Maybe you're enjoying a little global freezing on main street, or maybe you're wanting to make it up that icy trail to the good stuff. Either way when the going gets slick, the smart people – not us, but people we know, or at least know of – put on traction devices.
OK, we actually are smart enough to use whatever we can to avoid falling down and breaking a large bone. The trick is not necessarily finding a decent traction device, it's finding one that doesn't crap the bed after just a few weeks of consistent use. YakTrax, maker of ICEtrekkers, used to produce their eponymous traction devices with a coil spring in bombproof form, but something happened to materials over the way and these days they seem pretty fragile. We had no such problem with the ICEtrekkers, which are pretty dang solid. Hey YakTrax, we're watching you: don't cut corners on these!
ICEtrekkers use a bunch of rotating cleat-thingies attached to the rubber rand by short chains. They work great, and they're easy enough to pull on and off thanks to the glove-friendly pull loop in the back. This also conveniently reminds you which end is the back, something that can be as hard to determine as a chinchilla's gender on some other brands.
As usual, don't wear indoors, because this design especially will scratch wood and laminate floors, and on tile it will just be slippery underfoot. Also grates. Definitely avoid grates with all traction devices, because they will plant you on your puss faster than a chinchilla… well, we don't know what a chinchilla does quickly. Just look out for grates, and the ICEtrekkers will keep you upright on the nastiest of frozen gunk. If you know any older folks, pregnant women, wounded warriors or anyone who needs a little assist this winter, do them a solid and pick them up a pair.