Carrying Snowshoes on your pack

[Brambor]

Preface: Yes best is to have snowshoes on your feet. Understood. I carry snowshoes on my pack as a backup while I have skis on my feet.

I have several packs and while I can attach snowshoes through the side straps (one on each side) or perhaps stacked on the top, in general I find the outfitting of my packs cumbersome for attaching and carrying snowshoes.

How do you do it?

 

[jfb]

One way I attach snowshoes is to tie a length of nylon cord across the bottom of my pack's two daisy chains and a length of shock cord across the top of the daisy chains. I spoon the shoes together and insert the toes through the lower cord (crampons away from the pack), then pull the shock cord over the tails. The nylon cord holds the weight and the shock cord keeps the load from bouncing.

 

[peakbagger]

I stop at ragged mountain and buy some hardware to extend the side compression straps that most packs have. I then just lay the snowshoe on the pack and strap it on. Either that or they sell a hand sewing awl and bombproof thread which is great for gear repairs. With that and some hardware its easy to put a couple of loops in the right place and use a loop of webbing and a fastex clip. On my old winter pack I attached a couple of clips on my crampon pack and had matching clips on my pack, real easy to snap on and off.

 

[Remix]

For day hikes I use an old Dakine Guide-- It can carry skis diagonal or a-frame, snow/split board, has a shovel pocket and an ice axe loop. An important feature is rear entry so you dont have to undo anything to get inside the pack. Otherwise I use shock cord with adjustable length on a bigger overnight pack.

 

[sardog1]

I stop at ragged mountain and buy some hardware to extend the side compression straps that most packs have. I then just lay the snowshoe on the pack and strap it on. Either that or they sell a hand sewing awl and bombproof thread which is great for gear repairs. With that and some hardware its easy to put a couple of loops in the right place and use a loop of webbing and a fastex clip. On my old winter pack I attached a couple of clips on my crampon pack and had matching clips on my pack, real easy to snap on and off.

Yeah, what he said. It has the virtue of getting the weight of the snowshoes as close to your back as possible, and balance is improved by placing one on each side.

 

[DayTrip]

I attached some small stainless steel carabiner s-type clips (split rings would also work) to the buckle of the upper and lower compression straps and then use mini-bungee cords to secure to pack. Adds little weight and is super convenient.

 

[hikerbrian]

Depends on which pack I'm taking.

For my daypack: I use the side compression straps and fit the snowshoes inside the straps right against the body of my pack.

For my overnight pack: I have 2 full integrated daisy chains that run the length of my pack in the back. I picked up a couple of straps and clips from EMS or somewhere, I run these through the daisy chains, one through the top loops and one through the bottom loops, I place the snowshoes crampon-to-crampon on the back of my pack and cinch down the straps. I like this system because all I have to do to get at my snowshoes is squeeze the clip and they fall right off, yet they're stored securely and without making my pack wider. On my overnight pack, I usually have a tent body, poles, sometimes a fuel bottle and other things in the compression straps on the sides, so they're not available for the snowshoes. And it feels like more work to loosen the side compression straps and yank the snowshoes out than just squeezing a clip. Convenience is key in winter.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Built-in compression straps.

Tim

 

[Brambor]

That looks pretty impressive.

Built-in compression straps.

Tim

 

[peakbagger]

My setup is similar but my winter pack is actually a recycled mountainsmith summer pack with compression straps so all I have done is extended them long enough that I can put a fastex buckle just about where they are in the photo. There is one down side which is as I add stuff into my pack during the day I have to loosen the compression straps and re adjust the fastex buckles.

 

[Mike P.]

The smaller bag goes one on each side with the compression straps which have a buckle. The larger pack does not have buckles for the compression straps so I've used bungees through the daisy chain and carabiners. If I was buying a new pack today for winter use, it would have buckles. I prefer carrying them to wearing them when hiking. (a pound on your feet equals 3 or 5 on you back) So if I'm going up Pierce on a Sunday after 40 or 100 people on Saturday have it well packed out, I likely will not wear them. If I post hole a couple or times, then I put them on.

It's been a slow winter for me, snowshoeing locally for exercise and managed a couple of smaller central New England Summits before snowmeggdon occurred. Since then, just out with the scouts to Pitcher along the M-S Greenway and a half hearted Willard attempt with my son on one of those brutally cold and windy days we've had. Snowshoes on right at the car for both of those.

 

[mirabela]

Depends on the pack, as others have said. Between my wife, my kids, and me, we might be using any of around nine different packs on any given day, and every one is a little different. Where there are built-in compression straps, we use them. Where there aren't, we use one or two add-on utility straps and/or bungees and attach to whatever the pack offers. There's a way with every pack, and if there weren't an attachment point, we'd add one. Sides are better than the back, but it's not that big a deal if they have to be on the dorsal side, away from the wearer -- it looks more awkward than it feels.

 

[summitseeker]

I have a Mammut Nirvana Ride pack that is designed for backcountry skiing. The two compression straps on the back are similar to the Osprey Kode, but this pack fits my torso better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg3-TEFO5zs

Mammut also has a few packs where the side compression straps alternate between male and female so they can be clipped together across the back of the pack as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcQvzinlKF4

I hope this helps

Z

 

[Raven]

I use compression straps on my pack very similar to the way Tim has it shown (I also have an Osprey w/ similar straps).

Otherwise, I have found two bungee cords of the proper length will attach snowshoes to pretty much any pack and they are as quick to bind up or release as any system. Cheap and easy if you don't mind the garage sale look.

 

[Gremlin]

What HikerBrian said. I use Arno straps (www.campmor.com hard to find elsewhere) to strap the side rails of my snowshoes to the twin daidy chains.

 

[sierra]

Loop of cord through the ice axe loops insert shoes, then I use a 10inch strap with a buckle to thread threw my pack hanging loop. or if lazy just under my top pouch.

 

[Tom Rankin]

I have a pack with a large flap that is connected at the bottom and has clips at the top. I put the shoes under the flap, and ****** them to a loop at the top.

 

[Tuck]

I put my MSRs (and detached tails) in a summit bag and bungee them to my pack.

Tuck

 

[Scubahhh]

Nite Ize gear ties, just like giant tie-wraps. I use 4 (top & bottom, left & right) and wrap them around the rails of my snowshoes and compression straps, daisy chains, or whatever else I can find on my pack. Great things to have along on any trip, for a variety of reasons.
http://www.niteize.com/product/Gear-Tie-12.asp

 

[Stan]

I usually have mine on my feet but when carrying them I keep them in a snowshoe sack and secure them whatever way makes sense for the specific pack. It doesn't work well on my fanny pack which means that, on shorter hikes, I either take 'em on my feet or not at all. The sack keeps the bindings free of snow and ice.