Walking in Snow/Ice

snellfish

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So the snow and ice could be here by end of this week, causing nightmare's for those who have to walk to in the stuff (especially if live on a hill like me) and there is nothing worse than slipping all over the place looking like bambi.
What im after is some good boots or for walking in the dreaded stuff.
Ive seen these Yaktrax things that do look quite good but just wondered if anyone else has something similar?

Yaktrax Ice Grips
YouTube - yaktrax. Pro supergrip!
YouTube - Yaktrax Reviews - GreatOutdoorsDepot.com
 
Thanks for the heads up. I had a few hairy moments back in February continuing on with my running. The 4ft snow was fine. Very grippy. It was when it was melting when trouble arose :laugh:

Would those things be suitable for running or are they "too grippy"? If that makes sense
 
Thanks for the heads up. I had a few hairy moments back in February continuing on with my running. The 4ft snow was fine. Very grippy. It was when it was melting when trouble arose :laugh:

Would those things be suitable for running or are they "too grippy"? If that makes sense

I guess it would be fine if you used the rubbery ones...however if you went for the ones with the metal spring stuff underneath i would have thought it would be very uncomfortable running on anything, except maybe a few inches of snow?
 
That looks a great idea, snow chains for footwear. I wonder what they are like in slush or when there is no snow. I guess the will be easy to take off. For cars I have heard snow socks (Auto socks) are very good. I could go on about winter tyres, but I would be going a little off-topic. :rolleyes:

On another forum last winter, I saw these which are very simular, Due North Everyday Traction Aid Fits Shoes and Ski Boots - Amazon.co.uk :smashin:

In the snow/ice I wear my steel toe-capped safety boots and thick socks for walking and had no problems with grip, they are much better than summer trainers, and much more waterproof.
 
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I nearly mangled myself last week falling on ice.

Knew the car was frosted up but didn't think the pavements were too. Headed outside with a kettle of water to clear my windscreen and went soaring up in the air. It was like the cartoons where someone's feet go right out so they're horizontal!

There's 3 steps down from my front door, I went off the top step and landed sideways on the corner of the bottom one. My arse and ribs hip the edge of the step and my arm hit the ground. Had a massive bruise covering almost the entire right bum cheek!

Pics to follow...




Joking.....




About the pics, not the bruise!
 
Our area was terrible last year with a build up of thick ice on the roads and paths due to no gritting - with snow and frost forecast for the middle of this week i might look into getting some of these.
 
these things really do work! had to try them out in 6" of the white stuff this morning and they work really well, i was walking fast past people who were skidding along, don't have to worry about looking like Bambi on ice any more! highly recommended :thumbsup:
 
these things really do work! had to try them out in 6" of the white stuff this morning and they work really well, i was walking fast past people who were skidding along, don't have to worry about looking like Bambi on ice any more! highly recommended :thumbsup:

Good to hear :thumbsup: was looking at them the other day and wasn't sure about them.

The site FAQ says you should remove them when going in buildings/stores with smooth floors which is a bit obvious but surely it is a bit of a pain to have to keep taking them off and putting them on again? Not to mention carrying them when not wearing as i would think they'd be wet ;)

Live on a hill myself, Luckily the neighbours etc have been putting grit/salt on the sidepaths so not as bad as last year when i fell too many times then i'd of liked :blush:
 
Headed outside with a kettle of water to clear my windscreen and went soaring up in the air.

Kettle?! :eek:

How hot was the water? If the water is too hot, with a cold windscreen it will crack or even shatter it.

Best to stick to warm tap water and then use the wipers to get the excess off to stop it freezing. Makes me cringe when I see people walk out with kettles!
 
G
The site FAQ says you should remove them when going in buildings/stores with smooth floors which is a bit obvious but surely it is a bit of a pain to have to keep taking them off and putting them on again? Not to mention carrying them when not wearing as i would think they'd be wet ;)

not a problem really they are so easy to put on and take off takes all of 10 seconds. i just carry a little plastic bag to put them in when i take them off.
for the time it takes to put them on/take off it really is not an issue compared to falling flat on your backside or worse!
 
Thought I'd give these Yaktrax Walker's a go - might be handy for walking down the pub, or more importantly - back from!

Cheapest I found were Yeomans - £14.99 (normally £16.99)

https://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/p...al/walking-accessories/yaktrax-walker-xs.aspx

+ they're doing free delivery on ALL orders this week! Oh & add Promotional Code YEOMANS5 & you'll get another 5% off so £14.24 delivered! Can't grumble at that :smashin:

Edit. ps: The website doesn't give you the option to choose the colour - just the size but I called them & they said they only have the black ones in stock, so all orders are for Black.

The sizing is a bit weird, so here's what the Yaktrax Website says:

I don't understand your sizing. How do I work out what size Yaktrax I need?We've developed a new size chart which we hope is easier than our previous chart. That previous chart came about because Yaktrax come from the US, where they have translated the US sizing into EU equivalent and printed them on the packet. However.... our personal experience is that the product sizing is on the small side.

Extra Small: From UK 12 (EU 30) to UK 4 (EU 36) 50cm - 58cm (Available in Walker Black only)
Small: From UK 4 (EU36) to UK 6½ (EU 40) 58cm - 64cm circumference
Medium: From UK 6 (EU 39) to UK 9 (EU 43) 64cm - 70cm circumference
Large: From UK 9 (EU 43) to UK 12 (EU 47) 70cm - 76cm
Extra Large: From UK 11 (EU 46) to UK 14 (EU 49) 76cm - 82cm (Available in Pro only)
 
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Find a couple of old tennis rackets in the tip and you're sorted.
 
The sizing is a bit weird,

I got a size small for my wife (shes a size 6 ) and a medium for myself, im a size 9 and they fit perfectly over my chunky timberland boots, the small ones do fit as well but a quite stretched over the boots, but they would probably fit a slightly smaller less chunky boot.
 
I got a size small for my wife (shes a size 6 ) and a medium for myself, im a size 9 and they fit perfectly over my chunky timberland boots, the small ones do fit as well but a quite stretched over the boots, but they would probably fit a slightly smaller less chunky boot.

I've gone for Medium, I'm a size 8. Got the wife medium too, she's a size 6 - so hope they're OKish or should I change the order do you think?
 
Don't worry, I'm not thick...

I used the kettle because I didn't have a jug handy. It was just warm water from the tap, not boiled! :D

:smashin:

There goes my perception of you. :p

JK.

We tend to keep a few milk containers around this time of year. One usually clears the car up.
 
I've gone for Medium, I'm a size 8. Got the wife medium too, she's a size 6 - so hope they're OKish or should I change the order do you think?

i'd change one of them to a small, tbh i think the small will prob fit you but might be a bit tight so best to get a small and medium
 
Thanks for the heads up. I had a few hairy moments back in February continuing on with my running. The 4ft snow was fine. Very grippy. It was when it was melting when trouble arose :laugh:

Would those things be suitable for running or are they "too grippy"? If that makes sense

I have used them for running, they work very well. They give you just the right amount of grip and certainly make you feel confident of staying on your feet :smashin:
 
Thought I'd give these Yaktrax Walker's a go - might be handy for walking down the pub, or more importantly - back from!

Cheapest I found were Yeomans - £14.99 (normally £16.99)

https://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/p...al/walking-accessories/yaktrax-walker-xs.aspx
I just placed my order although website a bit off :rolleyes: Was hanging on card authorisation then the page went to a tent thing. My notifier told me of new email which confirmed the order but the city and county is chopped off the address :D Meh, I am sure RM have dealt with such vagueness before :laugh:
 
My order finally arrived today - better late than never :rotfl: Timely as well as I was just heading out the door for a run. Fresh snow provides good traction anyway but noticeably on the slush and half-melted bits the yaktrax provided that extra grip and I glided past people unsure on their feet. On the parts of the pavement starting to ice up the yaktrax cut through to the paving underneath. The shell used is see-through unlike the black in the link (perhaps they did not have black left?) and really it was quite inconspicuous. I am sure plenty of people thought I had a death wish running at that pace. All in all I ran 12.5km so they get a :smashin: from me
 
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Sounds good. Could have done with those earlier as I went out in my new walking boots just as it started snowing this afternoon and the snow unfortunately hid a large puddle of perfectly smooth ice. I went flying and landed on my back and elbow in the middle of the ice - OW! My forearm is still a bit sore but improving and fortunately I landed perfectly to avoid crushing my camera in my backpack, which thankfully fared much better than I did!

I feel like a right 'nana as I walked that way early this morning and noted how big the patch of ice there was! :facepalm:
 
One thing I would reiterate is that the size guides appear to be exact. It is out-of-stock on that site though they do have more expensive "Pro" versions. Buy according for your shoe size. I got medium which is rated as size 8.5 to 10.5 and when wrapping around my 10.5 running shoes I just about stretched them over the sole. When taking them off they revert back to a "half-open clamshell" and were happy to go over my smaller leather boots, so no worries about being "stretched out". Thanks
 
I just try to keep a constant momentum, then if I start to slip keep moving feet forward.
A team of scientists won the ig Nobel Prize for experiments into wearing socks over shoes :thumbsup:
 

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