While the rest of the country gets slammed with ice and snow, Seattle-land has gotten a foot of snow over the last five days – and it is all still here. Highly unusual.
Since Seattle doesn’t use salt for the roads and sidewalks, when the snow sticks, all sorts of bad things happen to travel. Including walking and shoveling snow.
In short…you slip and slide and ice is everywhere.
While this is a ham radio blog, I wanted to pass along this very cool accessory (no financial interest in the company) that helps give you stability and traction in the snow and ice. What I call “snow chains for pedestrians.”
Just like the chains and cables for your car or truck required for most mountain pass roads here in the Northwest, Yaktrax (http://www NULL.rei NULL.com/product/760280) give you great stability when shoveling or snow blowing your driveway, walking on snow and ice-covered sidewalks, or going into malls where the ice gets thick in the parking lots.
This week has been the first big test for the Yaktrax (http://www NULL.rei NULL.com/product/760280) and they have come through with flying colors. I’ve been able to go out on the deck and refill bird feeders on solid ice as well as shovel my driveway (three times now…) with no issues of falling on my behind from the slippery conditions.
So I’m recommending them. And, at $20, you’ll find them one of the best values money can buy.
I don’t know their availability around the country, but you can order them online from REI here in Seattle-land and they will come to you in the mail.
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Yep, the Yaktrax are awesome….we’ve used them for a few years now for winter hiking.
73, Bob K0NR
While I agree that Yaktrax are a good product, especially if walking on ice covering asphalt etc. if you venture a little farther in the wilderness yet don’t need crampons, try these:
http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.html (http://www NULL.kahtoola NULL.com/microspikes NULL.html)
They are more expensive but give you superb traction, even when walking on wet logs etc.
They look quite impressive! You’d think, after all of the time I lived in the Midwest that I would have known about these products, but nope! Glad to see them pointed out.