Cracking out the MicroSpikes and lights.

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
Sometimes yea don't have perfect conditions when traveling on foot with a pack. In this case there is snow, sleet and rain. Lots of slippery wet snow. Looking to cover ground fast and that means running. How to pull that off without breaking my neck at dusk.


The pack.





The lights. MD2 and AT Wizard XHP50.





Extra batteries because the prepper in me demands it.





The MicroSpikes.





Traction more aggressive than yaks.








The beaver dam is looking good. A section washed away a week ago before the temps really dropped. The busy beavers took care of business.























Getting darker.





and foggy.





Now really dark and spooky. Well it's dark anyways. Still running which is proving mildly harder than expected. If staying out I wouldn't be going this fast as it's easy to sweat up clothing. Cold and wet is bad news.








All done!





Traction and seeing in the dark helped. Then again that goes without saying.





7.6 Miles. Not the worlds longest jog but harder in the slushy snow. I didn't fall so that's good.





Victory coffee.


 
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nbp

Flashaholic
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Dec 16, 2007
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Wisconsin
I just bought a pair of Stabilicers ice and snow cleats. Hoping to use them in a few days for some icy trail hiking and/or walking on a frozen lake. I will report back as to how they work. They were only $18 on amazon so if they work they will be well worth it! Trails are deathly icy right now.
 

Offgridled

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I just bought a pair of Stabilicers ice and snow cleats. Hoping to use them in a few days for some icy trail hiking and/or walking on a frozen lake. I will report back as to how they work. They were only $18 on amazon so if they work they will be well worth it! Trails are deathly icy right now.
I look forward to hear your thoughts on these. That price is really hard to pass up. They get good reviews . Be safe out there!!
 

tech25

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Near the Big Apple
A few years ago there was a 20+ car pile up on the BQE in Brooklyn- icy, oily and the cars were pinned together on the top of a slope on the overpass. As each person was extricated- we had to bring them down the slope of the highway (from the accident site) to the staging area to put them on an ambulance for transport. I had just gotten a pair of cleats from Costco and this was my first time using them. With the cleats on, I had no problem taking stretchers up and down- it gripped on the ice and oily asphalt equally well. That alone made me a believer in using them.
 

Grijon

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Midwest, USA
Great OP, great information!

WW, what pack is that?

nbp, did you get to check out your cleats?
 

nbp

Flashaholic
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Dec 16, 2007
Messages
10,970
Location
Wisconsin
Great OP, great information!

WW, what pack is that?

nbp, did you get to check out your cleats?

Not yet. Ironically right after I got them we had a warm week and all the snow melted. Hahaha. We got some more this week, so maybe in a few days I can get out there. :)
 

Offgridled

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Jun 4, 2016
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Southern California
Not yet. Ironically right after I got them we had a warm week and all the snow melted. Hahaha. We got some more this week, so maybe in a few days I can get out there. :)
Murphy law never fails. I can't believe how up and down the weather has been..
 

nbp

Flashaholic
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Dec 16, 2007
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10,970
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Wisconsin
Hope you don't mind me posting these in your thread WW. ;)

I got a chance to use my cleats on Monday on a hike, so I thought I'd toss up a couple pics of the cleats and part of the terrain I was hiking on. Some was on trails through woods and grassy fields which were part woodchips, part mud, part slush, part hardpacked snow depending on the level of shade and traffic. Some was on the shores of Lake Michigan, which is what the pic shows. That is a mixture of snow, slush, ice balls and glare ice based on where the waves had sloshed. The cleats performed very well! They are not good for walking through the parking lot though, haha, so wait til the trailhead to put them on. ;) Off road they bit into everything, including glare ice with no slippage. For $18 these are a no-brainer! I cannot believe I never bought them before.

IMG_3864_zps9q2zblhf.jpg


IMG_3865_zpsnbpjr4zl.jpg


IMG_3870_zpskc4a04ps.jpg
 

Grijon

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Oct 14, 2014
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Midwest, USA
The cleats performed very well! They are not good for walking through the parking lot though, haha, so wait til the trailhead to put them on. ;) Off road they bit into everything, including glare ice with no slippage. For $18 these are a no-brainer!
Thanks for the review, nbp - they're on my Amazon list now!
 
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