Has anyone tried these new traction devices from Yaktrax? Normally I would not be caught wearing Yaktrax for serious off trail winter travel, but these seem to be very similar to Kahtoola microspikes with the added benefit of plates that prevent snow build up. Just curious if anyone has had a chance to put them to the test yet?
https://yaktrax.com/product/yaktrax_summit
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What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
-Mary Oliver
I have been noticing that YakTrax seems to be buying out a bunch of traction device companies, while still hanging onto their original really awful product. Just recently I saw a runner at the top of Pilot Butte with the classic yaktrax, wire wound rubber, wrapped around his ankle, which is their usual position.
Costco was carrying a carbide spike type that said YakTrax, and used to be something else. REI carries the icetrekkers diamond grip, which is now yaktrax, but my sister has them with a different brand name on them from a couple years ago.
What you linked to seems to be another Yaktrax aquisition. Apparently Kahootla wouldn't sell out to them. definitely similar to Microspikes and should be similar in effectiveness. Maybe even an improvement over Microspikes. Getting Spikes on can be a real challenge on a snow icy trail. The Summit can be tightened into place with some sort of cable system. That looks intriguing. The ball of foot plate either addresses the Spikes issue of balling up with ice under certain conditions...or will make it worse.
I wonder if they are bulky to stow and if they weigh less or more than Spikes?
And that price tag? $90 !!! I am already choking on the $75 for Spikes (which seem to last about 3 years before danger of rubber breaking.)
At $90 I would also wonder about how long that cable lasts. The Icetrekkers have a cable that holds the "diamond" grippers in place and gets a lot of complaints about that cable rusting through in a season or less.
Buy 'em and tell us how they work out!
Odd thing, down her in Bend OR. Use of traction devices seems to be about 10 years behind Seattle trend. I get many people asking about and lusting after my Microspikes. The rare few that are aware of traction devices are about 90% using the crappy wire wound rubber Yaks.
Those look cool!
FWIW, I bought the "Snowtrax" by Yaktrax from Costco this year. They are different from what they had in the past. I let my hubby use them on our hike to Rattlesnake Ledge yesterday. He was the only one who slipped on the way down, 2 or 3 times. The tiny little cleats got clogged with ice and dirt. One of my kids had on a pair of Yaktrax, and the other had on a pair of Eddie Bauer Yaktrax knock-offs. Neither of them fell, though they both said they had once or twice when they slipped a little bit. My son said his hit his boot right where the ball of his foot was, and it got uncomfortable after awhile. I had on Kahtoolas, and I was fine both up and down. Sigh, I love my Kahtoolas so much!
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definitely similar to Microspikes and should be similar in effectiveness. Maybe even an improvement over Microspikes. Getting Spikes on can be a real challenge on a snow icy trail. The Summit can be tightened into place with some sort of cable system. That looks intriguing. The ball of foot plate either addresses the Spikes issue of balling up with ice under certain conditions...or will make it worse.
I wonder if they are bulky to stow and if they weigh less or more than Spikes?
And that price tag? 
$90 !!! I am already choking on the $75 for Spikes (which seem to last about 3 years before danger of rubber breaking.)
At $90 I would also wonder about how long that cable lasts. The Icetrekkers have a cable that holds the "diamond" grippers in place and gets a lot of complaints about that cable rusting through in a season or less.
Buy 'em and tell us how they work out! 
Odd thing, down her in Bend OR. Use of traction devices seems to be about 10 years behind Seattle trend. I get many people asking about and lusting after my Microspikes. The rare few that are aware of traction devices are about 90% using the crappy wire wound rubber Yaks.
The tiny little cleats got clogged with ice and dirt. One of my kids had on a pair of Yaktrax, and the other had on a pair of Eddie Bauer Yaktrax knock-offs. Neither of them fell, though they both said they had once or twice when they slipped a little bit. My son said his hit his boot right where the ball of his foot was, and it got uncomfortable after awhile. I had on Kahtoolas, and I was fine both up and down. Sigh, I love my Kahtoolas so much! 
