Snowshoes? What type to buy?

"Here I Is"

Snowshoes - the magical mysterious shoe of the north.

There are all kinds. It all depends on your style. Things one has to consider is height, personal weight, weight that you might be carrying in terms of packs etcetera.

I've suggested to others that they rent equipment to get a sense of what one likes before purchasing.

The field is open...



These are the kind I use (with straps of course)




There are all kinds of mod shoes one can purchase today. Do your homework - spend a bit of time reading up and figuring out what might be best for you.

Set a budget and do not buy on the first visit. Look around, check things out come back later - check for the sales. Remember the sales person is there to sell.



Never thought of using poles - great idea. They are good too when you are toting a sled behind you.

 

I wrote a blog post on snowshoes last December. In it I go over the general classes of snowshoes, their uses and how the price rises with fancy features. Check it out on The Blog at Explore. It's certainly not an exhaustive discussion, but to summarize even further. As Northern Dancer says, determine your style. That's based upon the type of terrain you plan to be traversing - rolling or mountainous. Some snowshoes have features that will help you climb steep slopes more easily, but most people stick to less strenuous terrain. Once you start looking at snowshoes that match your style, you need to look at the weight they can carry and how much the snowshoes themselves weight (you want to minimize the weight on your feet). After that it's good to look at customer reviews to see what people think about different models and, of course, pose further questions here. By the way, if you are a runner, some snowshoes are designed for running.

The V-shape with long tails add more surface to help hold you up better, but the size, shape and deck structure can vary in ways that allow other shapes to do as well or better. The V-shape is also supposed to be more maneuverable in the deepest snow. I don't have any experience with that style so perhaps Northern Dance can fill us in on that. Some companies make tails that can be added to their snowshoes if you are on particularly fluffy snow and are sinking in too much. The bottom line is to get a size that matches your weight (with pack etc.).



@2sweed isn't looking at really tough use, so expensive features are not needed. The pair I have (above - bottom view) use a plastic (polyurethane) strap that hasn't been an issue for me although others have said it breaks and can't be fixed. I did find a repair shop that will replace these 'non-replaceable' bindings - in case that issue develops for me. I just use my XC Ski poles. Renting some shoes before buying is a great idea if you can pull it off. Crater Lake National Park, here in Oregon,USA, offers free snowshoe walks with all the gear provided. That's a good way to find out whether you like snowshoeing or not before you get into it.