This article provides snowshoeing tips for the new recreation snowshoer.
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On the trail
Snow shoeing is a lot of fun. Dress in layers to keep warm. Use a backpack so you can carry extra clothing, and you will have a place to discard
layers as necessary. Keep from overheating, stop once in a while and cool off, you do not want to sweat, which leads to chills. Try to keep dry. Take water with you, so you do not get dehydrated. If you are going far, bring a fire starter, a snack and toilet paper.
In deep snow, use gaiters or nylon pants skins over jeans. If you use adjustable length poles, check your baskets and pole length locks for tightness.
If you use poles, your upper body gets a great workout. This takes some of the stress off knees and hips. You generally can go twenty-five percent
further before tiring.
Snowshoe every second day, as this will help keep muscles from breaking down. The day in between helps the muscles recover and strengthen.
You burn between four hundred and a thousands calories per hour snow shoeing.
In deep snow, kick or flip your snowshoe ahead of you, as you move forward. It is the same when you back up, lift high, and flip the snowshoes.
In a spot where you can not go forward to turn around, it is best to shuffle in a circle, rather than trying to back up to turn around. The back of the snowshoes drop to the snow when lifted, and can easily dig into the show and trip you.
It is better to traverse a long hill, than attempting to go straight up.
Adjusting Snow Shoes with Front Toe Guides
Place your snowshoes so the loose ends of binding always point outward, so you do no trip on them.
Loosen the front toe straps, step your boot forward into the nose guide, so that the boot is about one and a half inches from the front of the cutout of the snowshoe base. This leaves enough room for your boot to pivot. Adjust the heel strap to this adjustment. Slide your boot as far forward as possible. Place the adjusted heel strap up onto the back of the boot. Slide your boot back firmly up against the heel strap. Snug down the toe
strap. You are ready to snowshoe.
It is easy to build a snowshoe trail, especially when two people are snowshoeing. The lead person starts building and the rear person alternates his
or her step, to cover in between steps of the lead person. As this trail gets used repeatedly, it will be a joy to use.
Snowshoe Sizes
8x21-----75-140lbs
8x25-----120-180lbs
9x30-----160-220lbs
10x36----over 200lbs
Note: Women’s snowshoes are slimmer and rated slightly less, weight wise.
General Estimate
For every pound of body weight, there should be one square inch of snowshoe surface, per snowshoe.
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