Essential winter hiking accessory - Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction System

I had a chance to discover the essential utility of microspikes on a hike this past January. Our winter was unusually mild, so the mountain trails were melted off in many areas making snowshoeing not possible. Wanting to get out anyway, I headed up in hiking shoes and brought along my Kahtoolas in the pack. As I progressed up the mountain, trail conditions varied between dry, muddy, patchy snow and ice. Once I hit the first bad section of trail I attached the Kahtoolas, and suddenly my ordinary hiking shoes became all-terrain demons. They were absolutely fantastic at totally conquering any conditions I encountered on the trail that day. I am a die-hard convert!

The Kahtoola's design is super rugged and makes attachment and removal super simple for almost any shoe or boot. They stay put when attached better than I expected, and when removed they easily collapse to a minimal profile for storage in my pack (the included storage bag is a plus for that). I found the sizing to be true according to Kahtoola's sizing guide for both my shoes and my wife's. I was concerned the full spikes might be too aggressive given some of the other designs I have seen, like the Yaktrax, that provide more of a traction chain design. But after using the Kahtoolas I have no regrets whatsoever about going for full spikes. The traction is amazing, and I never feel like I'm walking suspended on spikes or cleats. Highly recommended!