Snow shoes?

mk2fit

Anybody out there use snow shoes? My husband and I are thinking of getting some (and praying for decent snow this year) but don't really know anything about them. We are wanting to use them for exercise - snow shoeing where we normally walk when there is no snow. Snow shoes v. cross country skis? Any opinions! Thanks

kjurassic

I live in FL so no recommendations for snow shoes, but I have cross country skied in Vail, CO and it was AMAZING. Actually skied to the grocery store a time or two! Fun!!!

MostlyWater

What's wrong with good winter boots?

Slashnl

If at all possible, you might try renting some first to see what you like and don't like. I don't know where you live, but if you're near any ski areas, I think that most ski rental shops also rent snowshoes. I used to live at 10,000 feet here in Colorado. I liked cross country skiing, but I thought that snowshoeing was much more fun and easier to get in and out of trees, etc. It is amazing what they have available, some built for speed for racing, too.

beemerphile1

Have never known people who snowshoe for exercise but have known some cross country skiers. They say that CC skiing is great exercise.

mk2fit

Thanks, all. No mountains here, just a couple hills. Cross country skied back in the dark ages. Thought we could ski or snow shoe around the fields and woods this winter. Did the boot thing last year...wet feet

UncleMac

Snowshoes aren't impossible to use but there is definitely a learning curve.

If you've done cross-country skiing, you will be able to manage snowshoes. The stride is similar in that you need to keep your knees & feet apart and stride forward. Unlike cross-country skiing where you use a gliding stride and your poles help to maintain momentum, with snowshoes, if you use poles (many don't) it's to keep you from faceplanting when you accidentally step on the top of one shoe with the heel of the other.

The main purpose of snowshoes is to spread your weight over a larger area so you don't sink into deep snow but walk over top of it. For that reason, they're relatively large and broad. Since you need to be able to move forward, they're longer than they are broad. New technologies and materials make snowshoes much lighter and more ergonomic than traditional snowshoes which had wooden bows and sinew bindings. The new snowshoes often have cleats to make walking on ice easier as well.

https://youtu.be/AyVLNbFwCxo

kjurassic

I think the shoes would make my hip joints ache. My choice c would be the CC skis.

marekdds

I love reading this stuff, but snow is never a problem in Alabama.

MostlyWater

I have 2 pairs of winter boots so one can dry overnight.

mk2fit

Haha @marekdds. Snowshoes might work for me but probably not husband. The hip thing. Thanks for the video @UncleMac.

scolaris

I have a rental cabin in the Cascades in southern OR where we go for snow. We keep both snowshoes & xc skis at our place. My family prefers xc skiing, but I really like my snowshoes! Pay money for a slightly more refined, performance oriented snowshoe & you will have more fun in them. The lowest price ones tend to feel clunky and have poorer bindings. I like to take pictures and watch for birds, so I am happy going at walking speed. Both forms of exercise - snowshoeing or xc skiing - burn an abundance of calories.

mk2fit

Thanks, @scolaris. You certainly got my husband's vote. It would be nice if we could find a place to try snowshoes before we buy. We love walking along our fence row and especially in the woods in the winter. Hard to ski in the woods.

whmscll

Snowshoes have a learning curve of about 15 minutes. Learning to xc ski definitely takes more time and skill.

robertw486

Both have their good and bad points. I think actually one of the primary considerations would be the terrain you will be on, as well as the distances you would want to travel. I'm far from an expert on either, but if I can do it with a bunch of stuff in a pack and weapons.... anyone can learn to do it!

mk2fit

Thanks, everyone. My husband got us snow shoes. We shall see...

UncleMac

mk2loser wrote: »

Thanks, everyone. My husband got us snow shoes. We shall see...

You're gonna have a blast and get a good workout! Don't let the snowshoes go to your head though. There is a rather famous (at least up here) story of a felon who used his snowshoes in an attempt to evade the Mounties.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Johnson_(criminal)

MostlyWater

that's pretty funny !

Farback

Those RCMP stories are fascinating. Serious silverback males.