Snowshoe recommendations

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snow_sketches
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Snowshoe recommendations

Post by snow_sketches » October 19th, 2021, 7:25 pm

Hey all,

Thus far, I've been mostly a three-season hiker, but this winter, I'd like to start snowshoeing. I've tried it before, and enjoyed it well enough that I think I'm ready to buy a pair. I'm still learning about my options here, so: is there anything that any of you would recommend, either in terms of particular models, or good materials/features?

I see that there are various styles of snowshoe, and the articles I've read have tended to call them different things. I am probably looking for something that's a good balance between "suitable for beginners" and "capable of handling a variety of terrain." I'm sure I'll spend a lot of time poking around sno-parks on established snowshoeing routes at first, but with time/experience, I'd like to explore other areas, too.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

johnspeth
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by johnspeth » October 20th, 2021, 4:52 am

I use snowshoes a lot in the winter. When I go out I often see snowshoed folks sticking to trails in conditions that good rugged deep soled boots will work just fine. I rarely see tracks "off trail" where a snowshoe is absolutely needed. The tradeoff is floaty/heavy vs small/light. Think about where you want to go and then decide. Pick the brains of REI salespeople. Buying used or renting can help reduce the pain of buying the wrong kind.
Off trail --> big
Trail only --> small

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Waffle Stomper
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by Waffle Stomper » October 20th, 2021, 10:36 am

I prefer snowshoes that are designed for women. The foot placement is different so you can walk with your feet closer together.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir

Webfoot
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by Webfoot » October 20th, 2021, 4:04 pm

Waffle Stomper wrote:
October 20th, 2021, 10:36 am
I prefer snowshoes that are designed for women. The foot placement is different so you can walk with your feet closer together.
Are they narrower for the same weight range?

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Chip Down
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by Chip Down » October 20th, 2021, 5:00 pm

johnspeth wrote:
October 20th, 2021, 4:52 am
I use snowshoes a lot in the winter. When I go out I often see snowshoed folks sticking to trails in conditions that good rugged deep soled boots will work just fine.
Yep. Sometimes the best snowshoe is no snowshoe.

I use the molded plastic type. If you don't know what I mean, see pic below. To the uninitiated, they might seem cheap and silly, like something kids would use, but some adventurers swear by them, and I've found they suit me very well. The brand usually associated with this style is MSR (they may be the only major brand that produces this type).
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05643_msr_evo_trail_22_red_angle(1).jpg

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Don Nelsen
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by Don Nelsen » October 20th, 2021, 6:29 pm

I'm with Chip on this. I've used the exact same snowshoes in his picture for over twenty years (same ones, still in good condition) and they are great. I've used them on glare ice, hiked up very steep slopes, over 30 degrees, with no problem and in very deep, soft snow. The two parallel metal serrations allow you to traverse steep slopes without slipping. You can get extensions to increase the surface area by half again and that works good in very soft, deep snow, but I've rarely needed to clip them on. The shoes are narrow enough that you won't have them hitting together as you hike either. I've crossed streams on ice covered rocks and they are very stable for that potentially problematic move and in all those years, they hardly show wear.

Just my two cents,

dn
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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snow_sketches
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by snow_sketches » October 20th, 2021, 9:01 pm

Thanks for your helpful responses, everyone! Chip and Don, I'm intrigued by those MSR snowshoes. Maybe I'll try renting a few different models over the course of a few different trips, so that I can see what feels good before I commit.

A quick followup question: I don't yet have a really good read on the various hazards associated with traveling on snow, especially off-trail (I searched the forum for snowshoe threads before posting, and happened upon the "snow bridge collapse" post—yikes!) Can anyone recommend some good resources on learning winter terrain? I believe I recall REI having a class; has anyone taken this, and if so, was it pretty worthwhile?

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Waffle Stomper
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by Waffle Stomper » October 21st, 2021, 4:12 pm

Webfoot wrote:
October 20th, 2021, 4:04 pm
Waffle Stomper wrote:
October 20th, 2021, 10:36 am
I prefer snowshoes that are designed for women. The foot placement is different so you can walk with your feet closer together.
Are they narrower for the same weight range?
The ones that I have found are narrower on the inside and wider towards the outside. Or, they have narrower tails. To accommodate the female stride. But I'm they have distributed the weight in different places on the frame.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir

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Chip Down
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by Chip Down » October 21st, 2021, 5:22 pm

Also, my preferred snowshoe model makes a great beer platform:
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Bosterson
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Re: Snowshoe recommendations

Post by Bosterson » October 21st, 2021, 8:21 pm

+1 for any MSRs, unless you will only use them on flat groomed trails, in which case get something cheap and light. MSRs have the best traction, so spend the money once and keep the snowshoe forever. Which model is up to your preference, though I recommend one with a heel lift ("Televators") because that's super useful for going up steep slopes, esp off trail.

The real question is which kind of snowshoe would Tsjeeses wear? Or which kind comes with a free Tsjeeses? Either way.
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