Kahtoola  K 10 Hiking Crampons

Important addition to winter traction aids

I live in the Northeast and do modest mountain hiking all winter. I started out with the Kahtoola micro spikes, but these crampons work for conditions where the micro spikes don't. You are much more secure on serious trail ice and these shed the wet snow that confound the micro spikes. You should do the first fitting onto your boots inside when you have some time. After that, they are reasonably easy to get on and off. As others have said, they will rust if you don't dry them off after using them. I use these for close to 50% of my winter/spring hikes. They don't work on rocks without ice/snow, so I head just off the trail edges for something to grip onto for those conditions.

True crampon performance and very easy on/off

Record snow this year in the Sierras that turned switchbacks into a uniform sheet of snow and ice. Microspikes will do ok but crampons rule in this stuff. These crampons performed as well as any other crampon but the selling point is how fast I can put these on and how secure they are once in place. If you count the grams, these are heavier than their microspike counterparts but the performance is exponentially greater. I probably saved hours each day cruising over ice flows and steep snow slopes. With microspikes, you have to strategize your footing when you face level 10 sketch on the edge of a cliff. I also like the fact that the front spikes are downward facing. More hiker friendly for normal steps and more practical for flexy hiking boots.

Nice traction devices

Secure and sturdy. I had to get a crampon bag for them. They were fun to walk over snow in.

The crampons are great for hiking and traction on both ice and frozen dirt/ice. Where I hike, a better choice than the 1" models. They mount and remove easily and are stable while climbing. REI only lists a single size for the K10s they sell, while other suppliers list 2 sizes. I wear a size 10 1/2, and my boot is borderline too big for the width of the frame. With a little "help" they now fit perfectly. I would not recommend buying these K10s if your boot size is larger than mine.

Work great

I finally got to try these out in snow. The trail wasn't difficult enough to rate the traction (I had zero issues but neither did other people in regular boots). What I mostly noticed was you can take a clean pair out of the car and quickly get ice stuck in the snaps as you put them on. I would have something handy to keep those cleared out, even if it's a twig. Once they were on they were secure enough for hiking and I probably should have tried a jog to test that further. I wear size 12 and needed these adjusted out to maximum length so if you have larger or bulky footwear these might not fit you. I've noticed with climbing crampons that it's easy to tear your pant legs with the front teeth and this was not a problem with these.

Great Mid Range Crampon

I bought the Kahtoola micro spikes first, tried them out but found a bunch of issues. Noticed K-10s, the seemed to be a great mid range crampon but didn't need a specialized mountaineering boot. I have Oboz Bridger boots size 10 and the K-10 Crampons fit great. I trekked into the whites over the weekend, the trails were covered in thick ice along with the summit being complete field of ice with mixed scrambling. The K-10 worked perfectly keeping me in place on the ice and also on my foot. I noticed slight movement when taking steps but didn't hinder my ascent. Stainless steal teeth held up great when walking over bare rock. They did however need some light sharpening after the trip. I also noticed light rust taking place on the flex bar. Make sure to clean them after you unpack your kit and clean with wd40. All in all, K-10 kept me from falling and worked very well for the $100

Feel confidant walking anywhere with these.

These crampons are fantastic! Wearing these has allowed me to get out in the woods and hike on anything that's out there from ice to crusty snow and bare frozen ground. Since we can't seem to get any snow this year to ski on, at least I can get out and exercise with these on my boots. They're well made, easy to get on and off, and very adjustable to fit any boot. I have 100% confidence while walking anywhere in these.

An essential for any winter hike above 3000 feet!

I wear Merrel Moab 12s and these seem like they could maybe go one size bigger, but if you're bigger than a 13 these probably won't work for you. That being said - they're phenomenal. Going up the darkside of blackhead mountain we encountered a 50 foot ice fall and I literally just strapped these on and walked up like it was dry ground. Cannot recommend these enough and I will be getting an extra pair for my wife!

Excellent grip, very well made

Once you get them properly adjusted (straps and proper length), they are easy to put on and remove. Rugged and outstanding for hiking on icy trails. They grip firmly even in difficult conditions (for example, light dusting of snow over steep hills of sheer ice). These crampons are perfect for the winter conditions here in the Arctic. I love 'em!

Good product

These seem to be great so far & really have no complaints. 1 minor detail is that the little rubber loops that hold the excess straps aren’t very effective & 1 broke after 1st use so I started using the little lace hook for holding strap. It’s kinda a pain to use & since once these things are strapped tight, hooking it to the lace doesn’t seem necessary anyways. Overall they seem great