2Heeldrive - Walk it off Wimp!

I love these snowshoes, despite their price. This is the third winter I’ve used them. The winter season is ending so look for these snowshoes on clearance. These snowshoes come in two sizes, 22 and 25 inch. Everything is a compromise and snowshoe size is no exception. In many parts of the country the snow can be wet and heavy and these snowshoes excel in those conditions. If you travel in deep powder often then you would probably want the longer model.

I’ve used several brands of snowshoes, including rawhide snowshoes, which have an aesthetic appeal. I’ve made my own snowshoes out of pvc pipe and inner tubes for the do-it-yourself appeal.

I have the 25″ model and the actual weight is 3# 4.5 oz. In contrast, I have a 30″ pair of Yakima snowshoes that weigh 5# 3 oz.

I look for snowshoes to be rugged and reliable. Pay close attention to snowshoe bindings. If any one part of the binding breaks or fails, can you still make the binding serviceable? Are there enough straps so that if one breaks can you still walk back out to the trailhead? The MSR snowshoes are well constructed and thought out. The binding is the best I’ve seen on the market. With winter gloves on, you can get in and out of the bindings. You can also undo the two bootstraps and step out of them then later step back into them without having to readjust the heel strap. The bindings are sturdy and wet snow doesn’t stick to the bindings and decking.

These snowshoes offer great traction on almost any surface. You’ll appreciate the small amount of snow the tails kick up as you walk. As with any snowshoe, care should be taken when walking over rocks because that will dull the points. The points on these showshoes can be easily sharpened with some filing.

Weight is an important factor if you intend to walk more than a couple of miles a day. Think of strapping a can of green beans to your feet and walking around all day. Now think about two cans of green beans on each foot. That can be the difference between brands of showshoes. Lighter is supremely better.

When you strap your feet in, they stay where you put them and don’t slip sideways in the bindings. The binding pivot is limited enough so you can step backwards, but you do have to pick your feet up a lot. The snowshoes are sturdy enough you can jump off across ditches without warping the snowshoes.

These bindings also allow you to side-hill without your foot twisting or the snowshoe trying to match the angle of the slope. The teeth all around the snowshoe hold fast in all but loose snow on steep hills. The aluminum and synthetic decking material combine to provide a fairly quiet backcountry experience. Compare these to snowshoes with plastic decking on icy snow for noise level. Also beware of bindings that may squeak during use.

The only wear I can see is the exterior paint finish is chipping off in places but this doesn’t decrease the functionality of this snowshoe.

Switchback Steve