ldmrt
Voyageur
Posts: 124
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Post by ldmrt on Dec 27, 2008 10:47:49 GMT -5
I've decided to finally get back into snowshoeing after a long, long absence. I know everybody here is an outdoor enthousiast(sp??) and might know what brand of snowshoes would be best for a beginner to buy. I don't want to spend alot and have been looking on the llbean website. I know snowshoes have evolved alot since I last used my old wooden ones. Do you like poles for balance or are they just more bother than good? can I just use my xcountry ski poles or should I have specific ones? My terrain will be flat to hilly because I'm located in a river valley and am surrounded by hills so want something that I will be able to climb with. Does anybody have any experience with the trailblazer step in snowshoes that llbean has? Or do you have other recommendations of a brand you like to use? TIA and any experiences would be great. I'd like to order some in the next 2 weeks or so. Lind
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Post by Jamie on Dec 27, 2008 11:55:38 GMT -5
I have a pair of these Canadian Tire snowshoes for work... They get the job done but they are nothing fancy. They do a good enough job to keep me from going waist deep in snow when I need them. If I was going to buy a pair for personal use.. I'd likely pick up a classic style like the ones over my woodstove. Jamie
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Post by Hillbilly on Dec 30, 2008 7:41:47 GMT -5
I find the army snowhoes to be a good sturdy shoe for trampin around in the bush, not very pretty but durable. The family outfitters out the hanwell usual has them.
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Post by mitchell on Jan 4, 2009 8:44:27 GMT -5
I am thinking of ordering from this guy: www.thesnowshoeman.comHe has high praise from many happy customers. I will let you know if I order a pair and how they perform.
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Post by Jamie on Jan 4, 2009 10:05:05 GMT -5
I thinks I saw those on a show in the past few years. I'm guessing the work pretty good and are light weight... but man are they ever hard to look at Jamie
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Post by Hillbilly on Jan 4, 2009 20:36:21 GMT -5
couldn't find the prices on their site, maybe it's the beer goggles. Anyone know the $$$?
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ldmrt
Voyageur
Posts: 124
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Post by ldmrt on Jan 4, 2009 21:51:32 GMT -5
Those are very interesting snowshoes!! I'm thinking that they would be harder to use because of them being so wide. You'd have to spread your legs pretty wide to use them wouldn't you?
I ended up going to the local sports place and getting a pair of Tubbs, with the woman's specific bindings and shoes. I've only been around the pasture a few times to check fences but they work great, are super lightweight and the bindings worked great too and were easy to adjust and with the heavy crust we have right now, the metal teeth(not sure of the exact name of the metal things) sure bite into the crust and there was no slipping or sliding on the ice. That's something else I didn't notice on these other shoes(metal thingys), but being able to pick custom colors would be nice....... hmmm.... pink snowshoes would be sooooooo cool!
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Post by mitchell on Jan 5, 2009 8:36:12 GMT -5
The cost of the snowshoes are $80 ea plus shipping. They are custom made to your shoe size and weight.
I have a pair similar to the tubbs which are great for packed snow and groomed trails. I don't find them much good for deep snow though...you just sink too far which defeats the purpose. The beavertail snowshoes are definately wider and would take a little getting used to. I plan on making many of my own trails this year so I need something that will float me higher. These shoes won't track as well either becasue there is no tail but that shouldn't make much of a difference if I am travelling straight through the woods. There is also no teeth on these shoes but they won't be necessary in deep snow anyway. If it does get crusty then I'll switch back to the narrow shoes.
So just like buying a canoe, there is no one snowshoe that does it all. Just go with what you prefer.
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ldmrt
Voyageur
Posts: 124
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Post by ldmrt on Jan 5, 2009 11:39:03 GMT -5
That is a very reasonable price. I'm very interested now, since I might be able to get them a bit narrower, like in some of the photos.... And PINK!
Do you know what the time frame is from the time you order to them being made and delivered?
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Post by mitchell on Jan 6, 2009 7:28:41 GMT -5
Just send him an email Linda. He is quick to reply with any questions you may have.
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Post by badgerjeff on Jan 7, 2009 20:54:06 GMT -5
Poles keep balance, and help you up from bizarre fall positions.Individual shoe designs match the type of snows you expect to be in/on: eg on beaten trail, tight woods, hills,ice. The non-classics tend to have ice crampons, which may be helpful. The item that keeps me happiest however is the quality of the binding. If possible, try out different types before you buy.
Have fun.
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Post by mitchell on Jan 8, 2009 7:27:06 GMT -5
As luck would have it, one of my neighbors is from nfld and knows Jack Carey and owns about 6 pair of these snowshoes. He sold me a hardly used pair for cheap so I will let you know how I make out with them. They are not as wide as I thought they would be though.
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