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Chinese microspikes
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Chinese microspikes
- This topic has 6 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by BlackHatGuy.
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Mar 14, 2018 at 8:39 pm #3524592
I typed microspikes into Ebay and up came a whole bunch of Chinese knock-offs, some as cheap as $13.
Anyone have any experience with these? I’ve found Chinese tent stakes to be fine, and some of their stoves are great (e.g. Fire Maple and similar).
The Chinese seem to do ok with metal parts (stakes, stoves), not sure about polymer, so perhaps the microspike metal parts are fine but the harness won’t last. Or they may be fine, just like the stoves.
It’s hard to resist $13 compared to over $50!
Mar 14, 2018 at 9:46 pm #3524607If you can do a hike without traction devices but it would just suck a bit then go for it. If you are relying on traction devices for safety then pass; your life is worth more than $40.
Mar 15, 2018 at 1:08 pm #3524726True, I wouldn’t try to save $40/pair (need two pairs for my wife and me) and compromise safety, but also have no interest in paying a big markup for a Chinese-made item that simply is branded by a US firm. I think this is the case for a great many items.
I guess I’m trying to find out if name-brand microspikes are made in China and the ones on Ebay are the exact same thing, if the Chinese-made ones are high-quality copies, or if they are cheap knock-offs not worth bothering with.
I suppose I many never find out, in which case I’ll probably skip them (or maybe purchase a pair and test them out in non-critical situations, at $13 it’s not much of an investment).
Mar 15, 2018 at 2:15 pm #3524741I thought Microspikes were made in Korea for Kahoola (based in AZ I think). Of course I may have dreamed this.
Mar 15, 2018 at 2:54 pm #3524753My Chainsen’s are made in Korea.
Got to say, I find it’s a bit of an exaggeration to say your life could be jeopardized by what you pay for microspikes, or where in Asia they are made… good grief, it’s a pretty simple technology. Buy a pair, try them out. If they are Chinese throw-away’s you’re only out $13.
Mar 15, 2018 at 5:20 pm #3524783A relevant quote from a similar thread:
People around here are generally smart enough (except me) to avoid the cheap ones, but just in case someone is tempted, I will say to avoid the cheap ones.
We had the first decent winter in a while early this year in the SoCal mountains, and I bought a cheap pair on eBay for $15 just to throw in my daypack in case I needed them, and I did. They actually did the job the first few times, got me a through sections that I needed to with good traction on very slippery ice. But after using them a few more times, the chains started coming apart after maybe three miles of total usage. I took pliers and a vice and crimped them back together, and I might use them again if I get snowed on in Mammoth or something casual like that. But I won’t use them for any situations where I think I might have to depend on them for safety.
The chains were of a smaller gauge and they were no doubt lighter than the Microspikes (I ran into a few people using them). I also suspect that the metal used is not as high quality.
Bottom line is that if we have another good snow year, I’ll probably invest in the Micro spikes.
Mar 15, 2018 at 5:21 pm #3524785I seem to remember a thread on here somewhere about off brand microspikes and, as you mention in your OP, the issue being the polymer wasn’t quite up to snuff. If I remember correctly, where the chains were joined to the polymer kept breaking, making the spikes useless.
But I can’t find the thread, so it must have been quite some time ago. FWIW.
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