Snowshoe me please
February 6, 2011 5:27 AM Subscribe
Tell me what snowshoes to buy!
I've never gone snowshoeing but I'm sick of falling through the snow in the back field while I'm walking our dog, and having a dog in the winter means a lot of wilderness trudging.
I'd like to buy a pair of snowshoes that stay on and are relatively flexible (it's New England, so it's not perfectly flat, but I'm not climbing mountains, either.)
I'd be wearing them for half an hour to an hour, I'm female, 5'4", I use a mainly neutral running shoe, and I'd like to avoid having to fumble with poorly designed stuff in freezing temperatures (I threw out a snow shovel last week) so easy on/easy off would be really helpful. Winter's already hard enough.
Since I'm a newbie and I'm being pushed forward by my lack of impulse control this morning, I'd like to keep the expense down, so I'm not looking for some top of the line snowshoe awesomeness, just a good, efficient, reasonably reliable place to start. I thank you, hive mind.
I've never gone snowshoeing but I'm sick of falling through the snow in the back field while I'm walking our dog, and having a dog in the winter means a lot of wilderness trudging.
I'd like to buy a pair of snowshoes that stay on and are relatively flexible (it's New England, so it's not perfectly flat, but I'm not climbing mountains, either.)
I'd be wearing them for half an hour to an hour, I'm female, 5'4", I use a mainly neutral running shoe, and I'd like to avoid having to fumble with poorly designed stuff in freezing temperatures (I threw out a snow shovel last week) so easy on/easy off would be really helpful. Winter's already hard enough.
Since I'm a newbie and I'm being pushed forward by my lack of impulse control this morning, I'd like to keep the expense down, so I'm not looking for some top of the line snowshoe awesomeness, just a good, efficient, reasonably reliable place to start. I thank you, hive mind.
I would recommend going into a store and trying an inexpensive pair to find a good fit with whatever binding system isn't going to drive you insane. It looks like you're in MA? If you were desperate you could drive up to the LL Bean ski store in Freeport, ME and they would take care of you. There's probably something closer.
My wife and I have done day hikes most weekends this winter due to all the snow... we both have LL Bean branded shoes and they work great.
If you have some extra cash at the end invest in some gaiters; wet legs are no fun.
posted by selfnoise at 5:49 AM on February 6, 2011
My wife and I have done day hikes most weekends this winter due to all the snow... we both have LL Bean branded shoes and they work great.
If you have some extra cash at the end invest in some gaiters; wet legs are no fun.
posted by selfnoise at 5:49 AM on February 6, 2011
Best answer: I've only ever used Tubbs www.tubbssnowshoes.com/
They're really lightweight and fine for walking in the Vermont woods around our camp back home. My mom has a pair that are a bit smaller and she likes them and enjoys snow-shoeing. They are fairly easy on easy off once you get the hang of it and are a touch on the expensive side (~$120), but they will last you quite a long time. I would just get their bottom end line as that is still very well built and fine for using the way you want to use them.
posted by koolkat at 6:56 AM on February 6, 2011
They're really lightweight and fine for walking in the Vermont woods around our camp back home. My mom has a pair that are a bit smaller and she likes them and enjoys snow-shoeing. They are fairly easy on easy off once you get the hang of it and are a touch on the expensive side (~$120), but they will last you quite a long time. I would just get their bottom end line as that is still very well built and fine for using the way you want to use them.
posted by koolkat at 6:56 AM on February 6, 2011
I've used plastic panel-style shoes from MSR and more traditional tube and webbing shoes from Atlas (my current shoes).
I've used the Atlas shoes for years very happily, but only in hiking boots. My wife has a very similar pair, designed for women with with an identical binding. They have been very stable and comfortable for many miles of hiking.
A few weekends ago, we participated in our first snowshoe 5k race. We wore our running shoes, and learned that this style of binding -- the kind that has a plastic shell that tightens over your boot -- does not work at all with running shoes. They were agonizing, and both of us had to keep stopping to readjust as the binding began digging into the tops of our feet through our shoelaces.
Another thing that occurred to us is that these aren't built for running. Their width necessitates an awkward bow-legged stance.
So... since you plan to wear them with running shoes, you might consider something like this.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:44 AM on February 6, 2011
I've used the Atlas shoes for years very happily, but only in hiking boots. My wife has a very similar pair, designed for women with with an identical binding. They have been very stable and comfortable for many miles of hiking.
A few weekends ago, we participated in our first snowshoe 5k race. We wore our running shoes, and learned that this style of binding -- the kind that has a plastic shell that tightens over your boot -- does not work at all with running shoes. They were agonizing, and both of us had to keep stopping to readjust as the binding began digging into the tops of our feet through our shoelaces.
Another thing that occurred to us is that these aren't built for running. Their width necessitates an awkward bow-legged stance.
So... since you plan to wear them with running shoes, you might consider something like this.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:44 AM on February 6, 2011
Response by poster:
So... since you plan to wear them with running shoes
Actually, sorry for the confusion, I'm not planning on wearing them with running shoes -- I just thought that I used neutral running shoes might be a relevant point as it looked like some of the snowshoes were highly engineered (I looked at MSR's this morning and got overwhelmed!) I'm just looking to walk around in the fields and hills with them and hopefully fall in the snow slightly less often.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:47 AM on February 6, 2011
So... since you plan to wear them with running shoes
Actually, sorry for the confusion, I'm not planning on wearing them with running shoes -- I just thought that I used neutral running shoes might be a relevant point as it looked like some of the snowshoes were highly engineered (I looked at MSR's this morning and got overwhelmed!) I'm just looking to walk around in the fields and hills with them and hopefully fall in the snow slightly less often.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:47 AM on February 6, 2011
Gotcha. Well, if you're going to wear them with a boot, or a low-top but burly hiking shoe, you might check out the webbed type with the plastic shell binding. These bindings are pretty quick to enter and exit, tighten up evenly and don't require much adjustment in the field. Just don't try to wear them with your Nikes!
I didn't like the plastic shell-style shoes from MSR -- they didn't have as much foot flex and felt clumsy. Clumsier than other snowshoes, that is.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:52 AM on February 6, 2011
I didn't like the plastic shell-style shoes from MSR -- they didn't have as much foot flex and felt clumsy. Clumsier than other snowshoes, that is.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:52 AM on February 6, 2011
Response by poster: Also, one of the things that's making this purchase difficult is that every review I read seems to contain complaints about fit or the shoes coming off or boots not fitting.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:56 AM on February 6, 2011
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:56 AM on February 6, 2011
I picked mine up here. And nature decided to dump a few feet of powder on me, with a couple months worth of snowing.
I've used them almost daily all winter, with no serious complaints. They're light, easy to put on and off, and great to wear. The bindings are plastic, like snowboard bindings, and can break. But the buckles are replaceable and you should be able to swap the entire binding if need be.\
The site I linked also has a good guide on sizing and buying snowshoes.
posted by Stagger Lee at 7:59 AM on February 6, 2011
I've used them almost daily all winter, with no serious complaints. They're light, easy to put on and off, and great to wear. The bindings are plastic, like snowboard bindings, and can break. But the buckles are replaceable and you should be able to swap the entire binding if need be.\
The site I linked also has a good guide on sizing and buying snowshoes.
posted by Stagger Lee at 7:59 AM on February 6, 2011
My parents bought these GVs in 9"x29"; they're very much on the large side for our relatively short & lightweight family, but as a 5'7", 120 lbs guy, with big snow boots, I can run in them fairly easily, and walking for one or two hours is very easy. The fixation system is really good: quick on, quick off, and very stable (the leather fixations on my old wooden showshoes were a nightmare in comparison).
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 8:57 AM on February 6, 2011
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 8:57 AM on February 6, 2011
Best answer: I asked this same question about six years ago. I went with some low-end Tubbs snowshoes (like this but more like $110) and have been happy with my purchase. I have fallen further in love with Tubbs since then because they've donated snowshoes to our natural resources management program at the school where I work. I feel like you can't really go wrong with a low end first pair from a known brand in most cases. If they're awesome you upgrade to the perfect pair, if they suck you're not out a ton of cash. Going to a place like Beans where you can try on a ton of pair is a great idea.
posted by jessamyn at 9:18 AM on February 6, 2011
posted by jessamyn at 9:18 AM on February 6, 2011
I have a pair of Tubbs 27-inch Discovery snowshoes. I use them several times a day for exactly what you want them for--walking a dog in the New England snow. They are easy to get on and off, and accommodate every boot I've used them with.
posted by Camofrog at 11:24 AM on February 6, 2011
posted by Camofrog at 11:24 AM on February 6, 2011
i am also a fan of tubbs. i bought the ventures a couple of years ago and am very happy with them. i usually do between 1-2.5 hr trails and they are great: light and very easy to get into— even if you have snow gloves on. i wear mine with snow boots.
posted by violetk at 11:46 AM on February 6, 2011
posted by violetk at 11:46 AM on February 6, 2011
LLBean has great customer service by phone. Order a pair of affordable snowshoes; they'll help you get the right ones. If you don't like them, return them. LL Bean does lots of weekend events at the Freeport store, which you might enjoy. I have low-end snowshoes from LLBean, wear them with snow sneakers, and they're easy and fun.
posted by theora55 at 12:10 PM on February 6, 2011
posted by theora55 at 12:10 PM on February 6, 2011
nthing Tubbs, they're great. Light, good weight distribution and really good grips for going up hill.
posted by krunk at 12:12 PM on February 6, 2011
posted by krunk at 12:12 PM on February 6, 2011
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posted by billtron at 5:39 AM on February 6, 2011