Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro Gear Review
If you spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter, especially in the mountains you appreciate a pair of icers. You don’t have to be climbing some gnarly icefall to put a pair of Hillsound Trail crampons to use.
Walking on a hard-packed, snow covered trail or on one with patches of ice can be tough going without some help.
On several occasions since the fall either my husband, myself or a friend have tested the Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro. It’s made for walking on snow, hard-packed snow and ice but it’s not what you’d use for a serious ice-climb. The manufacturers suggest backcountry hiking, winter hiking and glacier travel.
Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro
Best features
These crampons are a snap to put on and take off using the ratchet buckle bindings.
What I love most about them is feeling solid on my feet. When I’ve been in slippery conditions, they have grabbed the snow and ice and provided a high degree of comfort. My friend Ted – who isn’t always so sure what he’s getting into when he goes out with us – literally loved everything about them.
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Technical specs of the Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro
The Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro weighs 667 g for a regular sized pair and 704 g for an oversized pair. I didn’t notice the extra weight.
A regular sized pair fit boots from a women’s size 5 to a men’s size 12. The extra large crampons will fit men’s size 12 -15.
There are a total of 10 spikes made of heat treated carbon steel ranging from 2 – 2.6 cm in length.
They are meant to be worn with a stiff-soled or full shank hiking boot. With a malleable sole it’s possible that the metal base plate will bend or even break.
The company has tested the product in conditions up to -50°C. When it’s colder than that (really – who’s going outside in these conditions??) the buckles and metal become brittle and can break.
Each set of crampons comes with an “alpine stopper” to prevent the buckles from opening in deep snow – but I have yet to use them. A wrench is also included to adjust the length.
The length can be adjusted with a wrench
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I think anyone who tries these will be pleased with their performance.
The only thing I wouldn’t recommend doing is running down a hill with baggy pants. John did that while on Fairview Mountain and ripped a pair of pants so badly they were garbage. Live and learn.
For more information on the Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro, visit their website.
You can purchasea pair here– and honestly this is one product anyone who walks on ice in the mountains could use. They also make apair of icersthat are perfect for around town when you’re walking your dog.
I am aspiring to become an Adirondack Mountain 46er. To become a 46er W, you have to complete the mountains during the Winter. That means I will have to ascend and descend some very icy and steep rocks, slides and trails. These Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro’s would allow me more confidence while completing my Winter journey. I have a pair of the Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultra’s but a pair of the Pro’s would allow the longer spikes to get thru any fresh snow on the trail and pierce the ice below so I am not constantly slipping or feel like I am walking in sand! Thanks for the review with all the nice pictures!
Sounds like a great adventure to me John. Good luck to becoming a 46er.
I would put these crampons to good use during winter hiking here in Vermont….our trails tend to get quite “solid” and we encounter varying snow and ice conditions, from November through May.
I would take these to play in the Cascades!
I’d love to use these in Whistler and our local North Shore mountains!
Would love to have a pair of these to try on the hiking trails of the East Coast Trail.
So funny reading this today. I just spent the day snowshoeing in the mountains of Vermont. What was fluffy, powdery snow a few days ago has turned to hard packed ice. It wasn’t a good trail for the snowshoes at all, and I was so wishing for something like this!
Lots of places here in the Okanagan to use and switch to when it gets too crunchy to wear snowshoes!
I would love to use these crampons in Grotto Canyon so I can hike on the frozen creekbed without cracking my head open. 🙂 I bought my hubby crampons for Christmas and got my kids mocrospikes, but my ice cleats just don’t do as good a job as crampons or spikes.
These would be perfect Karen!
I would also love to explore Johnston’s Canyon in the winter with crampons 🙂
I bet they will be great for winters in Newfoundland
Would definitely use them hiking the East Coast Trail and other trails in Newfoundland.
I am 60 years old love to hike in the north west where i live near Mt. Hood, Mt St Helens, and Mt. Baker. I would like to climb these volcanoes and other trails in the spring and fall when there is snow in places on them.
@Charles They’d be great for this!!
I would give them to my daughter, who works in a remote resort in the Rockies and also lives there, with her dog. Crampons would be super for daily dog walks and long hikes on days off, when there isn’t enough snow for snowshoes, but too much for hiking boots alone. And that’s most of the year.
@Marion That’s a very kind gesture. Good luck.
Anytime when snow shoes aren’t needed (packed snow mostly, or tight steep spots)!
I am going to be living in Vermont for a few months at the mountain school. I am worried about the footwear so these crampons would be very useful.
I will try them out in one of the many trails in the Canadian Rockies.
I’d try them out in the Lake Tahoe or Sierras areas in California. Especially with all the snow we’ve finally gotten this season after many lacking years.
I would definitely use these crampons for winter hikes in Saskatchewan or Alberta… I sure could have used them the last time I hiked Johnston Canyon with some relatives!! That was January of 2014 and we all struggled to stay on our feet in several places!
@Hank That’s a tough walk without crampons.
We FOR SURE would use these crampons every day all winter – we live in the bush in northern Ontario and walk one km to our mailbox daily so would really appreciate winning a pair!
@Jo Good luck. They’d be great for anyone in northern Ontario.
I’d try them out in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I still have 9 peaks left (out of 48) in the winter version of the N.H. 4000′ peakbagging list.
@Cumulus I have yet to visit the White Mountains but I know they’d be very useful there.