On one of the Facebook groups I belong to, the members were discussing the differences between Kahtoola K·10 Hiking Crampons and Hillsound Trail Crampon PROs. Since I own both, I snapped a few pics of them. Also, here are some notes of the key differences I’ve noticed. Binding system (not pictured, will get more pics later) I prefer the Hillsound … Read More
Why Buy? I have found myself in situations where I wanted more traction than my MICROspikes could provide, but using mountaineering crampons (ie Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampons) was overkill. Kahtoola K•10 Hiking Crampons seemed to be a good solution. First Impressions An interesting feature of the K•10s is that they will work with many types of footwear. Step-in crampons require mountaineering boots … Read More
Here is a table comparing the features of Kahtoola’s MICROspikes and line of hiking crampons: MICROspikes K•10 Hiking Crampon KTS Aluminum KTS Steel # of Points 12 10 10 10 Point Length 1.0 cm 1.9 cm 1.9 cm 2.5 cm Front Points No No No No Weight (Large/Reg) 408 g / 14.4 oz 608 g / 21.4 oz 540 g / 18.9 oz 662 g … Read More
_____________ Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen some confusion regarding the ‘winter traction devices’ that Hillsound Equipment produces. Here is a table showing the 4 models I’ve seen hikers mention and their distinguishing features. FreeStep6 Crampons Trail Crampon Trail Crampon Ultra Trail Crampon PRO # of Points 21 11 18 10 Point Length 1.2 cm 1.6 cm 1.5 cm 2.0 cm … Read More
Why Buy? I purchased a set of Hillsound FreeSteps6 Traction Devices for my father-in-law earlier this year in preparation for our Mt. Whitney. Looking at their construction and materials, I thought they were very similar to my more expensive Kahtoola Microspikes. I began to wonder why I had not seen FreeSteps recommended on the several hiking forums and facebook hiking groups I belong to. … Read More