Yaks are more than just the other white meat. They are the inspiration for a traction device appropriately named Yaktrax. Because you never see Yaks slipping on ice, do you? No, you don't. We've used Yaktrax for years, and they used to last a couple seasons, but over time they seem to have consistently slipped in quality control. Our most recent pair didn't last a month unti the rubber broke in multiple sections.
Simple in design, Yaktrax are made out of stretchy rubber cords with steel coil springs wound around the bottom part. The Pro version has a velcro keeper strap that goes over the top of the foot; there's a Walker version without the strap, and it works fine if you're just walking around town.
Traction-wise, they work great on exposed ice, and they work pretty well on hard snow too. One great feature of Yaktrax versus spike solutions: the Yaktrax won't tear up carpets or other flooring if you forget to take them off inside. Our first review of Yaktrax was back in the winter of 2006-07, and we loved them, but until quality improves you'll want to choose a different manufacturer.
One response to “Yaktrax traction device”
Amen to that. My old, not-yet-broken pair of Yaktraks is sitting in the garage while I put plenty of miles on my Katoolah microspikes, or various sets of screw shoes I’ve made over the last five seasons or so.