snowshoes

“yes i know another question,,,snowshoes looking at a pair of msr's but wondering about my size i'm 242lbs 6' not fat 15% body fat but wondering about weight limit,,or heard about shoes having one is this true ...and if so for my frame what would be a good light weight pair........NOMAD”

“Generally the manufacturer specifies what length is good for what height and weight. You'll probably want a longer pair. I'd check MSR's website and see what it says if anything.”

“Here you go, click on snowshoe sizing.....

http://www.msrcorp.com/snow/lightning.asp”

“You need BIG snow shoes. Metal frame seem to sink in a lot less than the old wooden framed ones. I'm 225lbs & I use 36" shoes (plus there's always a pack). The metal framed one's have a better curved tip so you don't "dig-in" toe first as often. Ski or trekking poles are helpfull. Look at Cabela's for some resonable prices, their own brand is decent & their customer service is excellent.”

“Don't forget to add in your pack weight... assuming you're carrying one & not just buying shoes for day-trips. Packars are also heavier in winter... don't forget to add that extra weight in also.

After you do all that THEN consult the charts so you pick the right size. There's alsio a little varience to consider depending upon where you hike... is it soft fluffy powder, or is it heavier more dense snow... you need more "float" on powder...

Good Luck!”

“And realize that no matter what snowshoes you have on, you will sink to a certain point if you are breaking trail or on non-compacted snow. MSR's are great snowshoes, but at your weight you might go for 36's instead...8 or 9" wide also. My boyfriend is 6' 4" and in the mid 200's, so he uses Atlas 36's. Of course, I always put him in front so he can flatten 3 ft of snow at a time ;-)”

“Hey , Whats the Scoop on Yukon Charlie Snowshoes?? any good?”

“I had a pair, I recently sold them (930's) they were fine for ontrail, relatively flat, gentle hill stuff. I got them for hauling loads. Decided I'd use my sled and found a buyer ;-)”

“Any good suggestions for recreational snowshoes? My parents want to try some out-- I don't want them to spend too much money in case they don't like snowshoeing--They are mostly sedentary, but thought it might be fun to try and not too hard to do....”

“Showshoeing isn't sedentary. It's harder work than hiking, the weather is usually colder & if you're not on a packed (snowmobile) trail, I'd recommend trekking poles. Keep distances shorter.

Metal frames (w/cleats) work better, but maybe they should look at the wood frame/gut snowshoes which are more asthetic to look at hanging on the wall. I have both.”

“I got some new yucon charley snowshoes for $77. delivered of of ebay. They are certainly nice for the price.”

“Hi Jackstraw,
Thinkbubelz & I have the Yukon Charlies as well. We found them in Sam's Club last year, but so far I haven't seen them this year. :-(

Thanks for the tip Catskhiker--
What I meant was that they walked a little, (dad just turned 70 a few weeks ago) but weren't avid outdoorspeople. :-)

I think they would probably just want the metal ones-- they are not the type to hang snowshoes on their walls--although that was a nice thought!

I actually told my mom that I thought she should try it out before leaping in and buying, but she seems to think that they might actually use the snowshoes if they got them (and just walk in the parks by their house.) That being said, they also have a very nice "clothing rack" that doubles as a treadmill... ;-D

Campmor seemed to have some snowshoes, but I know next to nothing about them, so I don't want to just purchase something that we can't return..... (Does anyone know if they have a good return policy?)

I think I'm going to see if REI or EMS has rentals...”

“REI has a very reasonable rental program.”

“Campmor & Cabella's both are very good stores. I know my brother-in-law returned/replaced a set of snowshoes to Cabella's last year.”

“cabela's is near us (well, about an hour south) I may check & see if they have anything online.”

“Have you had a chance to throw some serious use at them? I am debating using them on the FYAO.

Here is the guy i got them from. Turnaround time was less than a week.

http://stores.ebay.com/discount-skis-and-much-more_snowshoes_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQftidZ2QQtZkm”

“I know EMS rents them, $20 for a weekend. Not a bad deal....”

“We've only used them 3 times last year. Each time for a few hours... I have no idea how they would hold up for a long hike. We have never used any other Snowshoes, so I can't compare them to anything.... I think ours were models from 2003 and sold in 2004... :-)

We enjoyed using them and even lent the poles to my parents when they went to visit Yosemite this past summer (They were just doing the "tourist" paths, no heavy duty hiking. (They told me they felt silly with the poles, but my mom had been suffering from knee pain, so I know it was to her benefit to use the poles.)

Ours came with the poles as well as a nice little storage bag... :-)

I may check out the ebay site... but would have to research which snowshoes are which sizes, first. The only drawback to ordering from Ebay is that I am afraid it would be much harder to return things....”

“Backslacker-- $20 for a weekends wouldn't be bad. I think the local metropark rents them for $5 a day. At least if it's a weekend rental, my family could try them out and see if it's something they would want to go out and buy...”

“They size up the same way the Tubbs and Atlas's do weight wise.I am dying to use them. I live in Maryland so I would look really silly doing a "Snow" dance in the front yard. Somehow, I just dont think the neighbors would understand.”

“Does anyone know anything about these snow shoes? I'm going to see if my local Sams club has them in stock--haven't noticed them so far this season, but if they are in stock, perhaps these would be good for my family?

They appear to be smaller than the ones we have (the Yukon Charlies), but I would have to measure mine to be sure....


http://www.samsclub.com/eclub/main_shopping.jsp?coe=0&oidPath=0%3a-23542%3a-44121%3a-44284%3a-44312%3a964357&mt=a&n=0&BV_SessionID=_SC_0494541141.1135009101_CS_&BV_EngineID=cccfaddghkemmdlcfkfcfkjdgoodflf.0

”

“bump....”

“Hey PB!! REI outlet has redfeathers for 50% off!! 89 bucks or so.”

“i have Redfeathers, and i wouldn't get them again. they're so freakin' hard to get on!! that's the hardest part of any showshoeing hike...putting them on, LOL. maybe they're not all like mine, though...i'm not sure. anyhoo, if i were to buy some snowshoes again, the first thing i'd make sure of is that they're easy enough to get on that i don't want to rip my hair out at the very beginning of a hike.”

“LL Bean has some pretty cheap ones...i got Tarpy some for an early Christmas present. very easy to strap into.”

“Kinky!”

“yeah baby! haha, the image of wearing snowshoes while "getting romantic" is just wrong.”

“Lyra-- what was so hard about them? Can you elaborate? Whatever we get must be simple-- I don't see my parents wanting to wrangle with a snowshoe-- that would just deter them from actually going out and using them!!”

“well i just looked up the LL Bean ones to post them, and they only have men's! i wonder if they could really be unisex, and you just pay attention to the weight? hmm, i don't know. anyway, if you look at this pic (in the link, you can enlarge it), you can see that the straps just clip right across the shoes in about one second:

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&categoryId=43433&sc1=Search&feat=sr

but the ones i have have 4 total straps, and instead of just clipping them, you have to stretch them (they're plastic) across your shoe, and then the way it hooks is sort of like a belt buckle; then you have to put them through another loop to hold down the straps. these aren't the exact ones i have, but the straps are the same type:

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47839180&parent_category_rn=4501654&vcat=REI_SEARCH

with cold hands or gloves on, it's really hard for me to do!”

“By the way, what's the difference between Men's and women's shoes anyways? Is there some advantage? or just a difference in price? We both got the Yukon Charlies for cheap last winter... I like them-- they are the same size and shape as my hubby's. ;-)”

“Some women are more conically shaped than others, if your hips have more of an angle, some packs have hipbelts that may fit a little better. An S-curved shoulder strap really helps a lot, especially if you're kind of chesty. Women tend to have weaker upper bodies then men, by concentrating the majority of the weight on your hips, it's easier to carry. Some bags are a little narrower around the shoulders than a men's bag, which helps less air enter or escape at the top, they're also wider at the hips and thighs, where women are a little rounder. That also allows extra space for curling up, which is how a lot of women sleep. So there.”

“the womens snowshoes have a more drastic angle on the inside rear of the shoe. I dont know why they help.”

“I still like making them from ash”