The crew at Hillsound knows that the problem with winter is that it tends to put a few hundred yards of icy terrain and steep snow between you and your favorite summer hiking route. To overcome that little problem, they designed the Trail Crampon Ultra. Ideal for walking, hiking and running on snow-packed icy trails, the Trail Crampon Ultra is ready to tackle Old Man Winter and whatever tricks he’s got up his sleeve.
On Performance and Design…
Made of ultra high-strength stainless steel for durability and weight reduction, the new Trail Crampon ULTRA brings the Trail Crampon’s legacy of superb traction performance to those needing to travel faster and lighter.
18 spikes offer aggressive traction on any icy surface and distributes pressure to withstand wear. Even better, weighing in at only 370 grams, these crampons won’t even be noticed in your pack, and the full-strap attachment system allows them to be used with any type of shoes or boots. That means they’ve got your back whether you’re hiking the backcountry, making a summit or just out for a trail run.
And it turns out the Trail Crampon Ultra is as tough and durable as it looks. Welded chains withstand repeated torque, foot strikes and abuse on any ice and snow. Meanwhile, double-sided chains keep a tight grip on shoes to prevent shifting of traction device. And that’s a huge bonus, because if you’re traction system is shifting, then you’re going to be slipping.
One thing we’ve learned over the years is that Old Man Winter doesn’t always play nice. More than once we’ve headed out for a day of hiking and admittedly found ourselves ill-prepared for challenging winter terrain. Which is why the Trail Crampon Ultra has proven to be a welcome addition to our winter gear stash. From snow packed trails, to wet rocks and even frozen lake – these crampons refused to lose traction.
On a recent winter hike our destination required a five mile hike into the backwoods along an old fire trail. It turns out that California’s mild winter has managed to stay just cold enough to ensure the early snowfall melted and then transformed into sheets of ice. The result? Ten miles round trip on a road covered with ice and not one slip or falter.
Notes from the Field…
There are those who may prefer the spike-less design of other traction systems. However, the 18 spikes offer aggressive traction that can’t be matched by those spike-less designs, and for our team, the Hillsound design gives us a pair that we can use in both the backcountry and iced over urban jungle.
Bottom Line…
Any terrain, any age, any condition – welcome to Hillsound’s Trail Crampon Ultra ice traction system. Whether you’re walking the dog, fishing on a frozen river, or doing that high-altitude hike with an icy peak, the Trail Crampon Ultra’s are a must have for your winter gear stash.
*Gumption Gear Review received a product sample of the item featured in this review from Hillsound at no cost, and receives no monetary compensation for this or any related review. The item featured was provided solely in return for our honest views and opinions.