Snowshoes & Snowshoeing

[pgvoutdoors]

I first became familiar with the use of snowshoes while in the Marine Corps participating in winter training in Norway. The amount of extra equipment we had to carry due to the cold weather and snow covered terrain was unbelievable. The use of a sled and snowshoes were required. Now snowshoes play an important part in my back-country excursions and have become a fascination of mine. I believe all woodsmen should at least be experience in the use of snowshoes and most should own a pair themselves.

Garrett and Alexandra Conover have written a couple of the best books on winter travel;

The Winter Wilderness Companion, copyright 1995, 2001

Snow Walker's Companion, copyright 2006

A nice short article on backpacking with high-tech snowshoes was written by Don Ladigin and available at:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...ght/00038.html

Winter camping: http://www.snowshoemag.com/

Modern high-tech snowshoes:

Tubbs Snowshoes - http://tubbssnowshoes.com/

Atlas Snowshoes - http://atlassnowshoe.com/

Red Feather Snowshoes - http://www.redfeather.com/

MSR Snowshoes - http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/snowshoes/category

Wooden & Traditional Snowshoes:

Maine Guide Snowshoes - http://mgsnowshoes.intuitwebsites.com/

Iverson Snowshoes - http://www.iversonssnowshoes.com/

Military Surplus Snowshoes:

Sportsman Guide - http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/s...nowshoes&eMode=


Please add to this thread any snowshoe or snowshoeing comments or information you may have.

[1stimestar]

I had some but they dissapeared off of my porch. For the last couple of weeks I have been thinking of a winter back packing trip. Time to get some more I guess.

[pete lynch]

I bought a pair of the military surplus snowshoes from the Guide after the triple snowstorms we got a couple years ago. I figured, if we get snow like that again, they would be handy for travel until the roads were cleared:Guess what? It ain't snowed since!

[hunter63]

Have a pair of Herters snow shoes hang on the wall, haven't used them in a bunch of ...hasn't really been enough snow.

Walk straight or you'll step on them a lot, or at least I did.....Good exercise.

[Rick]

Same here. I got a couple pair of the military magnesium shoes as well as a couple pair of the these:

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as well as a couple of pairs of military skis................no snow.

[crashdive123]

I wonder how they would do on the sand dunes?

[pete lynch]

I have heard the type I have ( standard military) are good for marsh walking. Have not tried that yet.

[Rick]

Pfffft. You have to use sand dune shoes and marsh shoes for that. You guys.....

[hunter63]

I have heard the type I have ( standard military) are good for marsh walking. Have not tried that yet.

Might work, but in the old hunting magizines, they used "marsh skies'
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=marsh...1&tx=145&ty=11

As kids we tried just boards and rope binding, as we didn't have much of a boat for our duck hunting (was an old cement mixing pan).......They are really had to navagate....need to break a trail then stick to it.

[pete lynch]

I was in the marsh today. Freind was doing some crabbing and perch fishing. Crabs were big but no perch.
Looked out over the marsh and thought of this post. Aint no way I'm trucking through that stuff with snowshoes! LOL

[pgvoutdoors]

Another resource for learning about snowshoeing is Snowshoe Magazine.

http://www.snowshoemag.com/

[rebel]

Last spring I picked up a copy of Building Snowshoes & Snowshoe furniture by Gil Gilpatrick :http://www.amazon.com/Building-Snows.../dp/0965050734
Bending the wood seems easy enough but, the knot tying looks complicated.

I read once where a guy was caught in a blizzard and had to make snowshoes with saplings and the rubber mats from his truck to walk out.

[pgvoutdoors]

Rebel - that looks like a good book, I'm going to put it on my wishlist.

[finallyME]

Remember the saying you guys keep saying......"have it and not need it, instead of need it and not have it".
Well, I needed them one time. Walking in snow that is waist high with no snow shoes it probably one of the hardest things I have done. You will over heat.

[pgvoutdoors]

Snowshoe Comparison

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[DesertDiver]

Saw this thread (thought about making another but decided against it) and was hoping you all could help me; I've never been able to draw the figurative line in the snow. When do you all switch from packs to sleds? Obviously, it is deeply relative based on your size, location, etc.. I've done both, a long trip with a heavy pack/big shoes and light pack/sled. Portering the sled (even twice) on the second trip was brutal and I'll take big shoes any day. But what about you? When do the big shoes become too big? What kind of terrain will you not even consider the sled?

[gohammergo]

I have many pairs of traditional wooden shoes, both big and smaller. I like the alaskan style and my favorite pair is old military wooden ones with a set of Bob Maki harnesses. I also picked up a pair of the magnesium military from the Sportsmans Guide and love them too. The harnesses that came with them were no good for me and so I switched them out with a different set. The mags are awesome and are my no.1 pair now.

I've not used a sled in years but have found for me that it is harder on my back to pull a sled than to carry a pack. I'm going to try the sled again this winter though and see how I feel about it now. We are finally getting snow here in Upper MI so the time is getting closer too.

[pgvoutdoors]

Same here. I got a couple pair of the military magnesium shoes as well as a couple pair of the these:

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as well as a couple of pairs of military skis................no snow.

Rick - Did you get enough snow with last storm to try out these snowshoes?

[Seniorman]

These have worked very well for me for many years. It depends on the area I am going to be using and the snow conditions as to which one I use.

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From mid-Fall until mid-Spring, there is always one pair of snowshoes in the back of my pcikup.

S.M.

[pgvoutdoors]

During the holiday break I took a few of my girlfriend's family on their first snowshoeing outing. Later the adults wanted to give it a try.

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