I am looking at getting some relatively inexpensive snow boots and
snowshoes. I won't be using them all that often and would not
anticipate going all that far in them (I am not a snow camper), so I
don't want to drop a bunch of dough.
Any suggestions?
Posted by Steve Foss on January 7, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Harley, what will you and your gear together weigh, and are you
expecting to use them in open country or woodlands? Does a
sense of nostalgia drive you toward a traditional ash/rawhide
shoe, or would a higher-tech aluminum/neoprene be fine? The
newer designs have some clear advantages, and while generally
more expensive, there are some with prices similar to the
ash/rawhide designs.
With photo gear and winter clothes, total weight will be around 230 lb. I don't have a sense of nostalgia about gear. Light, good and cheap are my priorities. I would expect more woodlands than open, but some of each. I am thinking mostly about Yosemite valley, the Sequoias and some eastern Sierra. One to three mile photo adventure hikes.
Posted by Steve Foss on January 7, 2009 at 6:35 PM
Check out the recreational categories of snowshoes at www.redfeather.com. About the same cost as ash/rawhide,
and you don't have to pay extra for bindings because
they're integral. I'd suggest the largest size, considering
your total weight. They're very inexpensive compared with most aluminum/neoprene shoes. How well they'll hold up over time
I don't know.
As for inexpensive snow boots, I'm not much help, but I'd say
look for a sale on pac boots and pick the best you can afford.
Also, good idea to buy at least one size over your standard
shoe size because you'll want to put a sheer polypro or wool
liner sock on as well as a heavier wool sock, and you'll need
enough room in the boot to allow for foot movement with those
socks on. While you don't generally need to worry about cold
feet while you're actually snowshoeing, at rest tight boots make
for cold feet.
Posted by Robert Fisher on January 7, 2009 at 7:40 PM
I've just been in the process of researching snowshoes and based on my own research, a recommendation from Bret Edge (an NPN member) as well as staff recommendations at a very good local outfitter (Mountain Equipment Coop, mec.ca) I went with the MSR Denali shoes. Lightweight, compact and flexible in that you can attach additional tails for increased flotation. The bindings are easy to get on and off. At MEC the shoes were $140 and the 4" tails (there's also an 8" tail) were $30, so all in for $170. They've got very aggressive crampons and anti-slip bars on the bottom. There's also a Denali Ascent model that has a little bar that flips up to keep your heels raised on steep climbs, apparently, to help reduce leg fatigue. The Ascent model was $40 more so I didn't bother.
Posted by Kent Staubus on January 7, 2009 at 7:52 PM
Boots are boots when it comes to snowshoeing. I wear Danner winter hunting boots but those are likely too expensive for what you want. You could probably find a pair of GoreTex/Thinsulate boots from Cabelas for about $100 that will work. For the weight you are talking about, you will need big snow shoes. Look for 36 inch ones. The area you mentioned is powder snow, which makes things even more difficult. These might come close, especially for the price: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/416,83104_Redfeather-Hike-Snowshoes-36.html
As an experienced outdoorsman who loves winter, I think it would be a mistake to buy the cheapest thing you find, get out into a wilderness setting, and quickly find out the gear isn't going to work. Could get ugly. I think the stuff I've listed above is about the minimum I'd want to try. You get out there in deep powder, and it suddenly turns cold & nasty, you could get killed.
Kent in SD
Posted by Steve Foss on January 7, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Boots are boots when it comes to snowshoeing.
Kent, I disagree 100 percent. I've worn many boots and used many snowshoes,
and nothing comes close to Steger mukluks when it comes to snowshoeing.
That's my opinion. I didn't get into it because the question was about inexpensive
recommendations, and these mukluks are not cheap. They are not only the warmest
footwear I've ever owned, but are light and flexible, perfect for snowshoeing, where heavy,
stiff boots will deliver sore feet and faster tiring for an inexperienced snowshoer.
Not to mention, the time spent on snowshoes is only part of
the equation. Most photogs use snowshoes to get where they're
going and then have some hours to spend at the site,
so the warmest possible footwear is recommended to keep the
feet warm when standing in one place potentially for hours.
Just my further $0.02.
But I agree 100 percent about going cheap. It's one thing going
cheap when you're goofing around near populated areas. Doing it
in wild settings could spell trouble. That being said, I've gone
cheap out of necessity a number of times and it has worked out OK.
As long as one is well informed about the consequences of their
choices and then makes their choices, it's really up to them.
I've been using MSR Denali's for a few years and really like them. I decided on them mainly for the side-rails (during an avalanche safety seminar a while back I had some Tubbs and they didn't come close to having comparable sideways grip as someone else's Denali's - that point is a bit moot if you aren't venturing on steep terrain though). They float in deep snow quite nicely. As for boots, I'd recommend looking for something with a high ankle to help prevent snow entry. Because you are not snow camping and where you are snowshoing (the Sierra) really doesn't get THAT cold, I don't think you need a bombproof boot. I'd say go test some boots out at a local store if possible and get a feeling for what is comfortable (the boots around here seem to go on sale relatively often - I got some North Face boots for 1/2 off last winter from REI).
If you don't plan on snowshoeing too often, another approach might be to rent. There are a few places in the Eastern Sierra that rent, and for Yosemite/Sequoia I think the REI in Fresno rents.
Posted by Nathan Lovas on January 8, 2009 at 12:12 AM
Mukluks are amazing boots. Buy them once and be done with it.
The most technically advanced snowshoe on the market right now is Crescent Moon. They allow you to walk a normal stride without your feet spread apart, don't flip snow up your back or flip under you when stepping over things or jumping, and they are the only snowshoe that uses three claws for better traction, stability, and natural rotation of your foot. The binding is ergonomic and completely surrounds your foot like no other binding on the market. There are many other features but these are the main ones. http://www.crescentmoonsnowshoes.com.
Just over three years ago I was shooting at the Attaboy 300 dog sled race and discovered NEOS overboots. WOW!! Growing up in Alaska I wish I had heard about these before, they are the most incredible and versatile boots on the market. You can wear your regular shoes for comfort and are extremely warm. I am camping in the snow about 3 days a week usually and these overboots have proved to be invaluable. I would highly recommend taking a look at them before wasting money on a heavy boot. If the snow is 3 feet or less they are all you need. I don't even bother with snowshoes when the snow depth is in that range. http://www.overshoe.com/recreational/products/insulated.php
Posted by Jim DeWitt on January 9, 2009 at 2:42 AM
Steve is exactly right about Steger Mukluks. Absolutely the best for snowshoes. If you buy the plastic arch supports from REI and slide them in on top of the inner soles, you can wear snowshoes all day with your feet in perfect comfort. Unlike waterproof boots, they breathe.
I use Neos when I'm in variable terrain in the summer, but unless Neos have come out with a model that vents or breathes, I'd stay away from them. Dangerous amounts of moisture build up in Neos if your feet sweat much, and moisture is deadly in winter.
Discussion
10 repliessnowshoes. I won't be using them all that often and would not
anticipate going all that far in them (I am not a snow camper), so I
don't want to drop a bunch of dough.
Any suggestions?
expecting to use them in open country or woodlands? Does a
sense of nostalgia drive you toward a traditional ash/rawhide
shoe, or would a higher-tech aluminum/neoprene be fine? The
newer designs have some clear advantages, and while generally
more expensive, there are some with prices similar to the
ash/rawhide designs.
and you don't have to pay extra for bindings because
they're integral. I'd suggest the largest size, considering
your total weight. They're very inexpensive compared with most aluminum/neoprene shoes. How well they'll hold up over time
I don't know.
As for inexpensive snow boots, I'm not much help, but I'd say
look for a sale on pac boots and pick the best you can afford.
Also, good idea to buy at least one size over your standard
shoe size because you'll want to put a sheer polypro or wool
liner sock on as well as a heavier wool sock, and you'll need
enough room in the boot to allow for foot movement with those
socks on. While you don't generally need to worry about cold
feet while you're actually snowshoeing, at rest tight boots make
for cold feet.
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/416,83104_Redfeather-Hike-Snowshoes-36.html
Better:
The 9.5" x 36"
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?type=product&cmCat=Related_IPL_615497&id=0022494617771a
Good, warm, light, cheap:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=011008boots-search_redir&id=0020721811928a&navCount=6&podId=0020721811928&parentId=cat601928&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=8IS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true
As an experienced outdoorsman who loves winter, I think it would be a mistake to buy the cheapest thing you find, get out into a wilderness setting, and quickly find out the gear isn't going to work. Could get ugly. I think the stuff I've listed above is about the minimum I'd want to try. You get out there in deep powder, and it suddenly turns cold & nasty, you could get killed.
Kent in SD
Kent, I disagree 100 percent. I've worn many boots and used many snowshoes,
and nothing comes close to Steger mukluks when it comes to snowshoeing.
That's my opinion. I didn't get into it because the question was about inexpensive
recommendations, and these mukluks are not cheap. They are not only the warmest
footwear I've ever owned, but are light and flexible, perfect for snowshoeing, where heavy,
stiff boots will deliver sore feet and faster tiring for an inexperienced snowshoer.
Not to mention, the time spent on snowshoes is only part of
the equation. Most photogs use snowshoes to get where they're
going and then have some hours to spend at the site,
so the warmest possible footwear is recommended to keep the
feet warm when standing in one place potentially for hours.
Just my further $0.02.
But I agree 100 percent about going cheap. It's one thing going
cheap when you're goofing around near populated areas. Doing it
in wild settings could spell trouble. That being said, I've gone
cheap out of necessity a number of times and it has worked out OK.
As long as one is well informed about the consequences of their
choices and then makes their choices, it's really up to them.
If you don't plan on snowshoeing too often, another approach might be to rent. There are a few places in the Eastern Sierra that rent, and for Yosemite/Sequoia I think the REI in Fresno rents.
Just over three years ago I was shooting at the Attaboy 300 dog sled race and discovered NEOS overboots. WOW!! Growing up in Alaska I wish I had heard about these before, they are the most incredible and versatile boots on the market. You can wear your regular shoes for comfort and are extremely warm. I am camping in the snow about 3 days a week usually and these overboots have proved to be invaluable. I would highly recommend taking a look at them before wasting money on a heavy boot. If the snow is 3 feet or less they are all you need. I don't even bother with snowshoes when the snow depth is in that range. http://www.overshoe.com/recreational/products/insulated.php
I use Neos when I'm in variable terrain in the summer, but unless Neos have come out with a model that vents or breathes, I'd stay away from them. Dangerous amounts of moisture build up in Neos if your feet sweat much, and moisture is deadly in winter.