Yak Tracks

[jenny12]

Has anyone tried the cleats you can put on your shoes – for traction? I hear they are hard to put on? I don’t know if they

would be hard to put on – for an elderly person with arthritic hands. Do they seem to work pretty well for traction? With my luck

I would wear them by mistake inside the house – and wreck my pretty hardwood floors! :)

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[Sue]

Jenny, I have used YakTrax for years. They are not “cleats” per se – they do not have spikes that grip into ice/snow/floors. They are more like tire chains – spiral chains around the rubber frame that help give traction.

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I do not find them hard to put on if I’m sitting down. The rubber can be tight and once you hook them around the toe area, you need to pull to get it over the heel and then adjust the sides to make sure they are on securely. However, many times I’ve had to put them on standing up, and THAT is very difficult. You can wear them inside without damaging your floor. They can be slick on linoleum – if you walk carefully you’d be okay. You’ll kill yourself on marble or ceramic tile though. :) Can’t speak for hardwood though. I can get on and off a metro bus though without problems.

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You still need to be careful with them on ice/snow. I don’t think you get much traction on smooth ice. But they’ve definitely helped me get around.

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I usually carry them around in a ziploc bag in my pocket during the winter. But do not let them sit wet in a ziploc (or other plastic) bag – they will rust if not left open to dry.

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http://www.yaktrax.com

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[JimmyG]

I don’t know if that’s the brand I have, but sounds similar. They work awesome on my work boots. Just the week before I was standing still on a very slight incline and was sliding.

Put the gripper things on my boots and I was able to function again.

But as Sue says you still need to be careful in the ice, they aren’t 100% protection.

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[B-squared]

I just bought some of these on Ebay (“just” as in minutes ago), so that practically assures that the snow and ice will be gone soon;)

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[littlebrowndog]

I saw them on the news last Monday, and they said REI was all sold out at that point. I ordered a pair on REI.com on Tuesday morning and they arrived Thursday afternoon. I have now used them a few times and I really like them. It does take a bit of stretching them to get them on, but I think it would be do-able with arthritis. I have decided that I am going to get another pair to keep in my car as part of my winter emergency supplies.

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[Magpie]

REI sold out of over 750 of them over the weekend. Hear they are good. Can also buy on QVC and I think they still have them in stock.

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[JoB]

jennie..

put them on a pair of boots to use only in the snow so you won’t have to take them on and off…perferrably ones that slip on and off…

if you are going inside a store.. carry a pair of slippers in a bag to wear in the store so you don’t fall because the yaks make it more slippery inside.

i had a friend in minnesota who bought boots big enough to pull easily over her shoes and kept the yak tracks on them… worked well for her.

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[JoB]

jennie12..

thanks to your reminder i used mine today.. they really made walking the dogs a lot more pleasant.

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[charlabob]

For emergencies, when you really don’t want to land on your butt, try this: take off your shoes and walk “barefoot”. The heat from your feet melts the ice — when nothing else will. People look at you funny, but not as much as they do when you’re lying flat on your back. :-)

I *did* get the Yak Trax this year and they make a huge difference. Haven’t seen anything that works as well on ice.

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[littlebrowndog]

I walked to and from the Jefferson Safeway yesterday, including up and down Erskine, while wearing my new Yak Trax. I didn’t slip in the slightest. I do wonder if they would do any good walking across California now that it has turned into a sloppy, slushy mess. I’m thinking they should still continue to work on the sidewalks when/if they ever start thawing out as there will be the very compacted snow that will turn to ice but won’t be churned up like the crosswalks. I guess I will get the chance to find out if the melt finally comes.

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[adken]

Yak trax are awesome – we keep them in the car in case we get stranded somewhere or are also great for lite hiking in snow/ice when snowshoes are too much. Great for around the neighborhood – of course I lost one yesterday somewhere around CA/Admiral junction so will need a new pair.

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[jenny12]

thanks for all the great suggestions! They did sell them at our Tr.

Value but they may be out of stock now…good luck out there! :)

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[jenny12]

I have heard a neato trick for Yak Tracks and other brands.

Put them onto your show, with the shoe off. This helped my mother who has arthritic hands.

I saw these: http://www.rei.com/product/760283.

seemed like a great idea, since the velco might make

it easier to put this on.

Have you ever used these?

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