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Winter Camping and Activities

Snowshoes - what do you use

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Date/Time: 04/28/2024 02:47PM

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Snowshoes - what do you use

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Previous Messages:
Author	Message Text
Minnesotian	01/12/2013 05:44PM Ya, those look great. Thanks for the pictures, really helps.
PINETREE	01/12/2013 11:40AM quote tonyyarusso: "quote Minnesotian: " I am leaning towards doing that same thing from Country Ways. How tight is the weaving on the shoe? Are you pleased with the product? Thanks. " See pictures for weave - my hand for scale. :) If you wanted a tighter weave I suppose you could just buy a longer set of lacing and do a couple extra lines. I've definitely been pleased with them - they feel nice and work great. Photographing them for you also reminded me that there are some spots I should touch up with varnish. :P " Very nice work of art.
tonyyarusso	01/12/2013 11:16AM quote motdur: "Where did find the crampons? Do they attach to your boot or snowshoe?" Google pointed me here. They attach by bolting two plated together through the holes between the lacing. I've also seen some on eBay that screw into the wood crossbar in front of the toe hole. Neither design looks easy-on/easy-off however - more of a permanent installation. I'm thinking a creative person could modify their approach and have a small piece of something permanently mounted in a way that wouldn't affect normal walking and incorporate cotter pins or something similar for quick attachment of the spiky part.
tonyyarusso	01/12/2013 11:04AM quote Minnesotian: " I am leaning towards doing that same thing from Country Ways. How tight is the weaving on the shoe? Are you pleased with the product? Thanks. " See pictures for weave - my hand for scale. :) If you wanted a tighter weave I suppose you could just buy a longer set of lacing and do a couple extra lines. I've definitely been pleased with them - they feel nice and work great. Photographing them for you also reminded me that there are some spots I should touch up with varnish. :P
PINETREE	01/12/2013 09:11AM I like the wooden shoe also. The new metal ones at the top end do have a much superior binding that makes turning and twisting much easier.
SevenofNine	01/11/2013 12:57PM quote tnthekids: "I'm finally getting an opportunity to explore the BWCAW via snowshoes and wondering what kind of shoes everyone uses and why. I have a pair of wooden shoes without the tail. Will those be ok? I know the snow depth has a large play in this, but am hoping that what I have will be ok for the limited time and day trips" Without knowing how big the shoes you have are it's hard to make a call. But most likely the shoes you have will be just fine. The traditional shoes work quite well and often better than the new shoes because they have more float. No need to go out and spend money on the new metal kind. Don't let the new metal shoes make you think they are any better. The only thing I appreciate on them is the cleat in the toe for slowing my progress down hill.
motdur	01/11/2013 12:14PM quote tonyyarusso: "I use a pair of the Ojibwa-style wooden shoes I laced myself from a Country Ways kit. I prefer wooden shoes both for aesthetics and because they're MUCH quieter to use, and thus give a more pleasant experience and more opportunity to see wildlife. They do struggle on steeper uphill sections, although I found out that there are add-on crampons you can buy for laced shoes which might be worth looking into. It's a bit less relevant for modern metal/plastic ones, but for wooden snowshoes there is a good reason for there being different regional styles, and it would be wise to acknowledge that. It's smart to match what you get to the area you'll be using them in. For instance, my dad has the "Alaskan" style from CW - very long and a rounded tip. These are designed for tundra use, with long, open stretches. While they would be great for crossing lakes in the BWCA, they do not do well for following twisty-turny deer trails through underbrush, which I like to do in parks closer to home. Meanwhile, my Ojibwe style ones are designed for transitional forest, being slightly shorter in overall length and much shorter in laced length with pointed tip and tail. As such, they are WAY easier to maneuver in, so I can tromp around bushwhacking through all sorts of stuff that's impossible in my dad's. Yours meanwhile, which I'm guessing are along the lines of a "Green Mountain" or "Modified Bear Paw", will be fine to maneuver, but the lack of tail will make them track a little less well over the long straight sections, and the rounded tip will mean that they won't part grasses and brush in front of you the way mine do if you ever get really off the trail. Bottom line: Yes, what you have will be okay. There are of course also legitimate justifications for expanding to a quiver of three or four different models for different conditions should you feel so inclined. :P" tonyyarusso...I also laced a pair of Ojibwa's from Country Ways. Great shoe. Where did find the crampons? Do they attach to your boot or snowshoe?
motdur	01/11/2013 11:46AM
PortageKeeper	01/11/2013 11:29AM Right now just a pair of rubber boots is in order. Shortly all this rain will freeze solid and you'll likely just need hiking boots. It'll be a good time to be in the woods, as you should be able to walk just about anywhere.
jwartman59	01/11/2013 10:32AM i have a pair of quebec made faber snowshoes, they are vintage models, from the 1960s. i love them but they are most useful in deep snow, something that is becoming harder to find in minnesota.
marsonite	01/11/2013 06:50AM I have a pair of Ojibiway snowshoes as well. I too love the look and feel of them. The disadvantage however is that they are heavy.
Knoozer	01/10/2013 10:43PM I agree with everything tonyarusso says about wooden shoes. They also look much better hanging on the wall than any of the modern ones. I have bent many pairs of Ojibwe, Michigan style, and a few pairs of bear paws. So far, this winter I have spent more time working on them than walking on them. I hope that will change soon.
Minnesotian	01/10/2013 07:34AM quote tonyyarusso: "I use a pair of the Ojibwa-style wooden shoes I laced myself from a Country Ways kit. :P" Tony, I am leaning towards doing that same thing from Country Ways. How tight is the weaving on the shoe? Are you pleased with the product? Thanks.
tonyyarusso	01/09/2013 10:35PM I use a pair of the Ojibwa-style wooden shoes I laced myself from a Country Ways kit. I prefer wooden shoes both for aesthetics and because they're MUCH quieter to use, and thus give a more pleasant experience and more opportunity to see wildlife. They do struggle on steeper uphill sections, although I found out that there are add-on crampons you can buy for laced shoes which might be worth looking into. It's a bit less relevant for modern metal/plastic ones, but for wooden snowshoes there is a good reason for there being different regional styles, and it would be wise to acknowledge that. It's smart to match what you get to the area you'll be using them in. For instance, my dad has the "Alaskan" style from CW - very long and a rounded tip. These are designed for tundra use, with long, open stretches. While they would be great for crossing lakes in the BWCA, they do not do well for following twisty-turny deer trails through underbrush, which I like to do in parks closer to home. Meanwhile, my Ojibwe style ones are designed for transitional forest, being slightly shorter in overall length and much shorter in laced length with pointed tip and tail. As such, they are WAY easier to maneuver in, so I can tromp around bushwhacking through all sorts of stuff that's impossible in my dad's. Yours meanwhile, which I'm guessing are along the lines of a "Green Mountain" or "Modified Bear Paw", will be fine to maneuver, but the lack of tail will make them track a little less well over the long straight sections, and the rounded tip will mean that they won't part grasses and brush in front of you the way mine do if you ever get really off the trail. Bottom line: Yes, what you have will be okay. There are of course also legitimate justifications for expanding to a quiver of three or four different models for different conditions should you feel so inclined. :P
TuscaroraBorealis	01/09/2013 08:36PM I use Crescent Moon snowshoes. The link is to the model I bought. (Be aware that there are several different models to choose from depending on your size, wants/needs.) I bought them mainly because I got a great deal. But, what drew me to that brand in the first place was that there bindings are easy to use & very durable. As an added bonus they have stainless steel crampons which come in handy for traversing up & down hills.
tnthekids	01/09/2013 08:22PM I'm finally getting an opportunity to explore the BWCAW via snowshoes and wondering what kind of shoes everyone uses and why. I have a pair of wooden shoes without the tail. Will those be ok? I know the snow depth has a large play in this, but am hoping that what I have will be ok for the limited time and day trips