[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: [AT-L] snowshoes
On Mon, 14 Oct 1996, Jennifer Delia Sawyer wrote:
> I'm looking for some expertise about snowshoes. Never had 'em, never wanted
> 'em...not sure what I'd do with 'em. So what do y'all know about brands,
> styles, etc.? I'm definitely price-sensitive...need to stay under $180.
> What kind of special stuff will I need to affix them to my pack or is there
> something else you do with them when you're not wearing them? Looking to do
> some 2-3 day weekend adventures this winter.
I have personally only used Sherpas backpacking, and have had a lot of
luck. I think their patenet ran out a couple of years ago, so just
recently there are tons of brands on the market, most pretty good, I'm
told (Tubbs, Redfeather, Atlas). Some are geared for sports (like
snow-jogging - I think it is a Colorado thing) so make sure you get one
with solid bindings and enough flotation for your weight + pack (they are
usually rated). Generally larger surface area means it will support more
wieght, but is more cumbersome (especially in thick brush).
Another thing to look for is crampons - both uner the toe and behind the
heel, they can really save the day on steep terrain (most of the new
brands have them).
There has been a real craze about the new MSR Denali Llamas. They seem
to have all the right features, plus you can get and add-on piece for the
back that attaches to give more flotation (in open terrain or with a
particularly heavy pack, for example). I think they are priced very
competatively, but tend to sell out really quickly (I have never
actually seen one in a store, just the empty racks and sometimes the
attachment!) I really could not remember what the prices of any
snowshoes are, but I had the impression for most we were talking between
$100-200.
Good luck, enjoy the snow!
-jeff
PS - you can usually find a way of strapping them to your pack when you
are not wearing them (the kind with the decking tied to the frame
(Sherpa, Tubbs) tend to be a little easier than the kind where the
decking material is rivitted around it (Atlas), but you can usually be
creative. I just saw in the LL Bean catalog a pair of collaping ones
(they looked like they were made by Readfeather, but that is just a
guess) where the frame comes apart and slips out of the decking!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey Mosenkis MAPSS Student University of Chicago
jm1360@cnsvax.albany.edu
*Freelance Joking Avunculate For Hire*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
- snowshoes
- From: Jennifer Delia Sawyer <jdsawyer@hopper.unh.edu>