snowshoes

Thought I had posted this, but can't find it, so...

What to look for in snowshoes (beginner). Type, size... With all the snow here thus year, I can actually use them in the neighborhood. Would do only short day hikes to start. Are Hike boots ok (Vasque leather), or are winter boots necessary? Would one of those mountaineering overboots (gortex?) over the leathers help at all?

rup said:

Are Hike boots ok (Vasque leather), or are winter boots necessary?

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I am sure others can chime in but for my money, I would buy what I thought I would need for future use. Why spend $80 now for a mediocre pair and then find you really like it and then want better shoes and spend more $? Just my 2 cents. I do day hikes in the whites and currently have Tubbs - love their bindings. B-U-T no televators so I am now in the market. Looking at MSRs.

I wore old style sorels - yep, the heavy weight heavy duty ones - for the 1st two years of my winter forays - so you don't need a "special" boot. I don't recommend these, just what I had. HA HA. My legs got real strong real fast.

I've been really happy with the Army surplus magnesium snowshoes sold by Sportsman's Guide. At under $50 the price can't be beat, and I find they work just as well or better than modern commercial ones.

For boots I use insulated pac boots (Bean boots) from Sorel.

Depends what you want them for. A lot of my hiking is on narrow, steep, rocky trails where I need aggressive traction and a very rugged shoe. MSR is the leader in this category. They're not the lightest, they're not the cheapest, they're certainly not the quietest, and in fresh snow their flotation is barely adequate even with the optional tails (and I don't weigh much). But you can put them on and leave them on; they can handle most any terrain.

Those magnesium ones are certainly a bargain, but I note they lack any kind of crampon or rail; it must be hard to go up-hill and very difficult to traverse (move sideways across a slope) in those.

Many trails these days are broken out to become narrow trenches. Wide snowshoes (such as the depicted surplus snowshoes), while well suited to untracked powder, could be very awkward in the narrow trenches.

Also inadequate (ie non-winter) footwear can result in frostbite. One should also consider that one may be forced to stop moving for and extended period (ie for an emergency) and would not be producing as much heat as one would when moving.

I suggest that you attend a winter school--it will cover far more than footwear.

Doug

I have two old pair of lightweight goretex Vasques, made in Italy at the time, one for summer and a heavier duty version for winter that I often use with snowshoes. I also have a pair of Sorels with a removable insulated liner (Mavericks I think they are) which I wear when I'm anticipating colder, stormier or otherwise more risky conditions.

... however, as I write this I'm thinking of how nice it would be to be paddling in Florida wearing my Tevas.

One consideration is ease of use. If they are a pain to get in and out of, you will not be using them as much as you would if they were easy to get in and out of. And not using snowshoes when you should be (or not be using them!) can lead to potential disaster.
As the others have mentioned; the crampon component; side slide tracking; option to add a tail piece; all factor into a good shoe.
I use MSR Evo's. No complaints.

i've been using a pair of Redfeather Hike shoes for 5+ years and I love them. They are a very basic, no-frills model, and I bought them on sale for around $50, but I have taken them above 10,000 feet quite a few times when I lived out West, and bagged a few peaks in New England on them. They are still in great condition after many miles.

I prefer MSRs as well, the older versions (Denalis, Evos, Evo Ascents). My weight makes these shoes a suitable choice and I agree that they offer little float on unpacked powder, even with the extension tails.

My preference for boots in truly wet and cold conditions is Merrel Isotherms. They aren't terribly expensive, but are waterproof versus "water resistant". After a brief series of experiments with different boots and so called water resistant trail runners I am back to the tried and true heavy, waterproof boots. My boots are the Isotherm 8s (discontinued). They are very similar to the Sorel-type design, but these fit my narrow heels much better. The Men's Thermo 6 are comparable and seem like decent boots. Wet feet on a long winter hike is something I dread so I would rather have something heavier but dry and insulated in temps below 25 degrees. FWIW

Z

Thumbs up for the Atlas 12 series...they work very well for me.

I believe I saw MSR's with the thin metal frames that look like hacksaws marked down at LLBean Outlet in Conway....call them before you go.

Sorels/Keen; Snowshoes Sherpa/REVO Ascent!

KV said:

I am sure others can chime in but for my money, I would buy what I thought I would need for future use. Why spend $80 now for a mediocre pair and then find you really like it and then want better shoes and spend more $? Just my 2 cents. I do day hikes in the whites and currently have Tubbs - love their bindings. B-U-T no televators so I am now in the market. Looking at MSRs.

I wore old style sorels - yep, the heavy weight heavy duty ones - for the 1st two years of my winter forays - so you don't need a "special" boot. I don't recommend these, just what I had. HA HA. My legs got real strong real fast.

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I used the Sorel's for 30 years (same pair!!) until they fell apart on a trip to Gothics 2 years ago. That was the catalyst to get a new Pack (REI XT85) my Eddie Bauer was from the 70's and looked like Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon with it, new boots( Keen Summit County III) and new snowshoes..I went for the REVO ascent. I got a great deal on the snowshoes at Backcountry.com 25% off!

rup said:

What to look for in snowshoes (beginner). Type, size...

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Many outdoor stores and snowshoe destinations rent snowshoes. I'd suggest trying a few styles to see what you're comfortable with. The convenience of the binding, especially with cold fingers and frozen snaps, may help your choice.

The size depends on the type of snow and your weight with pack. In general, you can get by with a smaller size here in the northeast where the snow is generally wetter and denser, not to mention if you're a beginner you'll probably spend most of your time on broken or hardened trails. Out in the Rockies where the snow is drier and more powdery, you need larger snowshoes for the same body weight and flotation. As a practical matter we use the same size everywhere.

I agree with those who say you're better off not skimping on something that could fail when least expected. Use any "introductory" investment to find what you like best. Late winter and early spring offer good deals but less choice and popular models often disappear, especially with good snow conditions. Rental equipment is even more deeply discounted. I'll bet most of us have more than one pair based on 1) finding something we like better, and 2) a different snowshoe for the conditions, destination and load we're carrying.

Stan said:

I agree with those who say you're better off not skimping on something that could fail when least expected. Use any "introductory" investment to find what you like best. Late winter and early spring offer good deals but less choice and popular models often disappear, especially with good snow conditions. Rental equipment is even more deeply discounted. I'll bet most of us have more than one pair based on 1) finding something we like better, and 2) a different snowshoe for the conditions, destination and load we're carrying.

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and for at least two of us in this thread 3) Hedging our bets and buying a second pair of original style Denali Classics before they are no longer available.

I have a pair of MSR Evo Ascent + 6" tails. I don't like the tails, but the shoes carry well and I use them if I expect to not wear them car-to-car. Then, I have two pairs of Flex Alps - regular and XL. Regular are my go-to shoe when I plan to wear them car-to-car. XL is reserved for deep and unbroken trails. If you are ever in Manchester weekdays (I think you are in NY), I sometimes go out with co-workers and climb Uncanoonuc in which case you car try out one pair of mine.

Tim

Thanks for the offer. I get my Revo ascents on Monday. Already have a very steep hill to practice and adjust to them. With and without a pack. I did go for the tails,5" on the base 22" for the pack weight. I will post my review next week. Enjoy!