If you ask five people when backpacking and hiking season is, you will probably get five different answers. For those that want to extend their own personal season into the fringes of the shoulder seasons and even into the heart of winter, there are a couple things that will be necessary. Warmer gear can only get you so far, and as it gets icy, you’ll need to add something to your footwear to help with traction.

Even during the peak of summer, traction devices can make or break a trip if you’re going into the high country in the northern US if it was a heavy snow year and/or a slow melt off. There are many different options out there, from companies like Yaktrak and Hillsound, but my go to has stayed the same through many years with the Kahtoola MICROspikes. Simply, they offer everything you’ll need for non-technical terrain with unmatched flexibility to work with any type of shoe.

Kahtoola MICROspikes Design

The design is fairly simple. All of the wearable surfaces on the bottom are constructed with stainless steel chain links and connected to 3/8” heat treated stainless steel spikes. Even though steel is heavier than other options like aluminum, using steel makes them more versatile. An aluminum version would not be as durable, allowing the steel-spiked MICROspikes to be used on snow as well as iced over rocks without bending or significant dulling. The spikes are not sharp enough to cut yourself easily, making them safer to handle and throw in the pack without thinking.

The upper portion is a simple rubber ring that allows it to be secured onto any footwear without Velcro or webbing straps. By avoiding straps, it makes it easier to flip them on or off as needed without any adjustment in the field. They are also symmetrical, so it doesn’t matter which one goes on which foot, making them even faster to get on. I found it took me less than a minute to get both on in the field, even with gloves on.

In 2014, Kahtoola updated their design by adding an additional two spikes to the heel section of their MICROspikes. After trying out the new design, I didn’t find it revolutionary, but it was noticeable and helpful, adding a bit of extra grip for digging in your heels on snowy descents. The design features 12 spikes per foot on all sizes except the 10-spiked extra-small and a pair of MICROspikes have listed weights ranging from 11 to 13.5 ounces. My size large weighed in at 15.6 ounces (440 grams) on my scale. However, my pair is a bit older and in recent years Kahtoola seems to have reduced the weight a bit.

Sizing MICROspikes

Their only weakness in my opinion is each pair only fits a specific range of shoe sizes, because they don’t use any sort of adjustment straps. They offer a range of sizes from extra-small to extra-large to fit any size shoe though. If you happen to be on the edges of what one size will fit and you get a bigger insulated shoe for colder weather, you may have to get a second pair. I have not had an issue with this personally, but when fitting them to your shoes, make sure they work with all of your different footwear choices before buying. In my case, my size large fit my size 12 shoe and boots very well.

The stretchy upper harness of the Kahtoola MICROspikes provides a snug fit on various types of hiking footwear.

MICROspikes Traction & Performance

In comparison to full crampons, which these are not trying to replace, MICROspikes will not work as well if you need to kick steps into hardpack snow. These are not meant for technical climbing in very steep terrain since they do not have any front points.

However in some respects, MICROspikes are safer than crampons since there is less worry about puncturing yourself with them if you fall and glissading is possible. Glissading is not safe with crampons because of the possibility of breaking your ankle or spinning you if they snag accidentally. MICROspikes shorter length spikes are closer to the center of the sole so are less likely to catch. They will also save your pants and gaiters, which will shred eventually if you wear crampons enough. In deep soft snow, MICROspikes will not help at all, which will require a snowshoe or a touring ski system to float over the snow. On the flip side of the equation if you're looking for something less aggressive than the MICROspikes, the Kahtoola EXOspikes are worth a look. For something more aggressive, check out the Kahtoola K10 crampons.

I’ve used MICROspikes for dozens of trips over the last five years, from remote glacier climbs in the Wind River Mountains to descending hardened snowfields on cross country routes like the Utah Highline. They allow peace of mind at a minimal weight penalty. One of the times I was very glad I had brought them with me was during my Pikes Peak climb (see Issue #8). Even though the route was a walk up, at Barr Camp about halfway up the peak the entire path was covered in thick ice from the stream that normally provides water from the camp. The ice was so thick in areas that picnic tables were underneath the hard blue ice, which covered over a quarter mile of the trail. Without a pair of MICROspikes, that section of trail would have been slow, difficult, and potentially dangerous.

Later that season on another hike, a recent storm had covered every possible surface with rime ice with no dry spots, again causing a situation that would have caused me to turn around if I had not brought my MICROspikes along that day. I have even used them around my place when an icy snow storm makes it hard to shovel snow, and I tend to keep them in my car in-between trips during the winter as a safety measure.

The Kahtoola spikes come with a two year warranty, and Kahtoola sells an optional stuff sack to accompany them. A stuff sack is a good idea as they can get pretty wet and muddy while being used, although I find just sticking them in a mesh pocket on the outside of my pack is just as effective between use, allowing them to dry easily. With a small stuff sack, they’re only about the size of a soda can. While they are stainless steel, they can still rust if sealed up with moisture long enough, so rinsing and drying your spikes after trips will prolong their lifespan even more.

Conclusion

Overall I found that the Kahtoola MICROspikes offer great traction over reasonable winter terrain, and best of all, they’re fast and easy to put on when you need them and just as quick to take off – even with the gloves you’ll surely be wearing. Fit is good so long as you’ve sized them appropriately, and considering they’re under a pound per pair, they’re easy to bring along even if you aren’t sure you’ll need them. With stainless steel construction durability is excellent, and if you’re looking to stay on your feet throughout the colder months, they might be hard to beat.

A pair of MICROspikes will retail for $75 online. They come in either red, black, or green and in sizes to fit any foot size from kids to size 16 mens. You can find them here at REI Co-op as well as here at Amazon.com. You can also view a selection of winter traction devices on this page at REI.

Editor's Note: This review originally appeared in Issue 19 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original review here featuring additional photos, pros and cons, and our rating of the Kahtoola MICROspikes.