Anyone use a snowshoe with a Boa binding?

[Spiny Norman]

LLBean, Tubbs and Garneau have snowshoes with a Boa wrap binding. Anyone use them and are you happy with them. Plusses and minuses?

Thanks

 

[Wayne]

I have a pair of Garneau Black Everests that I picked up cheap. The binding is fast and very comfortable. I always bring enough stuff to repair if necessary since they look fragile. I did a few Presi traverses in them and eventually fatigued the metal to failure though the binding mechanism was still fine. They replaced them with a new pair. If you get them cheap I'd say go for it.

 

[jniehof]

I have the Garneau Course. Only been out in them twice. Not hugely thrilled with the binding...it seems to work loose. I had to keep tightening during my warmup but they held for the race (4mi). It's also bites in to my shoes (and thus my toes) a bit because that particular binding is very thin wires. I can barely get my size 12 trail runners into the binding even fully-open. I like everything else about the shoes, I just wish for a less finicky binding, and I don't see the advantage of a supposedly "quick" binding in a racing shoe--you're not allowed to take them off anyhow. By the same token, I really wouldn't trust that particular binding in the backcountry.

 

[bignslow]

I have the Tubbs flex vrt which I bought specifically for the binding due to the fact that I was having pressure point issues with the MSR bindings. The boa fastener on these is mostly covered by a large pad which encompasses most of the forefoot (and distributes pressure). I've been fairly pleased so far and I only had one instance of them loosening and I very much appreciate the ease of micro-adjustability for up/downhill sections of trail. I had some concerns about durability as well, but it turns out boa products carry their own lifetime warranties on their boa components (parts only). Beyond the fact that Tubbs doesn't have the lifetime (snowshoe) warranty that MSR carries, I consider the actual performance of the snowshoes to be comparable (if not a little better in the Tubbs).

 

[TJsName]

I also use the Tubbs Flex VRT, which I got for a variety of reasons. The Boa function is pretty great for quickly changing in and out of my snowshoes. It took me a while with my other snowshoes because my boot barely fit (size 14). This binding opens up really wide very easily, and is much easier to adjust. Plus I have fewer pressure points and haven't noticed any loosening. I've probably used them 15 times so far and I'm very happy with them.

 

[Brambor]

I'm a big fan of the Boa closure on my cycling shoes and sneakers and I was excited to see it on the Tubbs snowshoe bindings. Not that I need another pair of snowshoes but we'll see... ;-)

 

[Brambor]

I tested a pair of Tubbs with Boa binding today. I loved it. One button micro adjustment for the front and rear strap. Pretty cool.

 

[Spiny Norman]

J-f those course bindings do look painfull. Like a garrote.

Glad to hear the boas seem fairly dependable and comfortable.

When I had to wear Koflach dbl boots my MSR straps didn't bother. With trail runners its another story.


Thanks All.