposite foot and fall to your doom.
Both And Either...
In fact, I'd happily use either. That said, I like the fact the the Pogu Spike is British designed and Lake District tested and, ultimately, despite a little extra weight, I reckon in some scenarios they would have just that little bit of extra grip and possibly durability thanks to the plated construction, so I'd give them the edge.
The Stabilicers aren't quite as effective on hard ice. Where the micro crampons give crampon-like adhesion, the Stabilcers feel more like you're treading on heavily sanded ice. There's plenty of grip, just not quite as much as with the crampon-type versions, plus the thinner rubbery harness on our sport versions, didn't feel as reassuringly tough as the other types.
Pogu Edge
Anyway, full reviews to follow shortly, but provisionally, I reckon the Pogu Spikes just edge it over the Kahtoolas, though both do a pretty damn effective job. The Stabilicers, like the Yaktrax we tested last year, are decent enough, but don't offer quite so much outright grip on ice and really hard snow, though they're arguably slightly more stable on mixed rocky/snowy/iced terrain, that said, micro-crampons are nowhere near as destabilising on rock as full-on crampons, which is part of their attraction.
And if you do get out in winter, even if you already have full-on crampons and matching boots, we'd definitely consider a set of micros as well. They're so light and easy to carry and use, that they really are a no-brainer on winter days when you think you just might need some extra grip.
