Snowshoe questions

[Trudy]

I'm new to snowshoeing and have some questions:

1. What is the difference between snowshoes that are oval at both ends and those that come to a point in the back?

2. For general conditions - not for breaking trail, but general broken-out conditions - are those spring-loaded snowshoes that snap back an advantage?

 

[RoySwkr]

1. What is the difference between snowshoes that are oval at both ends and those that come to a point in the back?

When they were home-made by Native Americans they often had points at BOTH ends because bending the curve is tricky and you lost less wood that way. Because there was no good reason for a front point, this vanished as techniques got better. On icy conditions having a point at the back will reduce wear on the webbing as it takes the abrasion instead, but mostly now it's an appearance issue.

2. For general conditions - not for breaking trail, but general broken-out conditions - are those spring-loaded snowshoes that snap back an advantage?

They will toss more snow up the back of your legs?

 

[Jay H]

Some of the differences with the rear of the snowshoes is on ones gait, or walk. It is said that the tapered snowshoes will give less chance of stepping on the other snowshoe if you have kind of a duck walk. But it's all kind of dependent on the user. Most of the racing snowshoes would be pointed just to have less chance of tripping (can be common when trying to run in snowshoes, moreso than hiking).

As far as your "spring loaded" question.... I'm not sure if I follow what you mean by "spring loaded". There are two kinds of bindings (that I know of) and they are free floating and fixed. Free floating means your binding can rotate all the way around the snowshoe and fixed means the binding will rotate only to a point. My Northern Lites are fixed whereas my old Sherpa Climbers can be set to do both.

As Roy mentioned a fixed binding will do nice snowthrowing towards yourself in snow where as a free floating binding will do much less. However, when you are downclimbing or jumping, you have to take care with free floaters as the snowshoe will likely want to fall to the vertical position such that upon landing, it could be awkward or at worst, dangerous.

Jay

 

[DougPaul]

I have seen cases where someone attached his bindings improperly so that his heel was semi-locked down. He was prone to tripping (toe catching in the snow) and his entire backside was covered in snow.

With a fully articulated binding, the tail just drags along the surface as you walk and the snowshoe just "does the right thing". Only a problem if you insist on jumping.

Doug

 

[spider solo]

I think the modern snowshoe that comes to a "tail" is for ease of manufacturing.
I think even for the wooden snowshoes it was a good strong way to make them fairly easily.
It is a bit reminiscennt of the wooden snowshoes where the tail helped aide in the "tracking" and balance of the snowshoe. Snowshoes with tails tracked nicely in the straightways like open forest or along rivers etc, for example.
The oval shape is thought to be more for working in thick woods or working in tight quarters, perhaps not so much as a shoe for cruising long distances.
There is a ton of exceptions and over laping regions of who used what kind of shoe and plenty of long distances have been covered in most any type of snowshoe.
I have a pair pointed in both ends... they are Ojibiwa style...great floatation . I like the upswept point in the front as it lets me see better where the front of the shoe is. Since they are over 5' long that is a big help.
I like them for open woods, fields, and some coastal stuff where you might be shoeing over tall mounds of grass that are pretty hollow and wind swept underneath etc...