GETTING THE CRAMPS

[Sgt Nambu]

With winter nearly here the cold weather clothing and gear threads are coming out. Here's mine! A few years ago while carrying a five gallon bucket of hot water to melt the iced over birdbath I took a bad spill on the ice and nearly twisted myself in two! I was laid up for nearly two weeks except, ironically, getting up to inch my way to the birdbath with hot water!
That year we bought a set of crampons for each of us and in the next winter tried them out. Enormous head slap! Where have you baby's been hiding?
How many of you guys and gals use crampons on the ice and packed snow?

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[Stomper]

I was going to suggest Panadol, but then I realized you said, "crampons".

 

[erudne]

I have em, life savers

 

[Stomper]

Panadol or crampons?

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Both have their place! Oddly, both more so when you get old!

 

[rick benjamin]

I use these from Walmart

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

Good reminder, will have to dig them out.

I went down on sloped-pavement in 08; had my left arm in a sling after having a spur removed from my elbow 2 days prior.

Landed on my elbow and slammed the back of my head....so much pain..

All options were on the table that night; glad I chose option "B" and then I bought some rubber thingies with spikes.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Never had a set of them, always had good balance and a hard head......

 

[Joe13]

+1^^ I was blessed with great balance; if I wasn't then I would have broken every bone in my body.

 

[oknow]

Golf shoes or bb cleats (the old metal kind) work great

 

[jbett98]

In a pinch, take some plastic zip ties and wrap your shoes/boots with the zip head at the bottom of the sole. Thread through the laces to keep them in place.
Alternate direction when installing and cut off the excess tie at an angle close to the zip head and off you go.
For extreme icy conditions, thread the zip tie through some short lengths of small chain links.

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

Golf shoes or bb cleats (the old metal kind) work great

The mental-toughness required to purchase golf shoes escapes me, but that is a great idea sir.

Perhaps a pair of those logging boots w/spikes....

 

[Just Jim]

Last year's snow was a dry snow as it was pretty cold so I had no problem with useing the leaf blower to make a path anywhere I needed to walk . I live in the city and keep my walks free of snow. Then I salt the ground so nobody falls. Little rock salt can save you two weeks of a bad back.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Rock salt is fine, but not over my garden! I live right at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, it's pointed at us like a shotgun. We get ice storms about one in three years so the crampons are a practical way too go for us.
As a quick and dirty substitute, wool sox pulled over your boots is another okay way to get 'er done! I'm a bit of a fanatic about keeping my birds and squirrels alive. Especially the humming birds, with a dog I'm outside a lot on the ice. Safe winter everyone!

 

[mjbskwim]

I'm a bit of a fanatic about keeping my birds and squirrels alive.

So you're teaching the wild life to be democrats? Live on the dole?

 

[45alive]

Ya, I loved it when I slipped on the ice and landed on a chunk of shale rock smacking my right temple. Seen stars, temporary blackness and then ringing in the ears. But I made it , just grew another right temple on the side of my head.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

So you're teaching the wild life to be democrats? Live on the dole?

Yep, but I have hummingbirds year round!

Ya, I loved it when I slipped on the ice and landed on a chunk of shale rock smacking my right temple. Seen stars, temporary blackness and then ringing in the ears. But I made it , just grew another right temple on the side of my head.

Good to know that your head is harder than shale!

 

[Just Jim]

Ya, I loved it when I slipped on the ice and landed on a chunk of shale rock smacking my right temple. Seen stars, temporary blackness and then ringing in the ears. But I made it , just grew another right temple on the side of my head.

What did that measure on the Ricture scale?

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

Ya, I loved it when I slipped on the ice and landed on a chunk of shale rock smacking my right temple. Seen stars, temporary blackness and then ringing in the ears. But I made it , just grew another right temple on the side of my head.

Gotcha! Crushing rocks without a permit.....

 

[mjbskwim]

Well I don't ever land on my head. The out come would be better if I did.
Heck if i fall it always seems to injure my shoulders