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Snowshoeing

#22
I bought some of those cheap U.S. Army surplus ones and put better bindings on them, and they work for what I need them to do. I'd suggest you rent them from Eastern Mountain Sports, and go buy XC skis. Oh, and drive up north to use them - no snow in CT right now
 
#23
MattZilla said:
as someone who rides ss year-round in upstate NY and had access to the fatbikes of all levels (tires make a humongous difference in enjoyability, most suck), I gotta ask: do you really think that you're gonna use it that often to justify the cost? A fatbike with crap tires on the best snow will make you wish you just walked instead.
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Good question and me I don't really care about cost. Look, this past summer we both bought Specialized Crosstrek Hybrid bikes. We both bought Trek Mountain bikes. Do we sound like the kind of people that cheap out?
 
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#24
GIBrat51 said:
View attachment 1022871 I've done it a time or three; a little cross country skiing, too. These are what I used; they're classed as "Antiques", now, so that'll give you an idea of how long ago it was...;) But, they're indicative of the 2 general types. The bigger ones are what you want if you have to go some serious distance; the smaller ones (called "bear paws") are for shorter trips, or if they're not your primary mode of transport. I can't speak for the new hi-tech ones, but... walking with either of these things on your feet takes a LOT of practice. You won't get anywhere very fast, either. I mainly used the bear paws when I was in Junior High in Minot, ND; going to the bus stop, and coming back home. Used them a lot in Idaho, too, when I used to hunt coyotes in the winter - for money. They're easier to pack when you're using cross country skis, which I also sometimes used, to go way up into the back country. If I didn't need the skis, I usually used the big 'shoes. They hold you up out of the snow better; especially when you have a 45 lb. pack and a dead coyote or two...
The skis I used at the time would probably be classed as antiques now, too; but they worked just fine. Since I live here in the desert now, and there's no money in coyote carcasses to speak of, I don't use snowshoes or skis any more. So, I can't help you much with the new skis or shoes; except to say that it's real easy to spend too much on either; and both are a lot of hard work...:thumbsup:

edit; no idea why they stuck the bear paw picture down in the bottom corner...:eyebrow:
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Modern snowshoes are way lighter and easier to walk/run in than the older, classic versions. Night and day really.
 
#26
REI in West Hartford is pretty good actually, at least they used to be. Go in and talk to someone and they'll know quite a bit more than you expect.
Campmor in Paramus NJ is awesome, and Ramsey Outdoor is like 10 minutes away and also fairly good.
If you haven't read Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills you probably should...

When I needed snowshoes to hike Mt Marcy in the winter I rented a set of MSR. They were reasonably small so I could carry them easily when I didn't need them on my feet...yet big enough to actually work in 8' of snow.

If you're thinking about cross country skiing I'd look at what kind of boots you'll want/need and then find a pair of snowshoes that work with them.
 
#28
I've spent a lot of years in the mountains and in snow. I also worked for a large outdoor retailer and had a good selection of snowshoes to try out. My number 1 recommendation is to buy or rent pairs with heel lifts, most of the Atlas or MSR models come with em. Those brands make good quality gear that is light,durable, and has the proper lifts. Don't skimp on that little thing, your legs and calves will thank you.
 

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