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Comment by neilv | Hacker News Reader

Quick tip to anyone inspired to walk today, but not very familiar with it: if it's snowy/icy where you are, watch out for surprise slick ice spots, especially on pavement.

I've been a city committee for pedestrian issues (coincidentally, where the article was published), and winter ice slip hazards seemed the single biggest problem. They're a way that, in an instant, a habit of walking can turn life-changing in an undesirable way.

When conditions are snowy/icy, I usually use some of those tiny carbide tip traction aids that strap onto of my shoes. Other people have found other measures that seem to work for them.

Definitely walk, but be aware that surprise slick spots are a thing, and you can do something about it.

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I would hate to see someone not go for a walk because they are scared of falling on the sidewalk. Perhaps you live in more unforgiving place than most, or are thinking of older population, but living an unhealthy life controlled by fear seems like more of a concern than the risks of going for a walk.

The context may be the UK where it rarely snows (typically <5 snow days per year), but has been snowing/icy over the last few days. In that context it may make sense to avoid the one icy week of the year if you are planning to take up walking when you haven't before.

From his website, OP is in an area with yearly cold snowy winters. I live in an area with similar winters and walking unprepared is no fun at all. I nearly broke my tailbone in a fall once, and I'm healthy and generally careful, but maybe if I had read what OP said, "Definitely walk, but be aware that surprise slick spots are a thing, and you can do something about it," I could have avoided the fall.

Have you fallen on the concrete or ice lately?

I can tell you, it really really sucks.

There's been a lot of snow lately, I think you don't necessarily have to be living a life of fear to not want to slip on the ice.

For the record, I'm a 30 year old, in good shape, and love to walk. But walking outside these last few days in NYC has been a lot of tepid steps with the slush because it is indeed slick. I caught myself when I slipped on something metal and slick the other day, but it was close.

And as a sibling commenter said, even the jerky movements can end up causing issues.

It's been very pretty out, but I don't think lately has been the kind of walking conditions I usually associate with the sorts of walks that are described in the post despite those moments of appreciation for winter wonderland.

And it was better 100 years ago?

Terrain can make a difference. If given the choice, I'd walk over ice that was on top of grass, gravel, or smaller stones (that is, most are in the 1-3" diameter range) over concrete or asphalt. That ice generally gives way under you and provides you a chance to get traction without specialty footgear. The ice that forms on pavement is often much slicker, and the pavement doesn't give so the ice doesn't break underfoot.

Concrete and asphalt also promote the development of ice in a way that other surfaces do not, because they retain heat from the sun hitting them. That's the principle issue here, even when it's 10-20F, the pavement is easily above freezing on a sunny day, and when the snow falls in the afternoon it quickly melts and refreeze creating hazardous conditions until the next day when it thaws (assuming it's not a deep snow) as the sun hits it again.

Or walk on the snow rather than the ice.

How common were perfectly manicured sidewalks back then?

Our snow is not very deep here, normally. At least not in the winters I’ve been in. But yes, prefer snow to icy patches if it’s an option.

I slip and fall on concrete about once a year, because my brain can never quite remember how "slippery" works after a nice dry summer.

It hurts and I'm stinging for the day, but most of the damage has been to my ego. I'd hardly say it "really, really sucks"

Not saying you're wrong, just wondering why our experiences would be so different. I did martial arts as a kid so I definitely know how to take a fall well, so perhaps it's just a skill?

Hmm... I'm usually a pretty graceful faller myself generally. Maybe it was just the last time I fell that really hurt. I was carrying a 24 pack of beer to a friends and tried to jump over a slick space and fell and slammed my hip into the ground pretty hard. Was sore for a couple weeks.

That was several several years ago, not sure I've slipped on the ice since then. Now I'm a graceful walker ;-).

One other important thing when walking in snow/ice is that even the smallest slip can potentially strain/pull a muscle just due to the rapid movement.

Cold weather people can checkout something like yaktrax - have found the ones with chains hold up longer, the ones with straps across the top of the foot stay on (if you lose one you will walk in circles!). No shame in using poles, coldweather facemasks either.

Dogs are a great motivator and pretty good companions if you like them/can swing that...

Yaktraks themselves are not great (at least the older ones don't really have spikes). Microspikes are probably the best compromise for general use. They're spiky enough to work even on glare ice so long as it's not too steep. (There are more aggressive ones but they're probably overkill for city streets.)

A pole by itself is pretty useful though for occasional ice. It gives you that extra purchase and balance even if you're just in shoes.

Yaktrax have been adequate for me on compact snow and ice. I also have kahtoolie brand microspikes that I use when hiking, where yaktrax wouldn't be adequate and crampons would be overkill, but they wouldn't be comfortable for walking around on icy roads and sidewalks.

I have yaktrax without spikes - they have ‘springs’ on rubber. I have used them for years. They give me great traction when it’s slippery outside and I use them for walking and even running in snow/ice/slush.

When I’m wearing them I never slip and just carry on as if there was nothing slippery underfoot.

The only thing you have to watch out for is remembering to take them off if you go inside where there’s a hard floor such as tiles or wood, otherwise you’re going to fall over immediately. Coming in from a walk I’m taking my shoes off anyway, so it’s hard to forget.

Fair enough. I live in the country and I mostly need traction for hiking so need something more substantial (and of course even microspikes aren't enough for some situations).

I heartily recommend proper winter boots for anyone that is worried about slipping. Not all boots are created equally, but the tread and rubber compound used for most winter boots can make a dramatic difference in grip while walking.

For those who have never owned transportation in a cold climate: winter tires on vehicles make a big difference in traction. They channel and grip to snow and ice much better than the tread and rubber compound of a standard all-season tire. The same concept applies for winter footwear.

No boot will help you over smooth ice, sorry. You can wear something like Yaktrax, over your shoes, or look out for a thin layer of ice on the pavement.

I wear these when walking over smooth ice down my local shopping street: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32968862306.html

I hit one of these getting my mail late at night. Pretty sobering knowing I'd have been dead in 30 minutes due to the temperature and no one would have likely been by to check because it was late. They can stick around even after most of the snow/ice has melted because of shadows that never allow sunlight to hit a particular spot.

Slipping on ice - life-changing?

Not the slip itself, rather the consequences of the subsequent fall.

Brain concussion, spinal injury etc., depends on what you hit on your way down and how hard it is; fences, kerbs etc. may be very unforgiving.

I once slipped on ice on a pavement with enough energy that I almost ended up in the street next to it where cars were going their normal 40-50 kph. (The street had quite a slope, Prague has a lot of hilly neighbourhoods.) I caught myself on a street lamp before drifting out to the danger zone, though.

I just turned 30 and I fell on ice and it really hurt for two weeks. The ice was super hard and I fell directly on my ass. It might have looked funny from the outside, but the pain was really bad. I couldn't really sit or move my hips as usual.

I don't want to overdramatize the fall as I feel better now, but I can see how it could be worse for older / taller people in a slightly less fortunate fall: one might fall in front of a car, bicycle, one could fall and break a leg or arms, roll down a little hill right into a forest, lose a tooth or two, punch or pull someone else as they fall etc...

I took a fall on the ice and banged my knee pretty good a few years ago. It was a minor thing, but it really opened my eyes to how fast a fall occur, and how little control I might have when it happens. I am in decent shape, I have good reflexes and range of motion, and I thought I knew how to fall and how to avoid injury. That day I learned that's not always the case. One moment I was moving along at a brisk pace, and in the blink of an eye I was on the ground rolling in agony. It took a moment to even process what happened.

Absolutely. Early 30's co-worker, in good health and fit, slipped on a sidewalk and sustained a spiral fracture of her right humerus near her elbow while trying to catch herself. Spent a long time in cast, a longer time in a brace, and still has range of motion issues. I think about her experience and take extra care when I walk on ice / snow.

In medical school my wife had a classmate who was actually a year ahead but was re-taking anatomy because he slipped on some ice, hit his head, and was going blind. He wanted to relearn anatomy by feel in anticipation of total vision loss.

I have a friend who slipped on some ice and broke his femur! This was 5 years ago, he was an avid cyclist but he still has issues today that affect how much he can ride.

Unexpectedly slipping on ice is no joke! That being said, if I can't xc ski I go for long runs all the time with microspikes and trekking poles. So the gear to be safe (with common sense and knowing ones limits) does exist.

Microspikes are really great development which I assume were enabled by materials work that enables the bendable stretchy silicone you see in all sorts of things. The alternatives before were Yaktraks which, at best, gave you a bit of extra traction on your way to pick up the mail or you had to go full-on mountaineering crampons which obviously were way overkill or not even usable in many situations.

I have mountaineering gear but, to be honest, both myself and most of the people I usually hike with just use microspikes a lot of the time. (Also much more practical for beginner instructional trips.)

My cousin is periodically confined to a wheel chair due to a bad leg break from a fall that never healed properly. Ice is no joke.

Yes. In the "you now have random ankle pain for the rest of your life" kind of way, mostly.

In 2010 I slipped on ice in London and broke my leg. I was out of action for a few weeks. Because it was hard living alone and being on crutches, I moved in with my Mum for quite a while. I was lucky it was just a leg but it definitely changed the course of my life (health-wise, for the better).

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