Gear Comparison: Kahtoola K·10 Hiking Crampons vs Hillsound Trail Crampon PRO

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On one of the Facebook groups I belong to, the members were discussing the differences between Kahtoola K·10 Hiking Crampons and Hillsound Trail Crampon PROs. Since I own both, I snapped a few pics of them. Also, here are some notes of the key differences I’ve noticed.

• Binding system (not pictured, will get more pics later)
  • I prefer the Hillsound bindings, but have heard about them breaking. I haven’t had any problems yet.
• “Front” Points:
  • On the Kahtoolas, all points face down, including the points closest to the front of the crampons.
  • The front points on the Hillsounds point forward
• If you draw a line from your heel to your toes, and assume this line is 0°:
  • Points near the back of the ball of your foot:
    • Kahtoolas – 90° angle
    • Hillsounds – 45° angle
  • Points near the front of your heel:
    • Kahtoolas – 90° angle
    • Hillsounds – 0°/parallel
  • I’m not sure where I read or heard this, but I’m told Kahtoola used the 90° angle for these points to keep your feet from slipping on descents.
• Anti-balling
  • Skins made from reinforced fabric
  • Plates made from rubber/plastic
• Size Adjustment
  • The Hillsounds require the use a set screw that requires an allen wrench for adjustment.
  • The Kahtoolas have a spring loaded mechanism that requires no tools.
• “Flex bar” (bar connected the front sections and rear sections of the crampons
  • The bar on the Hillsounds have minimal flex. This could be an issue if they are used with very flexible boots or shoes. I personally haven’t had any issues with this, using them with Baffin Zone Snow Boots and HOKA One One Tor Summit Mid WP Hiking Boots.
  • The  bar on the K·10s is very flexible.

Here is a table comparing the features of these crampons hiking crampons:

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