snow shoe opinions

[hikingfish]

I own a pair of MSR lighting ascents. They are AWESOME. I often don't have to switch to crampons long after others do because they have very aggressive crampons.

I had a problem with the floatation "skin" started to tear up and MSR were a breeze to deal with. They sent me a new pair, brand new!

Well worth the price if you intend to snowshoe in the mountains.

Fish

 

[DougPaul]

I mostly use them without the tails. The 4" tails don't significantly mess up my balance, nor do they significantly increase my flotation. The 8" tails

Minor nit:
Those are the MSR Denali Classics. The original question was about the Evo Ascent, but I believe that your and my observtions about the tails also apply to the Evo Ascents.

Current models are
* MSR Denali Classic (ie older model, no televator, 4 or 8 inch tails)
* MSR Denali Evo (bigger toe hole, no televator, 6 inch tails)
* MSR Denali Evo Ascent (bigger toe hole, televator, 6 inch tails)

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Minor nit:
Those are the MSR Denali Classics. The original question was about the Evo Ascent, but I believe that your and my observtions about the tails also apply to the Evo Ascents.

Current models are
* MSR Denali Classic (ie older model, no televator, 4 or 8 inch tails)

Minor nit: you assumed that they don't have a televator...

My MSR Denalis do have televators (making them Denali Ascents.) I replaced them this February because the televator failed, actually. The addition of a tail does not add to the front for any of the models, and so I felt it was close enough to apply to the original question.

Tim

 

[WinterWarlock]

In my head, I can hear Jerry Seinfeld saying "Enough with the picking of the nits already!"

This does answer one thing for me - I was going to buy the tails for my wife's Denali's, but with the balance issue will probably forego that now.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I replaced them this February because the televator failed, actually. Tim

When an early poster asked "What is a televator" I was tempted to give the smart-ass reply "just one more thing to break".

Based upon your and others experience, the televators have a rather high failure rate. Is there anything you can carry in your McGiver kit to fix it, or is it a non-critical component? I'm one of those who saw a few too many of the early MSRs fail so have avoided that brand.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

When an early poster asked "What is a televator" I was tempted to give the smart-ass reply "just one more thing to break".

You? Smart-ass reply? Never

Based upon your and others experience, the televators have a rather high failure rate. Is there anything you can carry in your McGiver kit to fix it, or is it a non-critical component? I'm one of those who saw a few too many of the early MSRs fail so have avoided that brand.

It's a non-critical component. In my case, the failure was that the corner around which the televator snaps forward (up) got rounded over. It could have been my fault, actually, but EMS happily exchanged them for a new pair which so far have worked fine. They were incorrectly under the arch instead of the heel -- my mistake. A rubber band or piece of string in this case would have held them forward.

Being 6'3", 200#, I am hard on hiking, skiing, and bicycling equipment. The light stuff in general doesn't stand up to my (ab)use very well... Then again, precious little does these days.

Tim

 

[Paradox]

I have three pairs of Tubbs snowshoes of different sizes and the MSR Denali Evo Ascents. Now I only bother with the MSR's. I carry a pair of cotter pins to replace the pivot pins, but have never had to use them. I put over 150 miles on the MSR's last year alone. There are those that carp about noise from the MSR's which is nonsequiter to me. They make the same amount of noise as any other snow shoe given similar conditions.

BTW I'm 6' 3 and 1/32" (just bustin' on Tim) and 220#)

 

[DougPaul]

Minor nit: you assumed that they don't have a televator...

My MSR Denalis do have televators (making them Denali Ascents.)

OK--IIRC those are discontinued (at least REI does not currently list them.)

The key point is the older line (now called Classic) takes 4 and 8 inch tails. The newer Evo line takes only 6 inch tails. They are not interchangeable (of course...).

Doug

 

[Chip]

They make the same amount of noise as any other snow shoe given similar conditions.

HA !!! I beg differ my wheels-challenged friend. Your Tres-Plastique MSR's sound like a thousand trash compactors mashing in unison in MY pristine woods. And they are, at every turn and at the most critical juncture, but one step away from disintegrating into $200 fly swatters !

Note to the original poster: Sometimes comments like mine are what these discussions degrade to.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I have to agree, which is why I sold mine on Ebay at the end of last year. I have many pairs of snowshoes, but prefer my Atlas 1025's (women's). Running in them sucks as they tend to kick snow something fierce, but otherwise I love them, leaps and bounds over the Tubbs. If I had the coin I'd spring for the 1225's, but for now mine will do just fine, as they have for years. Just my $.02

 

[skiguy]

Noise???Next thing we will be complaining about the type of pole basket one uses and it's pentration noise as it permeates the snow pack. Save your energy and direct it towards improving technique

 

[Quietman]

I wonder if these are any good.

Yukon Charlie's I-Blades

My 5 year old Yukon Charlie's are holding up very well and cost me less than $60 on clearance! (I have no connections with Y. C.)

 

[WinterWarlock]

I don't get what that thing on the tail is...but it's patented!

Patented I-fin tail provides added directional control and tracking

 

[DougPaul]

I don't get what that thing on the tail is...but it's patented!

Patented I-fin tail provides added directional control and tracking

Looks like a shortened swallow tail to me.

Swallowtail is a traditional Native American design. http://www.tipatshimuna.ca/1213_e.php

Seems to me that the Native Americans have prior art and if they patented the swallow tail, the patent would have run out long ago.

Doug

 

[hikingfish]

I have to agree, which is why I sold mine on Ebay at the end of last year. I have many pairs of snowshoes, but prefer my Atlas 1025's (women's). Running in them sucks as they tend to kick snow something fierce, but otherwise I love them, leaps and bounds over the Tubbs. If I had the coin I'd spring for the 1225's, but for now mine will do just fine, as they have for years. Just my $.02

I once rented snowshoes and they gave me a pair of 1025W...I loved them! They were small, manouverable and light. If there would of been a lot of snow on the ground, I would of been toast, but since there was only about a foot of snow, it was pure joy running around in them.

Those type of snowshoes do kick a lot of snow on your back though (non-pivot (a la MSR) type).

Fish

 

[Chip]

I wonder if these are any good.

Yukon Charlie's I-Blades

My 5 year old Yukon Charlie's are holding up very well and cost me less than $60 on clearance! (I have no connections with Y. C.)

Right off I like the way the deck is attached to the frame above the lower portion of the frame, there'd be no contact with the ground/rocks/ice of the deck attachments that way.

It looks like the binding is attached with that one pivet pole though, like MSR's, no redundant attachment in case one point fails. I'd like to look at them to see if I'm right.

This one is their M1 8x21 which is rated to 150lbs, they have the same design, larger shoes rated to 200 and 250.

 

[skiguy]

My current pair of snow shoes need replacing. So...Can I please have opinions on Atlas, Tubbs, MSR's, others. To have or not to have televators? Who has the "most reliable" record? Who has the better customer service? Which one can take the most abuse? Thanks

Lavafalls

What are you using them for? Packed trails, bushwacking, general mountaineering/ glacier travel......one shoe does not fit them all IMO. Just a big can of worms unless you have a specific application and weight profile. Feild repairability should always be of concern. Plan on quivering cuz it never ends........

 

[LavaFalls]

what snow shoe in

Well...I am 160 lbs. Hike on packed trails. break trail, been through the types of stuff you go through in the Daks in Winter. The Sherpas have been up the all 46 ADK peaks twice in winter. So how many miles is that? I am looking for durable snow shoe (don't we all) with ease of trail side repairs. I agree with one commentor...the televator are another thing that could break. If we got this far in life without televators then we must be doing something right. and yes...I like glissade down the trail and the tube shoes allow that. So...It looks like the Atlas may get the nod.

Lavafalls.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I don't get what that thing on the tail is...but it's patented!

C'mon, we all know what that is, it's a trailer hitch.

Skiguy is right, one shoe does not fit them all. While I spend most of the time in the Whites on the Atlas shoes, for deeper snow on steeper trails I have some 30" Tubbs with the Viper Crampons (which cake up in sticky snow), and some 36" and 37" when I'm hiking in really deep unpacked stuff and carrying a load.

 

[skiguy]

Snow shoes can and are like buying a pair of expensive boots. You might want to try renting and/or doing a demo or two. As we get closer to winter you will probably see some Manufacturer Demo days on the Calendar. Some rentals will allow you to apply the rental price towards an eventual purchase. The other thing that works is to swap out with others on a hike and try someone elses shoes for awhile.