Even though it will take some time to fashion together a pair of functioning snowshoes, in an emergency situation, it just might be worth your while. If you are stranded and are out in the middle of the wilderness in deep snow, you can increase your walking pace to up to 10 times by walking on top of the snow rather than sinking deeply with each and every step.

To start off making your snowshoes, find two small saplings. You want to make sure to find young, green, fresh saplings as they are flexible and will bend easily without breaking. A good height for these saplings would be around 4 feet tall. You want the saplings to be around 2 inches in diameter. There are a few different options you could use as far as types of trees. Spruce trees work as do ash trees, maple, alder, and willow trees. Either cut the saplings down from the base or pull them out by their roots. Strip all of the branches off of the trees. Place the branches to the side for later use. If your saplings are taller than 4 feet, cut them so that they are approximately the same size at about 4 feet long.

The heavier the person to be using the snowshoe, the longer the sapling you will need. For example, a person over 200 lbs, would probably want their finished snowshoe to be at least 2 feet long and 16 inches wide. Also, the larger you make the snowshoes, the more floatation they will have. If you are in an area like the Rocky Mountains that tends to have a more powdery type of snow, a larger snowshoe would be more beneficial to help to keep you on top of the sugary snow. If you are somewhere in the Midwest, with the dense, heavier snow, a smaller snowshoe will do just fine.

Bend the tree in a loop and tie the bottom and top of the sapling together. Use the roots, string, cloth strips, or twine to tie them together. Loop the roots or twine, criss-crossing them back and forth so that they look like the letter X. After that, wind the cord around the center of the X and tie it tightly. The snowshoe loop will look like the shape of a tear drop. Make sure the two ends are tied together securely and that the knot on this connection is a strong, tight knot that will hold together.

Find the widest point of the snowshoe… not including the end that you’ve already tied. This should be about 2/3 of the length up from the tail. Connect the two points with a root from the tree (or twine if available). This will be the fulcrum, so it will be where you place the ball of your foot on the snowshoe. Once you have this twine secure, you will need to enforce it to make it strong. You can use another root or twine to wrap around your crosspiece. First, tie the twine onto the same place as your crosspiece. Now wrap it around and around the length of your crosspiece tightly to increase its strength as well as its thickness. You want the crosspiece to be about ¼ inch thick. When finished, tie the twine securely on the opposite side of the snowshoe.

Once you have the crosspiece finished, you want to make sure that it is secure so that the knots don’t slide back and forth along the frame of your snowshoes. If out in the wilderness with no access to glue or a bonding agent, you can get sap from a tree. Use a stick to puncture the bubbles on the outside of a fir or a spruce tree. Cover your knots with the sap or glue.

Now tie two more pieces of twine/roots in the same fashion as your fulcrum. Tie them several inches down the frame from the original crosspiece. These two pieces will go under the heel of your boot/shoe and will bear your weight as you step down on the snowshoe.

Add crosspieces and twine across the face of the snowshoe. The more crosspieces and roots or twine you add, the more support and floatation the shoe will provide. Starting at the tail of the snowshoe (the side where you tied the two ends of the tree together), begin by laying one of the branches widthwise across the snowshoe. Once again using and X-shaped stitch to secure both sides of the branch to your teardrop shaped snowshoe. Continue laying branches one by one and securing both sides to your snowshoe. Once this step is finished, start weaving branches through the branches you have already secured to the base.

If you have extra cloth that you are sure you will not be needing to keep warm, you can use it to wrap around the snowshoe in order to reinforce the decking.

The next step is to create the binding for your snowshoe. Place the ball of your shoe or boot onto the main crosspiece. Starting behind your heel, run a root or a string through your laces and then weave it through the sticks of the platform. Tie it to the snowshoe around the ball of your foot. You will want your heels to lift freely from the decking of your snowshoes, so only secure the binding twine/root to the front/ball of your foot and not to the heel area.

Now you are ready to test out your new snowshoes! It might be a good idea to practice these techniques at home first so that you know what you are doing should you ever run into a situation where you have to fashion your own pair of snowshoes. Practicing will make it much easier to remember the steps necessary to make your snowshoes. You most likely will not have a printed copy of these instructions when you are out in the middle of nowhere. Practice will also decrease the amount of time it will take to complete them, which can prove to be very important when doing so in cold weather conditions.

In this issue of runningsnowshoes.net, we are going to be putting the Redfeather Vapor Snowshoes head to head with the Atlas Race Snowshoes.  The Redfeather Vapors and the Atlas Race Snowshoes are two of the most popular running snowshoes out there and are the top racing snowshoes from their respective companies.

COLORS
They are both pretty flashy looking with the bright yellow decking of the Atlas and the bright red and black diagonal stripes of the Redfeathers.  Although definitely not the most important aspect when selecting a snowshoe,  it can play into the equation for those who want to look sharp out on the snowy trails.

STABILITY
One similarity the two models have is that both the Atlas and the Redfeathers have titanium toe and heel crampons for stability out on the race course.

SIZE
They are both quite light for a running snowshoe as the Vapors are made from a 6000 series grade aluminum and the Atlas are made of the 7075 aluminum.  The Atlas Race comes in a little lighter on the scale, weighing in at 2.08lbs… close to a half a pound lighter than the 2.5 lb Vapors.  However, the Atlas Snowshoes do take up a bit more room on the trails, lengthwise.  The Atlas Snowshoes, measuring 22 inches in length, are one inch longer than the Vapor’s 21 inches.

SHAPE
The Atlas are shaped for running with their tapered tail.  The Vapors go a little further with the tapering, narrowing all of the way down to a V-Tail design on the back of the snowshoe.  Redfeather has specifically designed the V-Tail for the motion of running.  They have raised the tail from the base of the snowshoe, making for a more natural running stride than a flat snowshoe.

FUNCTIONALITY
Both snowshoes come with added features to help with the rapid cadence and quick moving feet of the snowshoe runner.  The Vapors have a live-action hinge for racing functionality and the Atlas snowshoes come with their signature spring-loaded suspension.

PAYLOAD
Both models can supports racers weighing 190 lbs or less.  Although, Atlas states that their Race Snowshoes can hold up to 220 lbs if the trails are well packed.

Bigfoot is a brand of snowshoes more geared towards recreational use than some of the other brands. Because they are more of a beginning snowshoe not suited as well for the extreme climbs, back country bush-waking, snowshoe running, or snowshoe racing, they are less expensive than most of the other specialized brands.

The Bigfoot Snowshoes are pretty easy to figure out as far as getting them on, getting out on your leisurely walk, and then getting them off again. With the quick release buckle on the heel strap, you’ll have them off in no time. The Dual Ratchet bindings make for easy adjustment if needed when you are out on your snowshoe hike. They are made of a lightweight aluminum, which Bigfoot calls their 6061 Aluminum. The rivets are also made of a rust-proof aluminum.

You have several options when selecting a size for the Bigfoot Snowshoes. They range in size from the 25 inch model all of the way to a 34 inch model for maximum floatation in the deepest powder.

There is a one year parts replacement warranty on the Bigfoot Snowshoes as well as for the poles. Poles are sometimes useful when out on a snowshoe stroll. They give you an added couple of points of stability when you are tromping through deep or uneven patches of snow.

The Bigfoots also have both toe and heel aluminum “Snow-Trac” crampons. The toe crampons have seven points and the rear crampons contain 6 aluminum points for added traction. Along with crampons, the Bigfoot Snowshoes also have 2 side points to help prevent lateral sliding.

The Bigfoot Snowshoes also come with a free tote bag for easy transport and storage of your snowshoes when not in use. When you are done with your walk out in the snow, just slip them off with the quick release button, slide them in your free tote bag, toss them in your car and you are ready to go.

The Tubbs Mountaineer Snowshoe is a great option for those back-country adventures… when you want to go off of the beaten path and make a trail of your own.  It is a wonderful feeling of freedom when you can go places that most hikers or cross country skiers can’t or won’t go.  The Tubbs Mountaineer Snowshoe helps you to get to that peace and solitude when you are seeking it most.

The Mountaineer Snowshoes come with the “8 point Anaconda” crampon, which helps you to keep your traction on otherwise treacherous footing.  The Andaconda’s 8 teeth are made of a durable carbon steel.  Not only do you have the 8 toothed snake traction in the front, the Mountaineers also come with an aggressive heel crampon underneath your boot, which they refer to as the “Python.”

Along with the steep uphill traction provided with the Anaconda crampons, the Tubbs Mountaineers come with a heel lift, which you can engage for those long, steep climbs.  The heel lift will help to keep your feet more level throughout the duration of the accents, therefore reducing calf fatigue.

The Mountaineers come in three different sizes: 8″ x 25″, 9″ x 30″, and 10″ x 36″.  The longer the snowshoe, the more floatation it will provide when the snow is deep and powdery.

The Mountaineers are fairly lightweight for a back-country snowshoe.  They are made out of Tubbs’ “Momentum Superlight 6000″ aluminum.  The 25″ shoe weighs in at 4.7 lbs/pair, the 30″ model is 5.3 lbs, and the 36″ weighs 5.8 lbs.

They also come in gender specific models.  Tubbs’ “Active Fit+” binding helps the shoe to fit without those pesky pressure points.  The women’s binding can fit size 5-11 boots and the men’s can accommodate up to a size 13.

The MTN Mountain Snowshoes are a very unique type of snowshoe. They are different from other brands in that they come with a trail crampon that can be used either separately or along with the Snowshoe. The aggressive nature of the 8-point crampons can be used for slick and icy terrain on the trails and can quickly be converted to a versatile mountain snowshoe when needed.

The adjustable width technology is a new feature on the MTN Snowshoes. This is different from most other brands of snowshoes. You are now able to adjust the snowshoe to either wide, regular, or narrow widths. This greatly opens your options for the types of footwear you can use with the MTN Snowshoes. They can be narrow enough to fit snugly around your racing flats for the big race, or if you just feel like going for a walk in the woods on a bitterly cold afternoon, they can be wide enough for a men’s insulated boot up to size 14.

The MTN Mountain Snowshoes are available in the 24 inch length as well as the 28 inch length for the deeper snow. The unique “step-in-technology” of the MTN Mountain Snowshoes demonstrated in this video:

adidas Supernova Cushion

It felt good to get out to the snowshoe trails today.  I laced up my adidas Supernova Cushion training shoes to go with the Tubbs Wilderness Snowshoes.  I didn’t see any fellow snowshoers on the trails, but there were plenty of people out enjoying the day.  I saw a few people skiing, a couple of boys sledding down the huge hill, a lot of people out walking, and a few dogs.

It was 25 degrees out there today with a decent wind.  So, it was a bit chilly.  It was better once I got into the woods, but when I hit the first open field, that wind was bitter.  Less than 1k into the snowshoeing, my toes felt like they were freezing.  It started getting a little painful, almost feeling like I had a bunch of snow packed inside the toes of my shoes.  It turned out there was no need to worry… once I got up that first gigantic hill, I warmed up quite a bit and didn’t notice my toes after that.  Maybe they were just numb.

The adidas Supernova Cushion shoes weren’t too bad.  At first it felt like they were slipping a bit in the heal each time the snowshoe straps tugged at the back of them.  I almost thought that I hadn’t tied the shoes tight enough.  They were feeling a bit clunkier than the racing flats, but I didn’t notice it anymore after the first kilometer.

Overall, it was an enjoyable afternoon.  I weaved through the skiers, walkers, and dogs… one who decided to leave his owner and follow along with me each time I passed.  The kids on their sleds looked to be having a fun day and I thought about how much I used to enjoy sledding down that hill.  Each time I passed, I would hear a cheerful “hi!”…”hi again!”… “hello!”… “hi again for the fourth time!”… “that guy again???”

Well, it feels like my cheeks are finally starting to thaw… so, I’m going to sign out for now and go enjoy a hot mug of chocolate!

I have been getting so many different questions about snowshoeing, snowshoe running, and snowshoe recommendations.  I have also been getting a lot of products to review and topics to cover.  Thank you so much for all of your questions!  I am looking forward to addressing all of them in the near future.  So, here is a list of the different topics/questions people have been asking about the most:

• A lot of you are wondering about snowshoe running and racing… where to find different races/ events and are eager to hear the latest results.  I am looking forward to covering even more snowshoe racing events in the future.  There are all sorts of fun events across the country and around the world, from France to California to running snowshoes Maine events.  I am excited to see how all of the snowshoe running racing events turned out this weekend!

• There have been quite a few requests for topics ranging from; snowshoes how to put them on, to snowshoe how to videos.

• Some of you were very interested in the recent running shoe reviews I’ve done for your snowshoe training.  I have had more queries on where to shop running shoes as well as requests for reviews of shoes like the asics gel runners and even trail running trainers.

•  I will definitely be doing some more reviews on different kinds of race snowshoes as I have had a few people asking me which racing snowshoe would be the best fit for them.  The variety of racing snowshoes has really grown in the past few years and I am looking forward to reviewing them.  I will look at as many as I can, including, but not limited to the atlas race, magline snowshoes, dion snowshoes, and kids snowshoes.  I will also get into snowshoe prices and where you can purchase snowshoes direct.

•  I’ve even been asked how to make snow shoes!  I’ll do my best to get to that one, I’ll let you know exactly how to make your own dion snow shoes, ha ha!

•  I’ve also had a lot of requests to talk a little more about snowshoe training and I am looking forward to getting into that with a little more depth as well.

Whew!  And that’s only a few of my goals for now!  Check back soon for answers to some of these questions and requests.  You can even send in some more if you’d like!  I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Well, it looks like there’s some fresh powder out there, so I’d better head out.  See you on the trails!

Mizuno Wave Enigma

Well, it has been quite awhile since we’ve gotten any snow.  So, this morning, I laced up my Mizuno Wave Enigma running shoes to head out the door.  I was hoping to be able to test out the Mizuno Wave Prophecy, but the representative at Mizuno mentioned that they were completely out of the Prophecy and weren’t expecting to have any more for several months to come.  They must be an extremely popular shoe!  Have any of you been able to get your hands on a pair?  Or, should I say feet?  Anyways, if you’ve tested them out, let me know how you like them in the comments section below… I am really curious.  That’s the first time I’ve heard of a shoe company being back-ordered on a shoe for such a long period of time.

Anyways, I headed down the street this morning in my Enigmas.  It was a bit warmer outside today than it has been the past week.  I felt good and my legs were moving right along.  Well, not even a mile after I took my first step… a snowflake fluttered down in front of me… and another… and then, it just started coming down like crazy!  Huge, fluffy snowflakes surrounded me.  I couldn’t believe how hard it was snowing.  It was beautiful.  Within a few minutes, the snow started accumulating on the ground.  I made a quick decision, flipped around and headed back home.  I couldn’t wait to get back and throw on my running snowshoes to hit the trails.

I hoped I could make it home and get my snowshoes before it stopped.  There’s nothing quite like running through the woods in the fresh powder as you are surrounded by fluffy puffs of snow swirling around you.  Well, I made it home, picked up my snowshoes and headed to the trails.

It was amazing.  So peaceful and calm.  I was the only one out on the trail… my freshly made tracks following me up and down the rolling hills.  I was wishing that I had my camera with me as I passed between evergreen limbs now bowing to the weight of the new fallen snow.  Its great to be able to get out there and just enjoy the day, being in the moment and enjoying mother nature in all of her splendor.

The frames on the MSR lightning snowshoe are extremely aggressive as they are made out of an aluminum blade with multitudes of pointy teeth.  The blade design, along with the aggressive front and heal crampons give an added grip when it comes to stiff terrain.

The MSR Lightnings also come with the option of purchasing a modular flotation tail adaption (sold separately).  This floatation tail helps you to better stay on top of the snow when you are out bushwhacking through deep powder.

The MSR Lightning Axis Snowshoes are available in 3 different men’s sizes as well as a women’s specific model.

I recently received some new running snowshoes to test out on the trails.  Look for a review of my new racing snowshoes coming up soon.  Until then, check out this video on the MSR Lightning Axis Snowshoe.

Kimberly Osberg was the first ever winner on the women’s side.

Great job South Dakota!