snowshoes

[flyefysch]

I've been doing some on-line research regarding snowshoes and have been going back and forth between the lightweight, easy care, newer high-tech stuff and the sexy appeal of the traditional wooden snowshoes. Some of what I have read has people coming down clearly for one type or the other. I was wondering what people out there on Whiteblazes might think.

Thanks for any feedback.

[fiddlehead]

personally i'd go without them. but if you really need them, i'd go with the lightest weight because you will need to carry them on your back much of the time. I used the MSR Denali Classics on the CDT and rarely needed them. They are not as light as i would think they could make them at 3 1/2 lbs per pair.

[Peaks]

Are you considering snow shoes for a thru-hike? or for other uses? Not knowing more about how you plan to use them, I can't offer an opinion.

That being said, you rarely see wooden snow shoes anymore.

[flyefysch]

Initially, I would probably use the snowshoes for recreational stuff, day hikes and such, but would hopefully be doing some winter hiking and camping with them in the future.

I know that If I ever used some at the beginning of a thru-hike I would take lightweight, hi-tec ones simply because of teh wieght factor.

[Alligator]

Blue Jay's pretty knowledgeable about snowshoes. There is at least one old post on this. Don't know if it will answer all of your questions though.

[rickb]

The modern ones typically have somthiing of a crampon with a claw like toe that helps tremendously if you are walking up a steep hill. Having a good binding that will help keep your snowshoe stay on is also important. I think that you would loose those important features with the old-fashiond kind. They look great and would still be a lot of funn, though. All depends on how you will be using them.

One mistake I made with mine (Tubbs) was getting them too big (even though I followed the charts). If I am hiking on the popular winter Trails in the Whites (like to the open AMC Huts), then they are ridiculously too big, since the snow is almost alway packed down under foot. In more loosley packed snow, I don't sink much deeper with smaller ones, anyway.

YMMV.

[Alligator]

Rick too, and I think The Old Fhart. If they miss this thread, maybe PM them.

So passive-aggressive Rick;) .

[johnny quest]

i bought a pair of wooden 1950 era swiss army (the honest to god real swiss army!) snowshoes from chearperthandirt.com for 12 bucks...really cause the would look cool on the wall. but i took them with me on a business trip to denver last year and ended up getting time to go out for a day above boulder. and they were incredible!!! i dont know if you can find any like them but i think the design would be worth copying if you are a doityourselfer

[Seeker]

I've been doing some on-line research regarding snowshoes and have been going back and forth between the lightweight, easy care, newer high-tech stuff and the sexy appeal of the traditional wooden snowshoes. Some of what I have read has people coming down clearly for one type or the other. I was wondering what people out there on Whiteblazes might think.

Thanks for any feedback.
i made a pair of snowshoes when i was a kid, out of some sort of plastic sheets that had horizontal reinforcing ribs... not sure what they came from, as i pulled the material out of my dad's shop garbage can... probably packaging for a cabinet of some sort. anyway, i cut some holes in them for my straps, and voila', i had a pair... used them for a few years until i got big enough to crack the plastic... they hardly weighed anything though... if i had to do it over again, i'd figure out a way to use really lightweight materials (carbon fiber arrow shafts and lawn chair repair webbing come to mind) vs the old traditional wood and sinew ones... they're really heavy, even the bearpaw style...

[fiddlehead]

When i used mine, (MSR Denali classics) I was glad they were practically bombproof as I left them on sometimes to cross exposed rocks rather than keep taking them on again, off again. I wouldn't want to have been using those old fashioned wooden ones that you wouldn't want to abuse much. (that's one reason i went with the new type)

[Mr. Clean]

Definitely get the "modern" style if you plan on hiking any steep hills. The wooden ones are better on flat ground, but the light aluminum excel on the steeps, keeping you from slipping backwards. Get ones that are small for your size, according to the charts, unless you plan on bushwhacking in fresh snow.

[Blue Jay]

Blue Jay's pretty knowledgeable about snowshoes. There is at least one old post on this. Don't know if it will answer all of your questions though.

Wow, thank you. Snowshoes are a hard product to figure out ahead of time what to buy. There are sooo many variables. I'd advise to rent, and try, as many types as you can prior to buying them. Also, often if you like a pair, you can buy them at the end of the season for a very good price. Atlas and Tubbs (actually the same company), will fix them without charge no matter how used). I think MSR will also. I have a wooden pair my step father gave me that are over 50 years old. I love them and use them for fun, but would never buy a pair for hiking unless you live on the Great Plains. You need teeth to climb, although I have heard of a company in VT that sells wooden ones with teeth. Other factors are a pivot binding vs. nonpivot. With a pivot binding the snow falls off the shoe because the tail always stays in the snow. This advantage can turn into a disadvantage if you want to go straight backward, you have to loop around. Weight vs Float is a consideration, if you only walk on used trails go for low weight, bushwack or unused trails you need float (what the charts are based on). Plastic shoes are the most light, they also make the most noise. The constant cesss, cesss, cesss, bothers me, it might not bother you. Another factor is how easy or hard is it to get them on and off with frozen hard fingers. Go for it, snowshoeing and X-country skiing make winter a treat.

[Ratbert]

Question regarding snowshoe size: Is the conventional wisdom that the manufacturers' charts tend towards oversizing? I'm looking to get a pair of Atlas 10 Series to play in the snow during the winter. I'm 160 lbs. and the charts tell me that a 30" shoe is what I need, but the 25" would be easier to deal with I'm sure.

Will a 25" shoe give me enough flotation on wet, heavy snow like I'll see in the high elevations of TN, NC, etc. Max weight would be 200 lbs. According to Atlas, the 25" would fare well on packed trails and dry powder, but the larger shoe would perform better in the heavy stuff.

Anyone with experience please chime in.

Thanks!

[rickb]

Hey Ratbert--

One thing to consider is what you will do when you reach a trailhead. In my world, that often means you will be confused.

There many be only a few inches of snow on the ground. Or the trail may be pack hard as cement. Is that worth putting on you snowshoes for? Hardly-- except for the fashonistas. But will you need them at a higher elevation? Impossible to tell. What to do?

If you have smaller snowshoes, the choice is easy. Strap them to your pack. If you have bigger ones, the choice is more difficult. Simply put, smaller snowshoes you have with you may be of far greater utility than more optimal snowshoes that you left in the trunk.

Rick B

[Ratbert]

Good advice ... I can see the smaller ones serving better when backpacking for several days / weeks and you don't know what type of weather the mountains will throw at you. While the larger size would be the ticket for those trips taken specifically to get out and snowshoe and play around, dayhiking and so forth, in the deeper snows.

[smokymtnsteve]

also depends what kinda snow your going to be in...

are U breaking trail or following established trail???...

I use some big 36 inch Red Feathers....but I break trail in deep, real dry powder,,,I would suggest to get a bigger snowshoe rather than ones that are too small.

also I suggest poles for snowshoeing..even though I never use them hiking.

[fiddlehead]

also depends what kinda snow your going to be in...

are U breaking trail or following established trail???...


type of snow means just about everything. Soft, dry powder is going to need a bigger shoe and yes, it may be different away from the trail head. The MSR plastic shoes (like the Denali classics) have an optional tail piece that you can hook on there or take off. Now it's more to carry and i wouldn't take snow shoes on a long distance hike again, but it's a way to be flexible for different conditions.
If the snow is soft, that's mainly the only time you need snowshoes.
I hiked the CO portion of the CDT in May & June and it was 90% snowcovered. We didn't use snowshoes. Only postholed after 2PM. So, we usually tried to be on our way down after 2PM. But sometimes we got stuck in it and had to get through without. I would do it the same way again. For the 15% of the time we needed the snowshoes, it wasn't worth carrying them the other 85%.

[alalskaman]

I used a pair of Tubbs ash/rawhide snowshoes for many years...but honestly, the new ones are so much lighter -- and the builtin crampons are so good for climbing...I would never bother with the old ones anymore. It would be like carrying a canvas and wool bedroll because its so traditional....11 lbs to do the work of a 2 lb down/nylon bag. I love my Northern Lites. Bill

[art to linda]

I've made 6 pair of the old wood Ojibwa style shoes and they are great for the off trail/in the woods kind of thing but if you're going to be on trails and/or packing them I'd go for the newer light weight kind..... they work great and you're not hauling a ton of weight in a rather large package straped to your back when not in use

[jimtanker]

Check out this site for survival snowshoes. Might be a good option if you dont want to carry/bounce snowshoes all over.

http://www.pikpuk.com/members/dales-wilderness-survival/snowshoes.html

[art to linda]

BTW I also use poles