Can you help me pick out some snowshoes?
I currently have an older version of the Tubbs Sierra snowshoes, but I find them to be too bulky and heavy for those trips where crampons are also required. How does the MSR Denali snowshoe compare to its competitors, and what is the "floatability" factor of the MSR snowshoes? It seems they're very narrow, so I'm curious if they will keep you from sinking in soft, deep snow. Scott Newmarket, New Hampshire
I haven't used the MSR snowshoes for a few years. I generally liked them: good bindings, good "teeth" for icy conditions (and both bindings and crampons have been improved in the past few years). And they're basically indestructible. On the down side, I thought they tended to skid a bit, particularly on downhill treks. And, when the tails were attached, the balance point shifted, making them somewhat nose-heavy. Silly as this may sound, they also aren't terribly aesthetic, and they look a little cheap.
But they work, and well at that. Snowshoes are not a particularly "precise" tool anyway, so nothing out there is going to turn you into a winter ballerina. And really, nothing works well in very deep, soft snow. You just can't get the pounds-per-square inch ratio down far enough for good float. So, I'd say the Denalis, on this count, will work as well as anything.
Check out REI's range of MSR Denali snowshoes here.
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