MSR Plastic Snowshoes - any good?

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Kurchian

Kurchian

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MSR sells a line of snowshoes (Denali) in their "flat and rolling" series that appear to have a plastic frame instead of the traditional snow show tubular frame. I have rented them and I liked them expect for the louder noise they made.

I'm thinking of buying a pair and would appreciate comments from owners. My snowshoeing will be largely on flat and/or rolling terrain.
 
The Denali is good for the terrain you describe. (For steeper terrain you'd want to consider one of the "Ascent" versions of the Denali and Denali Evo lines.) For user reports on MSR snowshoes generally, run a search here on the terms "MSR" and "snowshoes." You'll find lots and lots of opinions, some of them even well-informed. ;)
 
I really like my Denali Evo Ascents, which I have used on several hikes now. The heal lifters and detachable tails are a great system. The traction is great and the design of the nose seems to make them faster than traditional snowshoes. I am aware of the "Achilles hinge", but did not know about the field repair kit. I'm going to order one today.

I do not understand the comments about being noisy. They seem to make about the same amount of noise as any other snowshoe I have used. IMHO the noise is dependant on the snow/ice conditions and the hollering back and forth between members of a group.
 
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I think they are noisy and since I'm behind many of VfTTrs who have them and some that don't they seem noisier than the webbing/hypalon type snowshoe.. Since I am behind them, you can say that it would be the same type of snow, maybe just a little more hardpacked. Maybe some kind of harmonic induced by the stiff plastic versus the tensioned hypalon or hypalon type material.

Jay
 
The full-length crampons, combined with the toe crampon, in my opinion make the MSR's (we have Evo Ascents) excellent for trail conditions in the northeast. They have enough flotation for the usual 6"-12" breakout plus several feet of consolidated snow underneath, and all those teeth on the bottom mean much better traction on the more packed sections of trail.

I would still (personally) use my Atlases for deeper off-trail cavorting, but for everything we've done on-trail with a base under them, and even the occasional icy summit, they perform admirably.

We liked the Evo design better. The Ascent indicates the presence of the "televator" which is simply a heel lifter to allow the 'shoe to be at an angle on the slope while the foot remains closer to level. I found this weekend that you don't want to do this on loose stuff, as it makes it too easy to put weight on the back of the 'shoe instead of kicking in the toe, and then sliding back. But then flip that lifter in for the packed steep sections and feel your calves thank you.
 
Jay H said:
I think they are noisy and since I'm behind many of VfTTrs who have them and some that don't they seem noisier than the webbing/hypalon type snowshoe.. Since I am behind them, you can say that it would be the same type of snow, ...
Jay
Click to expand...
I have a tough time believing anyone could stay ahead of you. ;)
 
Having used mine twice (Denali Ascents) I am leery of the televator lasting long-term. The locking mechanism relies on the plastic groove in which it slides retaining its shape, something which mine is having a difficult time doing (after only two uses). I have not yet figured out the optimum boot position to keep the televator happy. Also, some of us (on Saturday) found that the rubber straps loosened as they warmed up causing our feet to slide around in the bindings.

YMMV - they are light, and they do have good holding power.

Tim
 
MSR lightning ascent

FWIW

I have the Lightning Ascent model - a bit different than the Denali's but I love them...the reason I mention this is that Campmor has last year's Lightning Ascent's on sale for $149 - to me it's a sturdier (and quieter) shoe, and this price is great, and I believe less than the Denali price.

The one advantage I see to the Denali line is the extension tails...
 
I have used Denali Ascents for the past 5 years. I have had one failure in that time with fairly heavy usage. My humble review is that they Kick A##.
 
bikehikeskifish said:
Having used mine twice (Denali Ascents) I am leery of the televator lasting long-term. The locking mechanism relies on the plastic groove in which it slides retaining its shape, something which mine is having a difficult time doing (after only two uses). I have not yet figured out the optimum boot position to keep the televator happy. Also, some of us (on Saturday) found that the rubber straps loosened as they warmed up causing our feet to slide around in the bindings.

YMMV - they are light, and they do have good holding power.

Tim
Click to expand...

The Televator is usually very reliable and durable. Mine have been for the last five years. If it's not, I'd get in touch with your MSR dealer.

If the straps are loosening, it's because they weren't tight enough to begin with. Make sure you're starting at the toe and working your way back to the heel. I've used these straps in temps from +45 down to -30 -- I've never had them loosen when I put them on correctly. They're a major reason I love my Denali Ascents -- except for that $%^&*#! racket they make.
 
I have the regular Denali ones. They rock. I did pop some rivets on my old pair but repaired them with bolts. That was under severe usage, lots of twisting on rock/snow/ice.
 
sardog1 said:
The Televator is usually very reliable and durable. Mine have been for the last five years. If it's not, I'd get in touch with your MSR dealer.
Click to expand...
We'll see -- it's possible I hadn't gotten it really locked in, or there was snow or something.
sardog1 said:
If the straps are loosening, it's because they weren't tight enough to begin with. Make sure you're starting at the toe and working your way back to the heel.
Click to expand...
I admit I am still on the leading edge of the learning curve, having used them twice. I don't doubt they could have been tighter, but it was a challenge at 5 degrees to snug them up. Experience is a good teacher, right?

Tim
 
I have Denali Ascents, I have between 70-100 miles on them and yesterday I had my first problem with them.

I managed to crack the frame near the front coming down Jackson. I have no idea how long I was hiking with a cracked frame, could have been miles for all I know. I didn't notice until I reached 302.

There was a discoloration at this point on both sides (and on my other pair) indicating stress on the plastic. I encourage anyone who owns a pair to look (there will be a line lighter in color). I cauterized the crack with an old wood burner and epoxied the crap out of the area. Hopefully it will not crack again.

My only other gripe (which you will probably hear from other denali users) is they perform poorly when breaking trail in deeper snow. They just don't have the great floatation as the larger surface area tubulars.

Every other way they've performed like a champ. The side crampon "mega ice crunching teeth" kick ass. The televator is a calf saver on ascents -- it makes the steep bits seem like stair steps.


msr.jpg
 
I've found it's best not to merely pull the strap holes directly over the hook until one catches. The better method is to stretch the strap first as much as you can and then hook the toughest hole to get into. Hope that makes sense. I will admit that it can be tough sometimes to get enough leverage on the heel strap.

EDIT: I foolishly allowed a heavy gear duffel to fall on mine and crack one side of a toe end. Some epoxy plus duct tape to hold it while it set and it's good as new. Well, they aren't all that pretty to begin with, are they? (Note: J-B Weld won't adhere very well to the polyethylene/polypropylene co-polymer deck material. Trust me on this one.)
 
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I have a pair of the Denali's as well, and while they work OK, I actually prefer my Atlas Elektra 1025's more. They have more grip due to the better crampon assembly, a much better binding setup (one hand), and feel more stable on the trail. They are also the same weight, both just a shade over 3.5 pounds for the pair.

If I found a good deal on a set I would definitely get some. But, I'd look to the MSR lightning or the Atlas 1225's if I were spending a regular amount of money.
 
I have a pair of Denali Ascents. For the most part they do what they are required, but I find the flex in them can be annoying some times (especially with tails on). I like them, but perfer the traditional tube frame more. But because snow conditions vary so much, and I am a heavy buger (with gear pushing close to 300 lbs) I needed a snowshoe that could allow me to switch from 22" to 30" instantly, which regular frame snowshoes can not, but the MSRs can. When it comes time for new shoes though, I am sucking it up and just going traditional.

Brian
 
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