I fell on my backside last week in the icy conditions and was lucky not tobreak an arm.I landed hard but luckily just had a badly grazed elbow & bruised thigh.Has anyone thought about making some basic DIY crampons for walking use.I've been thinking about it the past few days ( see below * ).I looked at the prices for crampons - and being that I would use themlittle - thought about how to make my own.To buy they were £150 - £200.Also, the commercial ones, have those BIG spikes at the front to use whenice climbing a vertical face.I wont be ice climbing I just want my feet to stay put on horizontal icewhen walking.Someone ( a mountain climber ) at work today suggested Gravel Spiders forwalking use, they attach to boots/shoes but it looks to me that they only gounder the heel.They are quite cheap though but I wonder about pressing forward on the ballof your foot when walking.* my ideas below - all difficult to explain.1./ Draw the outline of the sole of your shoes onto a piece of, say, halfinch ply.Cut the ply, 2 for each foot, 4 in all.Drill the ply, one for each foot, to take sturdy nails and so that the nailhead will be against the ply.Cut and re spike the bit of the nail that will protrude below the ply to,say, half an inch.Buy some leather straps to go round your shoe and the other piece of ply forthat foot.( Maybe ) route a grove for the strap in each foots other piece of ply.From the spiked side of the nailed ply screw the ply to the other piece ofply for that foot which has the grooves for the straps.The 2nd piece of ply stops the nails being pushed upwards by your weightwhen walking.Strap them to your shoes and walk.2./ Same as above but instead of making the nailed spike boards use those'top of wall' plastic spiky things you can buy and screw them to the strapboards.Less ply to shape and no nails to cut and resplike.3./ Buy some of that cable mounting metal stuff that's about 4 inches wideand has multiple mounting holes along its length. ( What's it called...

You can get mini crampons which go under the arch of your boot to give you the extra grip you're looking for, and they're not too insanely priced. Not DIY I know, but might be useful. Eg result I found)

DIY - basic crampons anyone - anyone done some??

Jan 07, 2010 22 Replies

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Rod 16 years ago

But you can't now get the plug out of the plughole... :-)

Is that ordinary plug chain?

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Andrew Gabriel 16 years ago

No, it's probably one or two sizes up from that.

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Andy Dingley 16 years ago

Sparkies' jack chain (holds up light fittings, cheap, use like steel tension gaffer tape) works at a pinch. Needs thick boot soles though, as it's anything but flat.

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