Gear Review: Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro

Trail Crampon Pro and Carrying Sack

The Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro is a lightweight ten-point, non-technical crampon designed to be used on glaciers and icy trails. The Trail Crampon Pro can be used with a wide range of footwear and aren’t limited to mountaineering boots or other rigid footwear. The Trail Crampon Pros come with the adjustable crampons, a carrying case for the crampons, an Allen wrench for adjusting the size of the crampons and a one-year guarantee against defects in the material and workmanship.

L/R specific nature of the crampons

Anatomy of the Crampon Pro

The Trail Crampon Pros can be attached to almost any footwear. A crossing harness straps the crampons to the footwear. Two ratchet buckles (one on each side) secure the footwear in place. The X-shaped harness is designed to reduce pressure points while walking with the crampons on. The Hillsound Trail Cramp Pro are left and right foot specific with “Left” and “Right” imprinted on the spacer bars. The Trail Crampon Pro are one size fits most. The Trail Crampon Pros have a slider that can be adjusted back or forward to fit the size of the footwear being used. The crampon’s size can then be locked in place by tightening a screw with the Allen wrench that comes with the Trail Crampon Pros. Of importance to note while adjusting the size of the Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro is that the tightening screw is on the back or heel portion of the crampons. That means the user has to adjust the size of the crampon so that the front portion of the crampon first and ensure that it will not slide before adjusting the back portion of the crampon prior to tightening. It also means having to carry the Allen wrench in the field if I want to adjust it there. This is not a big deal but I do worry about accidentally losing it while outside.

Crampons in action

Profile of the Trail Pro

The Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro have ten spikes which are great at biting into slick surfaces to provide traction. The Trail Crampon Pro have front points. This is rare in the non-technical crampon world and I think a great addition. It helps on steeper, non-technical terrain and allows me to get a better grip (i.e. more traction) where other non-technical crampons fall short. The points or teeth on the trail crampons are also a bit longer than those of most non-technical crampons. They are slightly shorter than and not quite as rigid as technical crampons so I would defer to technical crampons for ice climbing.

Anti-balling snow pads

Anti-snow pads on the ball of the Trail Crampon Pro prevent underfoot snow buildup which is another method Hillsound incorporates into the Trail Crampon Pros to help users maintain traction and stability while hiking. This is another feature that most other non-technical crampons could use.

X Harness on the crampons

Hillsound has put some thought into the Trail Crampon Pro. The Trail Crampon Pro are adjustable, lightweight, non-technical crampons with bigger teeth, better grip and fewer problems than most of their competitors. In essence Hillsound’s Trail Crampon Pro is great for those wanting traction above what most non-technical crampons can offer but still do not require technical crampons.

Manufacturer	Hillsound Equipment Inc.
Materials	Heat-treated S50C Carbon steel
Weight	11.8 oz/335 g per crampon (23.6 oz total) 3.6 oz/102 g (storage bag) 0.4 oz/11 g (Allen wrench)
Price (MSRP)	$79

This story was originally posted April 2, 2011.