I like my frog pedal for touring except when going up mountains. I plan to continue the transamerica tour from yellowstone going east this summer. Going up the passes was a challenge for this rider. After a rest it was hard for me to clip back in and get enough momentum to continue the hill with the heavy load. Stopping was even an event, to get unclipped fast enough to get a foot down on the ascents. Yea, I'm not the strongest rider. I never fell, but had many uneasy moments.
Oh wise ones do you think I'd be happier with flats- hybrid pedals, or flats w/power strips. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Go with the flats. They are not going to slow you down, regardless of what people say. From the sounds of it you are mainly concerned with usability and safety, to things that flats excel in.

yea, flat pedals.. and shoes you can walk in..
when the hill is too steep , get off and walk the bike..

Brits still call them push-bikes..

Shimano PDM324 Multi-Purpose pedals

I always had good luck with eggbeaters, easy in easy out. Having said that, I'm back to platform pedals. I'm using FORTE pedals and my feet have never slipped off yet. Much more convenient for me.

I had better luck with pedals that required less heel twist before releasing. Shimano's SPD mountain bike pedals are my current favorite. Walkable shoes, adjustable release tension, and the SH-56 multi-release cleat if you need to make it even easier to unclip. Good stuff! I've never had a problem getting started: shift the bike to the correct gear, clip on foot to a pedal, jump on and start pedaling; SPD can be pedaled pretty effectively even if you're not clipped in.

Of the pedals mentioned by the OP, I've used flats with PowerGrip straps. If the straps are tight enough to provide any benefit and you use a shoe with a lugged sole it can be a bit difficult to get away from the strap. Not quite as bad as a clipless pedal, but close. If you leave the straps loose they don't provide much benefit, but you still have to worry about flipping the pedal right-side up so you're not dragging the straps on the ground as you pedal. If you're worried about falling over, I'd probably skip these and go directly to flats...

Mallet, an eggbeater in the center of a platform pedal is another option.

I really like these MKS flats.
https://www.rivbike.com/products/show...g-pedal/14-053

I also have a pair of Shimano pedals but needing to step down on the spinning pedal at the right moment is sort of a hassle. Probably better to just go with either or and forget the dual clipless/clip pedals. I still keep them around in case one day I need a spare set of pedals, but the MKS ones cannot be beat. Pedaling just becomes like second nature, long wide surface for even distribution of pressure. NICE. That's my recommendation. And they've been no problem climbing hills; gravity just pushes my foot down firm on the large surface area. The only time my foot has ever slipped has been when I was on an unsuitably low gear. You know...the pedal spins faster than the terrain demands, but that's more user error than anything wrong with the pedals or bike. Good luck choosing a pedal.

Frogs are super easy, are you sure it's the getting clipped in part that's a problem, or just the getting started? Try pointing the bike across the road (obviously, when there is no traffic) and getting started at a less steep angle, then turn and steer back to the right side. You can pedal on Frogs OK without being clipped in, too - get a little speed up then get clipped in.

Power strips look like they are harder to get in and out of, i've never used them but my tour partner did. looked hard to me.

Thanks to each of you for your prompt replies.

I'll have to give this some more thought and give my choice some trial runs before touring.

The Mallet pedal has release using a inside ankle motion which might be a challenge for me.

The MKS and Multipurpose pedal are interesting options. I've used spd's before but switched to Frogs for easier engagement.

Flat pedals or a bigger platform pedal would hopefully help with my hot, numb feet syndrome too.

I'll let you know what works for me.

Shimano SPDs are easy to clip in and out of, reasonably priced and very durable. With mtn bike shoes, you are able to walk without cleat protectors. I've got some SPD pedals that are at least 10 years old and still working fine on one of my regular commuting bikes. They are available at several price points. I just bought some new PD-M540 pedals for about $50 with shipping.

As mentioned the all purpose pedal or campus style pedal. or maybe a downhill mtn bike pedal

I have campus pedals on my touring set up. flat pedal on one side, spd on the other... cant really go wrong

cosc, In mountain biking there are times when unclipping, stabbing a foot on the ground and reclipping in as quickly as possible is SOP. Richey pedals worked for me there and I installed them on the touring bike also. If you actually use a retention style pedal as intended you may not like a platform style, but there is nothing easier to move your foot off of or onto than a platform. Somewhere around here I have a spare set of pedals like in post #4 that I like because they aren't slippery if wet.

Brad