Running Accesories

Featured review by LoneStranger

Nothing nano about these spikes. When the trail turns to ice and you need traction that will stick to it, the Hillsound Trail Crampon delivers. Flexible enough to fit a variety of footwear yet securely attached for serious terrain.

The Hillsound Trail Crampon combines great traction with a harness that is easy to use and functions well. This is a testament to their design, which clearly took into account the issues less well thought out crampons can bring. Snug secure fit even on less bulky boots. Ease of Use: Anyone who hikes in real winter conditions knows that moment when you feel the trail start to get icy and the question of whether it is worth the effort of stopping to put on the traction device you're carrying. For me, the Hillsound Trail Crampons have made that question much easier because they require so little effort to get into and out of.

Read more: Hillsound Trail Crampon reviews (14)

Featured review by Alicia MacLeay

2020 UPDATE: For 13 winters and counting I've relied on Kahtoola MicroSpikes traction devices to keep me upright while running on snowy and icy trails and camp roads. The 12 stainless steel cleats under each foot provide confidence-inspiring traction on hard pack, ice, and snow; the devices are straightforward to use and easy to get on over my trail-running shoes; a pair is lightweight and small enough to take along for just-in-case use; overall MicroSpikes are durable and well made. That said, the stainless steel cleats will dull over time, depending on how often they meet rocks and pavement. They do not replace crampons for technical hikes. In the right (or rather wrong) conditions, I occasionally get snowballs underfoot. While overall quite durable, my current pair suffered a break in its harness after two winters. MicroSpikes are an essential part of my winter running kit that I take for granted. I recommend them as a solid, dependable choice for other winter trail runners, hikers, and walkers.

Overview I received my first pair of Kahtoola MicroSpikes way back in the winter of 2007-08, and quickly became a convert to the new, stretchy, red traction devices. I'm now on at least my fourth pair and have run and walked thousands of icy, snowy, winter miles with MicroSpikes underfoot.  MicroSpikes are super rugged, burly, and easy to use. Not only do they inspire confidence from the get-go, they deliver. I've recommended them to many people and bought pairs for myself and family members.

Read more: Kahtoola MICROspikes reviews (38)

Featured review by Angie O'Plasty

I have been very happy with this headlamp. It is bright enough for night hiking and the angle can be adjusted depending on what you need to see (or to keep from blinding your hiking partner when you turn toward them). The low-battery warning is a nice feature. I also like that this light is water resistant; this is important for a hiking headlamp because sometimes one ends up hiking in rain and it may happen to be dark out as well. My only complaint is that it is kind of hard to open the battery compartment. Maybe this part of the design is necessary for water resistance, but it does make battery changes a bit of a pain. The good news is that this light doesn't go through batteries very quickly.

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Featured review by Mike Mineart

The Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultras are a really well made product that performs well on icy trails. These type of trail crampons really enable you to enjoy hiking whenever your favorite trails are icy and are really great to have and share with a friend to give them a little greater confidence in following you out on an icy springtime hike.

I have had a pair of these Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultras and also a pair of the Hillsound FreeSteps6 and found them a great addition to my pack and have really enjoyed using them while hiking when trail conditions can be challenging. My medium pair of Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultras weigh 15.9 ounces with the storage bag included and 14.8 ounces without. The storage bag is made from a heavy weight nylon that the crampon points will not poke through when the bag with the crampons are stored in your pack.

Read more: Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultra reviews (15)

Featured review by Strahwk

I currently have two of these headlamps. One is used for hiking and the other I wear on my hardhat at work. For the price, weight, and size, I am very pleased. The lamp I use for hiking is roughly 3 years old and is as good as new. It throws sufficient light for any task in the woods, and I have used it for many night hikes, especially in the winter. As others have noted, the tilt adjustment for the lamp seems a little weak. For the lamp I use hiking this is not yet an issue, even after 3 years, partly because it is not used heavily.

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Featured review by Bill "L.Dog" Garlinghouse

A light, well-made headlamp with bright, focused beams, and a red light mode. An intelligent switching pattern becomes intuitive with use. Made in the USA.

I've had a few headlamps before this one. In my first section of the Appalachian Trail, I took my Black Diamond Cosmo LED headlamp. It had two side LEDs for a flood effect, and one central 0.5-watt LED with a conical reflector to focus the beam. It was a fine unit except for one thing. It didn't have a red light mode. Now, many like red light to protect night vision. But if one's hiking the AT, and  turns on a white light inside a crowded shelter after dark, they are often called names, have their sanity questioned, and are generally ostracized from the community of hikers.

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Reviewed by Shane

This watch is nearly perfect for any outdoor adventure. From running to hiking to swimming to boating, it gets the job done well. I will not hit the trail, road, or lake without it!

Out for a day hike I know my Garmin Fenix 7X (Solar Sapphire) has been on the market for around three years. And I know that tons of people have written excellent reviews about it. You can also find great reviews of it on YouTube. So I won't go into all sorts of detail here because others have done that well.  I'll just give a brief run down of this watch. Also, I'm guessing that future iterations of the Fenix will also be excellent so this review will likely apply to newer Fenix watches.

Read more: Garmin fenix 7X review (1)

Reviewed by Shane

The Nitecore NU33 is a legit headlamp for various uses. It is lightweight, bright but dimmable, very water resistant, and the battery lasts a long time.

I've used this Nitecore NU33 headlamp for many different long-distance backpacking trips. It has served me very well. I got this one because it was rechargeable with a USB-C cord—it doesn't need AA or AAA batteries. I also got this one because Nitecore is a reputable company that makes good lights. The main center spotlight on bright. Like other headlamps, the Nitecore NU33 has various lighting modes. This one includes a spotlight option, a diffused light option, and a red light option.

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Reviewed by Wolfed

Rugged, long run time, waterproof headlamp

When doing anything, especially when I will be away from civilization where potential help if is far away if needed, I like to be as prepared as possible. You will notice that this headlamp is not light by any means at almost half a pound. Then again, it's not marketed as a backpacking light. What you get for this weight though is serious ruggedness, waterproofness, various choices in light output along with run time. You also get something where if you use it mindfully, you shouldn’t have to charge it again while out, even on your longer trips.

Read more: Fenix HM70R review (1)

Featured review by George McCormic

The compact size and light weight are a real plus. The use of non-lithium batteries won't cause any concerns if you carry this on an airplane.

This was purchased to replace an older headlamp. I like Petzl products and was looking for a bright compact light that was not too "flashy" and had minimal functions. This model does the trick. This light was purchased as a backup for some ice cave exploration and glacier hiking in Iceland and because of the concern regarding carrying lithium batteries for air travel I was looking for a light that used non-lithium batteries.  On lower settings this light is stingy on battery use and it worked well in cold wet weather. I plan on purchasing a second model as a spare to replace my older AA headlamp.

Read more: Petzl TacTikka reviews (3)