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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Snow shoes and gaitors?
- Thread starter nikosia7
- Start date
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- Jul 27, 2010
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- 458
I bought a pair at Cabela's years ago for hunting snowshoe hare up in Vermont. Those snowshoes came in very handy and I bring them up there every trip. Had them for 6 years now and they are still in good shape. Cabela's brand-Alaskan Outfitter9green & black).
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2005
- Messages
- 2,823
For snowshoes, I use MSR Denalis and for gaiters I use Outdoor Research Crocodiles. I like the MSRs because I have detachable "tails" that can be added for added flotation depending on either the snow conditions or the amount of gear I happen to be carrying. The gaiters are well built and have held up well to my crampons catching them from time to time.
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2012
- Messages
- 50
+1 for the Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters.
Ive had mine for about 7 years and have used them very hard and am IMPRESSED with them. with good boots and the gaiters on i've stood in 14 inches of water for hours while raccoon hunting and never have had a leak, EVER. very good quality and easy to adjust to different boots. They are kinda pricey but well worth it. My bro in law has bought a new pair of ? brand every year for the last 4 years cause they fall apart and arent waterproof. And as for snow shoes, i've tried a few kinds but have found that my boots do just fine for 90% of my outdoor use
Ive had mine for about 7 years and have used them very hard and am IMPRESSED with them. with good boots and the gaiters on i've stood in 14 inches of water for hours while raccoon hunting and never have had a leak, EVER. very good quality and easy to adjust to different boots. They are kinda pricey but well worth it. My bro in law has bought a new pair of ? brand every year for the last 4 years cause they fall apart and arent waterproof. And as for snow shoes, i've tried a few kinds but have found that my boots do just fine for 90% of my outdoor use
It's sort of the wrong time of year, but snowshoes can be had for a fraction of the cost if bought used. Like everything else, you pay for quality. If two sets of snowshoes look about the same and one is twice the cost, that probably means it's half the weight of the other.
The snowshoe matrix is weight verses floatation: How much less do you sink into the snow verses how much energy is spent lifting the snowshoe up for the next step. LOTS of snowshoes are far too heavy for the flotation they provide. Even more makes of snowshoe don't provide near enough flotation for anything but hard, dense spring snow. Try using them in fresh snow or in cold conditions and you'll only float a few inches above what a naked footprint provides.
The fad for a long time was to go with a smaller shoe on the theory that while you sink deeper, the lighter weight saves you energy with each step. I have NOT found this to be even remotely accurate. In my experience floatation trumps everything else.
Your local terrain and snow conditions will make a huge difference on which model will work best. In rolling hills with deep snow, nothing comes close to the traditional full size trail snowshoe. In steep country or in hard snow a smaller snowshoe with cleats works better.
Wood snowshoes are great, but they require a lot of maintenance or they will ruin quickly. It's not too bad when the snow is powdery, but once it crusts up you can wear the varnish off the bottoms in a few hours. Varnishing snowshoes isn't a huge job, but it's something you have to keep on top of. Synthetic snowshoes are basically maintenance free.
The two brands I've used extensively are Sherpa and Northern Lites. In my experience with both brands I prefer the larger sizes...larger than they recommend for my weight. I've found that while lager snowshoes are a little bit less maneuverable in firm snow or steep slopes, that's nothing compared to the effort of spending a day in deep powder and sinking in up to my knees with each step.
Lots of places rent snowshoes. It's not economical compared to owning a pair, but it's a good way to try out different sizes and designs.
The snowshoe matrix is weight verses floatation: How much less do you sink into the snow verses how much energy is spent lifting the snowshoe up for the next step. LOTS of snowshoes are far too heavy for the flotation they provide. Even more makes of snowshoe don't provide near enough flotation for anything but hard, dense spring snow. Try using them in fresh snow or in cold conditions and you'll only float a few inches above what a naked footprint provides.
The fad for a long time was to go with a smaller shoe on the theory that while you sink deeper, the lighter weight saves you energy with each step. I have NOT found this to be even remotely accurate. In my experience floatation trumps everything else.
Your local terrain and snow conditions will make a huge difference on which model will work best. In rolling hills with deep snow, nothing comes close to the traditional full size trail snowshoe. In steep country or in hard snow a smaller snowshoe with cleats works better.
Wood snowshoes are great, but they require a lot of maintenance or they will ruin quickly. It's not too bad when the snow is powdery, but once it crusts up you can wear the varnish off the bottoms in a few hours. Varnishing snowshoes isn't a huge job, but it's something you have to keep on top of. Synthetic snowshoes are basically maintenance free.
The two brands I've used extensively are Sherpa and Northern Lites. In my experience with both brands I prefer the larger sizes...larger than they recommend for my weight. I've found that while lager snowshoes are a little bit less maneuverable in firm snow or steep slopes, that's nothing compared to the effort of spending a day in deep powder and sinking in up to my knees with each step.
Lots of places rent snowshoes. It's not economical compared to owning a pair, but it's a good way to try out different sizes and designs.
