5 Responses

  1. avatar
    maureen at |

    I just bought a pair of snow shoes (cheap) from odd lots. They are labeled L and measure 28″. The brand is “Thunder Bay” made in China. According to LLBean I should use a 25″ shoe. I’m 5’7 and weigh about 140. Should I keep these as I only use them a couple of times a year. I only paid 40.00 for them. I did notice that the spikes on the bottom are heavy duty plastic not metal but otherwise made quite sturdy. Should I keep???

    Reply
    1. avatar
      Tim Jones at |

      Maureen,

      In our Advanced Snowshoe Techniques class, which we teach each year at the VOGA Doe Camp, we recommend buying larger snowshoes for off-trail travel. At your height and weight, a 28-inch shoe should be a good choice. My advice is to try them this winter and see how they work for you. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what you do want if and when you want to upgrade. With something that inexpensive, I’d be a bit concerned about quality and durability. The last thing you want is a broken snowshoe in deep snow out in the boonies, so do your testing where it’s easy to escape if something goes wrong and go with a companion as a safety precaution.

      Reply
  2. avatar
    Guythebear at |

    I am 5’7” and weighs 120lb. I bought medium 8*25 inch snowshoe. Will it work or should I return?

    Reply
    1. avatar
      Tim Jones at |

      It’ll depend on the weight of any pack you might want to carry and the kind of snow you are walking on, but an 8 x 25 should be a good all-around off-trail snowshoe someone for your weight. If you are sticking to packed trails, you could go smaller (8×21) but that would be very limiting.

      Reply
  3. avatar
    Nicolas Cacace at |

    Great article

    I bought some lighting ascents a couple of months ago for backpacking. I contacted MSR but outside the weight range vs floatation, which is no doubt relevant, no one could tell me the max weight the shoe could carry before breaking. Even if weight is dispersed, soft or hard snow, the ‘toe cord’ (pin) is going to handle x Newtons of force before it breaks. Nobody wants to find that out in the middle of a snowy wilderness (especially alone)

    I’m wondering if it would have been smarter to get Nordic skis and a sled for my pack and head for Norway. At least there is no risk of Avalanche on flatter terrain (I’m in the European Alps)

    Reply

Leave a Reply