See the main "Got Gear" page for general information about snowshoes.
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PRODUCT REVIEW: MSR Denali Evo Snowshoe The Denali Evo have been the most popular MSR snowshoe for years. This youth snowshoe is just a smaller version made for kids up to 125 lbs. The bindings are easy to handle with gloved hands, but personally I love the durability of them. The shoes have an injection molded fight-deck (shoe itself), so it will stand up to RUGGED use. You can fit changing shoe sizes in the bindings and they will last forever so you have great hand-me-down options. I also like that they have bomber traction so my son is secure on side slopes. Stellar performance as my 9-year-old follows me up steep slopes as well—Great crampon and traction system. Five-Stars here for a Youth snowshoe. |
MRSP:$89.95
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PRODUCT REVIEW: MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoe This snowshoe is one of my favorite snowshoes. The binding is easy to get on an off and it stays snug the entire trip. I also like that it's easy to use with gloves. The maximum traction provided by the teeth that cover the entire rim of the snowshoe is also helpful on slick terrain. Having bite when you need it lends great comfort. This snowshoe is designed for steep and challenging terrain and as such, the 2008 design added a strap to the binding as a safety measure (just in case you're in the backcountry and one of the other straps breaks- from my experience this is unlikely). Love this snowshoe. I use it on all terrain. |
MRSP:$259.95
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PRODUCT REVIEW: MSR Lightning Axis Snowshoes MSR’s snowshoe line is one of my favorite. I love the Lightning snowshoe because of the easy SpeedLock™ binding and the 360-degree traction. That being said, in my opinion MSR designers wasted a lot of time and energy trying to come up with a swanky new binding system when they came out with the Axis addition this year (allows for adjusting the pivot of the toes in case you are a bit duck footed). Again, I love the design (original binding, construction and traction) of the Lightning snowshoe, but the Axis binding is difficult to use and frankly not worth the extra effort of watching the starter video to figure out how to use it in order to get started. Once the binding is set to a specific set of boots, you need not adjust it further, but I personally use different boots depending upon different conditions. Tester George Coleman loved the shoe. “When I set the MSR Axis snowshoe on the ground, the bindings made me feel I’d need an engineering degree to figure them out. Luckily, I brought the product brochure and after reading the instructions and playing with the bindings for about 15 minutes, I got them adjusted and attached. Once doing so, it really is easier than your first impression makes it seem. Right away I noticed that the binding holds your foot on a slight angle, allowing you to walk normally and keeping the snowshoes parallel. The 360 degree crampons give incredible confidence on varying terrain and snow type. I was a bit unsure of the flotation capability since the shoe looks smaller than others I’ve used, but getting off trail I was impressed. At first I was dubious about the Ergo Televator. This feature lifts your heel to help keep your foot level on steep terrain. Looking at it, I seriously thought it might be a gimmick, so first chance I had I tackled a very steep ascent. At the base, I used my ski pole to lift the bar under my heel (no bending down necessary) and I was blown away at how stable my footing was during the climb. The televator took a lot of pressure off my calves and ankles allowing me to climb with much more assurance. There’s plenty of traction whether on the trail or off, the crampons on toe, ball of foot, heel and on the sides of the frame really bite in. Crossing logs and other obstacles was easy, due in part to the 3-strap binding system that holds your foot securely in place and the frame shape that has no elongated tail. A real “do anything” snowshoe, the MSR Axis is a confidence inspiring snowshoe that will go anywhere! |
MRSP:$239.95 – $269.95
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PRODUCT REVIEW: Crescent Moon Gold Series – Gold 9 Crescent Moon is best known for its award winning binding the SPL (Single Pull Loop) binding. It is an easy, foot-encapsulating binding rated to 70 below zero so it stays pliable in very cold weather. The binding is sometimes referred to as the “Foot Glove”. The Gold 9 comes complete with this easy to use binding and the severe tear-drop shape indicative of Crescent Moon designs. This tear-drop design allows for an erganomic striding gait. Tester George Coleman reports, “I started my day wearing the Crescent Moon Backcountry Series 9 snowshoe. The bindings were fairly easy to figure out and at 20 degrees, it was a plus to get my gloves on quickly and begin. Going up or down mild slopes was a breeze, the more traditional design provides good flotation off trail and the tapered tail makes it easier to walk with a natural gait and not clank the frames together. As I started into some increasingly difficult backcountry terrain though, I noticed on the steeper descents that the Crescent Moon tends to slide quite a bit even with a crampon under the heel. The only crampons were toe and heel, having another under the ball of the foot would have helped. The bindings that were sufficient on fairly level or mild slope didn’t do a very good job keeping my boot in the center of the shoe as I traversed a steep slope. The elongated tail made turning more difficult than anticipated and stepping over fallen logs they tended to get hung up. All in all, I would say the Crescent Moon Backcountry snowshoe is good for someone who is looking to get out for some winter exercise on fairly level to mild sloping terrain whether on or off trail.” |
MRSP:$249.00
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