Northern Lites (the snowshoe, not the Aurora Borealis)

[Jay H]

On a recent hike of the santanonis (report to follow), two of three rivets failed. These three rivets hold the binding to the snowshoe,as well as the toe crampon. What happened was basically the female part of the rivet pulled through the snowshoe platform, thereby allowing the crampon and showshoe itself to pivot around and flounder )) around. I was just above Bradley pond when this failed and we did a field repair consisting of tying the binding to the frame and the crampon, at least keeping the snowshoe relatively straight as well as the crampon's front points. This actually held up really well, as I managed to complete the 3 santas with this field repair!

Anyway, contacted Northern Lite and they will be fixing this for free so kudos to them. Anybody else (I know the masses seem to have MSRs) experience this?

Jay

 

[adktyler]

On a recent hike of the santanonis (report to follow), two of three rivets failed. These three rivets hold the binding to the snowshoe,as well as the toe crampon. What happened was basically the female part of the rivet pulled through the snowshoe platform, thereby allowing the crampon and showshoe itself to pivot around and flounder )) around. I was just above Bradley pond when this failed and we did a field repair consisting of tying the binding to the frame and the crampon, at least keeping the snowshoe relatively straight as well as the crampon's front points. This actually held up really well, as I managed to complete the 3 santas with this field repair!

Anyway, contacted Northern Lite and they will be fixing this for free so kudos to them. Anybody else (I know the masses seem to have MSRs) experience this?

Jay

I had the same thing happen to me going up Phelps a year or two ago, and fixed it the same way. they weren't Northern Lites, but had a similar decking system. I did a more permanent repair with a bolt, washers, and a locking nut. Glad your field repair held up!

 

[Jay H]

Yes, Arm had an extra bolt and nut, but we couldn't pop the old rivet out of the crampon. We tried a pocket knife and the tip of my hiking pole. problem is the snowshoe platform is somewhat flexible and it looks like part of the rivet edge broke off allowing it to pull through, but not through the aluminum metal crampon. If we could of popped the rivet out of the crampon we could of used the nut and bolt that you mentioned.

Jay

 

[lattinhill]

Jay , every time I put my Northern Lites on I think they'll break. They don't look too pretty on the bottoms anymore , but so far no problems after 3 seasons. Great...now I've probably just cursed myself....

Dave

 

[albee]

I've got a pair but this hasn't happened to me. YET. I'm on my second winter of use, and I probably have 300 miles on them so far. The side wings of the front cleats on mine just plain sheared off at about 200 miles. N.L. customer support (consisting of Russ - the owner, and his wife) told me nicely that they will take care of it in the spring. After I sent them in, Russ changed his tune and told me they were too worn out to be covered by warranty repair, and that I should buy "industrial use" snowshoes instead of his "recreational" ones. Hah!

Anyway, since then, both of the plastic tail plugs that keep the aluminum frame in shape have fallen out, the plastic "anti-bott" plates below the cleats are long gone, and 3 of the rivet clips that hold the decking to the frame have ripped through. I don't abuse my gear, either - they just didn't hold up. Now I beat on them because I know they have hardly use left in them and they're only good for short dayhikes.

Nice use of ingenuity to field repair them. It is always nice to put that stuff to use once in awhile, to remind yourself why it is important to lug the repair kit along.

 

[adktyler]

Yes, Arm had an extra bolt and nut, but we couldn't pop the old rivet out of the crampon. We tried a pocket knife and the tip of my hiking pole. problem is the snowshoe platform is somewhat flexible and it looks like part of the rivet edge broke off allowing it to pull through, but not through the aluminum metal crampon. If we could of popped the rivet out of the crampon we could of used the nut and bolt that you mentioned.

Jay

Yea, I actually did the more permanent repair back home on our workbench, not on the trail. I'm not a huge fan of carrying washers, bolts, nuts, and pliers with me on hiking trips, haha.

 

[TCD]

I have Northern Lites and I haven't had that problem, but I'm very light, and I don't have as much mileage on mine (more skiing and ice climbing, only some snowshoeing).

I love the decks of the NLs for their lightness and sleekness; but the crampon and the binding have some drawbacks.

The crampon is quite meek, even when new, and even with light use mine are worn down and don't have much bite left. I'm in the middle of a project to take an old pair of insteps and bolt them on where the NL crampons are.

The binding has two problems. First, the heel strap is set up to ride very low, and often slips off the heel of the boot even when the binding is quite tight (this is a weakness shared with many snowshoe bindings; most manufacturers don't seem to "get" this). I'm going to cob an extra strap over the instep to fix this. Second, the "voile" type straps are made of a thermoplastic elastomer that's not natural rubber based, and they lose all elasticity at about -10F, and can no longer be effectively tightened.

I pointed out the binding issues, and how to fix them, to NL a couple years ago, but they didn't seem to be interested. Very strong "not invented here" syndrome.

But I like the decks enough that I'm willing to spend time fooling around with the crampon and the binding.

Tom

 

[Jay H]

I've never had the back strap slip off my boots (Scarpa Charmoz) but they do seem to loosen after time.. I agree with the crampons, but also being lightweight, I manage fine and the weight savings are great that I really like mine. I noticed that one of my side clips is pulling through the decking, and will send that back too to see if they will fix that.

Jay

 

[Stan]

I like my Northern Lites and have had no problems but for more ambitious hikes I wear a heavier duty Tubbs.

 

[Jay H]

The voice of reason in my head, I'm going to see if I can drill out the old rivets and replace it with a bolt, washer, nut, and locktite. Then after the snow season is over, I will send it back.

I use those exclusively and I'm out almost every weekend of the year so yeah, they get used a lot. I'm very happy with them, I do keep thinking about modifications to the crampon though and the back strap.

Jay

 

[UNFROZENCAVEMAN]

...I'm going to see if I can drill out the old rivets and replace it with a bolt, washer, nut, and locktite....Jay

My $.02 - I'd suggest using stainless hardware and also would incorporate a Nylok nut instead of loctite. Nylok nuts, in case you're not familiar with them, incorporate nylon into the thread as a means of keeping them tight. Also, you may want to talk with Tim Seaver I know he's modified several pair of Northern Lites and has some pretty serious crampons bolted on at this point......

 

[Jay H]

Thanks, I doubt I'd find those nylon nut things but I'll check them out..

Jay

 

[Tobit]

Thanks, I doubt I'd find those nylon nut things but I'll check them out..

http://www.mcmaster.com is your source for all harder to find hardware for projects just like this.

 

[jniehof]

Thanks, I doubt I'd find those nylon nut things

Any hardware store...might also be called locknuts or locking nuts, not to be confused with lockwashers.

 

[peakbagger]

Almost any local hardware store will have stainless steel hardware. The big boxes may have nylock nuts, but finding someone who knows what you are talking about and where they are is usually the challenge. I usually hit Aubuchon's. Most stores have banks of plastic pull out trays of all sorts of odd hardware and the nylon insert nuts are almost always included in the assortment. Currently the nylon straps on my tubbs bindings are held on with them after the rivets that held the straps on for many years wore out the holes in the nylon straps.

 

[Jay H]

Yup, I know I can get SS stuff, it's the more specialized things..

Needlesstosay, I talked to a Mech E. here at work who has heard of Nylok and managed to procure some spare #10 bolts and Nylock nuts and some misc. washers so I'm set, I just put them back on and the thing looks golden. WooT, Jay H rides again.

Jay

 

[Jay H]

Well, the NLs held up, at least the bolt and nylok nuts are holding. I did check them after some of the longer hikes from Grace Camp these past 3 days, but I found another problem.

I broke off the Aluminum crampon on the same repaired NL. The two small ones that are on the side, either from the hardpack ice on Marcy on tuesday or perhaps the short run up Short Job from Grace Camp on the same day.... Sheared right off, so now I'm missing the small side crampon!

Maybe I'll contact Tim Seaver to see if he or anybody else has attempted to have a machine shop fabricate a custom crampon to my specs... All one needs, I think, is a sheetmetal bender, some aluminum stock and a cutter to cut, and a drill press to make the holes...

Jay

 

[ColdRiverRun]

If you check out LRiz's TR on her 48W SS he posted pictures and links in it on his own custom jobs that he went Tim The Tool Man on.

Here is a picture of mine that I tore the hell out of Jay. I sheared mine off on the rock of Haystack.

 

[ColdRiverRun]

By the way, I love everything about these shoes except the shotty little aluminum crampon. They might be the best down hill gliders on the market for mixed conditions.

 

[TCD]

They do glide well downhill. Unfortunately, that's a function of the wimpy crampon; I think I'll lose some down hill glide performance after I beef up the crampon.