Snowshoes?

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Originally Posted by rf2

Raising this thread from the dead - I just received a pair of MSR Lightning Ascent 25" snowshoes with the extra 5" tails as a birthday gift. On paper and after examining them closely, these snowshoes look really good, but the reviews on the MEC site are not great.
With no tails, they are supposedly rated up to 225 lbs, with tails, 275 lbs. I weigh 200 lbs. I would say that normally, when I use my snowshoes for hunting, I have at least 40 lbs of gear on me, sometimes more if I am hauling a portable stand. I can exchange these ones for the 30" version, then use the tails to get an extra 50 lb capacity.
How does your friend like his? Any flotation issues? What about durability?

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It really all depends on snow conditions, if your on the fluffy stuff with no real base, you are going to sink regardless of weight / shoe size. As it compacts the more flotation will be offered.

My friend isn't quite as large as you, he is very tall, but very lean, and I head out with him often, he has never complained nor has it appeared from my vantage point that he has had issues, again it's snow condition based. If we get a really good dumping of fresh powder we'll sink a bit as it compresses under the shoes to the hard pack, so we take turns breaking trail.

I am over 300, my shoes are the Atlas 1235's (12" wide, 35" long) a big shoe, but required for my weight and gear, do I sink, of course, no shoe is going to keep you right ontop, unless you are on a hard packed trail, but I can walk in the deep stuff and sink a foot or so take the shoes off and sink past my waist, to give you an idea. The same for my buddy.

I use 3 different pairs. Its all about the conditions. When its deep, fluffy powder, I use 14x45 classic ash/catgut shoes with upgraded ratchet bindings. For fresh snow with a base, I wear 12x36 but they are aluminum frame with mono mesh. Great rackets, but a little too small for fluffy powder for me. If its hard packed/icy I use a pair of Faber 10x22 with ice cleats. These are tough shoes. Great for kids....i work at an outdoor ed center, and these are what we give the kids. I havent had to repair a single snowshoe in 6 years, and they get used A LOT in all conditions.

For an all around, one pair does it all, id take my 12x36 alum/mono shoes. I use them the most, until it gets icy, or the snow is really deep.

S.

I use military surplus shoes - under 3lbs per shoe made with magnesium frames and nylon coated wire web - extremely durable I have had mine more than 20 years and just found a set at princess auto ($100) and bought them for my teenage son, good floatation I weigh about 230 lbs without gear and low maintenance. It was a no brainer to buy a set for my son after spending good money on his last set of expensive shoes that didn't make it 3 years. hope this helps...FB

FYI - bigfoot snowshoes is having a valentines week sale - free poles, free shipping, free carry bag (2 pair purchase though). I have a pair of older tubbs, but my inlaws have these, and I much prefer the ratcheting bindings on these ones.

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Originally Posted by fisherboy

I use military surplus shoes - under 3lbs per shoe made with magnesium frames and nylon coated wire web - extremely durable I have had mine more than 20 years and just found a set at princess auto ($100) and bought them for my teenage son, good floatation I weigh about 230 lbs without gear and low maintenance. It was a no brainer to buy a set for my son after spending good money on his last set of expensive shoes that didn't make it 3 years. hope this helps...FB

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Princess Auto is showing that starting Feb 18 these will be going on sale for $69, with bindings.

http://www.bigfootsnowshoes.com/?gcl...FawWMgodi38ACg

I laugh every time I see the new tech rigs that are about 1/8 the size a shoe needs to be. They may help in late March when there's finally a supportive crust, but are useless for about 95% of the balance of winter. It's simple grade eight physics. Without the square inches of shoe for displacement, you'll be sunk up to your sac in most snow conditions. Our native folks had this figured out about 500 years ago. I've tried just about everything. Don't like bearpaws at all, unless you like having tendonitis in your inner thighs/ball sac from walking all day like you've soiled yourself. If you don't have bad/sore hip sockets now, just try trapping for a season in bearpaws. I don't like any flat shoe, as they have a tendency to make you work harder lifting your feet to prevent snags/tripping on brush and snow. My favourites (I'm about 210lbs) have always been wood frame modified Huron style (upturned toe), or even better, Chippawa style with the high fronts. You really have to look these days to find good wooden Chippawa shoes. Minimum of 50"and width of 10 or 11 inches. Any wider and you're going to have sore hips. My favs are a pair of 58" made in Whitney. You can walk naturally all day, and can be "lazy" without having to high lift your feet in deep powder. When high temps/slush are present, I'll switch from gut shoes to the aluminum military style, otherwise you'll soak your gut and the beds will sag. Best harness I've found so far are the standard Canadian military harness. Spar varnish the gut 1-2 X during the winter to keep the gut waterproof.

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

Don't like bearpaws at all, unless you like having tendonitis in your inner thighs/ball sac from walking all day like you've soiled yourself. If you don't have bad/sore hip sockets now, just try trapping for a season in bearpaws.

Spar varnish the gut 1-2 X during the winter to keep the gut waterproof.

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Your absolutely right, I've been walking on my BearPaws all winter, 3 times a day since mid Dec and still have that dull ache in my hip sockets...it never goes away :) But I need the width to stay up on the powder/deep snow..so small sacrifice.

Thanks for reminding me to vanish them.....I'll put a coat on tonight. :thumbup:

Oh....My wife has a pair of the new aluminum ones (xmas gift) and I have the Faber Bearpaws.....and neither pair are worth crap when a 95lb Bernese Mountain dog insists on stepping on them from behind :)

Re: dog on your tails ! You sure got that right! Nothing more annoying than having a dog along. I've always had black "Pig-Dogs"(Labs) and these buggers are constantly trying to get onto your shoes. Just about tears your achilles tendon off the back of your leg after the Pig has done it for the 40th time ! I went and looked at my favourite shoes. They were made by Avery out of Whitney. Good thick bands of rawhide on them. I remember having a few pairs of Fabers, and they'd always break where they'd cheaped-out and used thin laces of rawhide.

Learned that last weekend in MB Forest when I took our boxer, he was bounding all over the place....got tired and started to follow in my tracks stepping on the back for next 1KM coming out. Funny but very annoying.

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Originally Posted by MikePal

and neither pair are worth crap when a 95lb Bernese Mountain dog insists on stepping on them from behind :)

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