One thing I now ALWAYS keep in my hiking pack is my Yak Trax. Last year my friends and I did a hike in the spring, after most of the snow had melted (we thought). Needless to say, the sun had not reached the ice on the trail through the trees. My hiking boots did not have traction for smooth ice, and I was literally sliding into the creek beside the path and hanging onto trees! Thankfully, my friend had some IceTrax, and gave one to me to use. I realized my husband had bought YakTrax for running years ago, so I dug those out and keep them in my pack for hiking!

What are Yaktrax?

Yaktrax (named after the Tibetan Yak), were inspired by a Sherpa who was able to walk “confidently across slick ice and thick snow. His footwear would spark a revolutionary invention — coil technology.”

They fit easily over almost any shoe, and the metal coils on the bottom grip into the ice and snow, preventing falls for all ages!

There are several different models made by Yaktrax: Walk, Pro, Run, Summit, and Ski. Today I am going to compare the Walk and the Pro.

“Walk”

The Walk is the most basic YakTrax. In my opinion, these are geared towards walking around town, or on a flat, packed trai

They simply slip over your shoe, with natural rubber coming over the top of the front of the shoe, and up the back of the shoes. The coils on the bottom grip the ice, and it is much safer to walk.

However, these do not have a strap that goes over the top of the shoe. Not a big deal for walking around town as they will easily stay on! That is not great for hiking, though. One friend bought the “Walk” model without the strap, and it came off a few times while hiking snow covered trails. We had to back track a few times to find them! The IceTrax my friend lent me last year also fit this way (they were from Costco, but I have found out that you can buy a strap separate straight from the Icetrax website).

“Pro”

The Pro version is what I have. I have confidently used these for my second winter hiking season.

Not only is the grip from the coils great, but it has the strap that goes over the top of the shoe, which keeps them secure on your shoe, without flipping off and losing them in deep snow.

Once they are on your shoe or hiking boot, they are staying there until you decide to take them back!

This is the one I would recommend if you are planning on hiking with your YakTrax.

Conclusion

I know not everyone is into winter hikes, but really it can be the most beautiful time of year to hike!

We generally will not go hiking if it is colder than -15C. But you have to remember that when you are hiking, your body heats up, and with proper winter gear, it really can be amazing.

I am always cold to start, and usually start stripping layers about 10 minutes in….it has started to be a standing joke, to see how long it takes me to start taking off layers! LOL

Having said that, I highly recommend bringing a warm sweater to change into after the hike. You will be sweating and staying warm while moving, but as soon as you are done, you will get chilled very quickly!

Anyways, the point is, that winter hiking can be great if you have the right gear. Where are your favorite places to go for winter hikes? Comment and let me know!

Here is a shorter winter hike my friends and I went on recently….and our hikes rarely go off without going off trail somewhere 😉