Snowshoe help

My wife and I are looking to get into snowshoeing. I know very little about snowshoes and what type of construction I should be looking at. We're strictly looking at the recreational side of things like walking dog etc. I've been looking at LLBean and Sierra Tradingpost. Anyone have any suggestions??? Thanks

Yes
ditch the idea and get cross country skiis your dog will appreciate it
Or buy used ones there are tons of them out there that people bought cause the concept is cool but the application is boooorrrriiiinnnng.
Mine just sit in my garage.

Funny you say that....one of my co-workers justtold me the same damn thing. Maybe it's time to start researching x-country skis.

If you really are attached to the snowshoe idea, I recommend checking them out in person. Brian and I both have had problems with Tubbs snowshoes accommodating our boots width-wise. His he kept anyway, mine we returned. (And ironically, his were never used due to a lack of natural snow and/or a stronger desire to ski instead....)

severine said:

(And ironically, his were never used due to a lack of natural snow and/or a stronger desire to ski instead....)

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I used them once...

Looks like if i want snowshoes I should just the antique ones and hang 'em on my wall. Thanks---saved my a few hundred bucks or so.

EMS rents them daily.....we got the ones from LLBEAN, best bang for the buck

SKIQUATTRO said:

EMS rents them daily.....we got the ones from LLBEAN, best bang for the buck

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That's actually a really good idea! For how frequently the may be used, you could save a lot of money that way but still use them on occasion.

Re: Snowshoes

Great advice ... rent them a few times to make sure you are going to like it and that snowshoes are appropriate for the hiking you do. There are people who do like to snowshoe.

There are conditions where they are necessary but it you are only a "fair weather" hiker, you may never encounter that situation. Then again, if you are the type to be out there on a regular basis come rain or shine, sleet or snow, etc. then you probably need snowshoes in your arsenal.

If you do ultimately determine that it is for you, get Northern Lites (northernlites.com). They are a top notch, quality cottage industry producer of the lightest, but still super tuff snowshoes you can buy. They are not cheap but come with a great waranty. Compare the weights against the mainstream manufacturers before you buy, because your legs will thank you!

bvibert said:

I used them once...

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Yeah but walking around in your livingroom doesn't count. :wink:

The first question to answer about snowshoes is whether you plan to simply be out in the flat woods, or want to try hiking peaks. If all you want to do is wander fields and shallow hills, then virtually any kind of snowshoe will be fine for you, including the old "tennis racket" style with webbing.

However, as soon as you start looking at any kind of vertical, you will want some teeth on the bottom. That leads to the next question, which is if you're planning to be on well-trodden trails or out in the powder in the woods. On well-trodden trails you don't need as much flotation, but do need good grip as the packed trails can get a slippery sheen on them. For hiking almost any trail in the northeast I recommend the MSR Denali series of snowshoes. They have lines of grip teeth the full length of the 'shoe and thus provide excellent traction either ascending or descending. I have the Evo Ascents, which are a newer generation and include a "televator" to lift the heel on steep climbs, and they work extremely well.

If, however, you want to get into the fresh stuff out in the woods, flotation becomes the higher priority. I'm familiar with Atlas snowshoes there (though there are other makers, and Tubbs are almost identical to Atlas). They use a 4-digit coding, I know that "10" is the backcountry series but there are others. The more important thing is the latter two digits, which represent the 'shoe length. There's a chart on their website somewhere mapping your weight to the necessary length to get good float on the snow. Now, these snowshoes are not without traction; however, their primary is a toe crampon, a big set of teeth wrapped around the tip of your boot, which then hangs in straps through a hole in the webbing. You can kick that foot into a slope and get great traction going up if you need it, as well as cupping a bunch of snow in there, but it's not as good for descent, which is why I don't use them on packed trails. They are, however, fabulous on soft snow where you can take big huge steps down a hill and go down about 5-8 feet with each.

Definitely rent first - that's great advice. Have fun and please post back on your results!

(my apologies for not putting any links in this post; I'm rushing off to work!)