a winter overnight w/ dayhike kit- an experiment

Wow! You have way more fun than I do.

I hope this is on topic. Did you study or consider any other snow shoes? Northern Lites has a light weight youth snow shoe, also; don't know if it would fit an adult foot.

Looking for the lightest weight shoe, I recently bought some Garneau runner's snow shoes for just-in-case situations and have found them to be surprisingly effective also. They fit nicely into the outer pocket of my Osprey Talon 22 day pack. The bindings look sort of wimpy but I can sink in deeply and yank them back out with no problem. Still need to try them on ice and side hills. Also need to learn how to attach them so they remain in-line with my shoes. They weigh 26.5 ounces for the pair.

John- Hello I own one pair of light running snowshoes (Atlas Race) and they are great to run in, but really lack grip (save the foot crampon)- I've thought of a few different ways to add grip to them, but nothing I came up w/ looked like it was going to last very long

Do the Garneau's have much traction on the deck at all? The weight sounds sure sounds great. I think my Atlas Race are 31 oz for the pair.

Mike

The Garneaus are not very aggressive. They have teeth under the heels and balls of the feet. There is nothing on the frame to aid traction. They have worked well descending a ~1000 feet per mile icy trail. I need to go try them on some steeper terrain to find their limit.

Looks like fun!

Awesome skills Mike! Your Valentine's trip was equally impressive.

Quick question on the shift snowshoes — what size shoes do you wear. I've been wanting to grab a pear of the shifts since I read Dan D.'s rec to take them on the BMWO but wasn't sure I could stretch the bindings far enough to go around my 11.5 trail runners.

Thanks!
Dan

thanks gents :)

Dan- I'm a size 10.5 and there is still room on the rear strap to open more (and locate the foot more rearward), my best guess is yes- it will fit a 11.5, but don't hold me to that :)

for firm snow I these pretty nice; they also are relatively aggressive on the decking portion (in addition to the foot crampon), I really like the binding setup- my Lightnings have a nice binding, but overkill imo- the two strap setup is more than sufficient imo

I wish the front strap opened like the middle one however, would make it easier getting the shoes on/off, my one little gripe

also it's possible that with a little fabbing, one could even get some of MSR plastic tails to work w/ these- I'm going to look into that possibility

Mike

Really cool trip. A friend and I are always saying we are going to do this (overnight with the day kit) and have never gotten around to it. Inspiring! Thank you.

Nice work, Mike! I've been wanting to do this for a while but never manned up!

Ive thought about this scenario. One foot of snow is very common winter conditions in my area. Ive wondered if I could gather enough snow to make a snow shelter, using my snowshoes as a shovel. I went out recently and in 20 minutes dug myself a decent little platform for my tent on a mild slope. The resulting snow pile seemed close to half of what I would need for a tiny dugout shelter. maybe some day I'll get to actually try it out.

My winter emergency kit for running/day hikes is based on a blizzard bag and foam sit pad. http://www.blizzardsurvival.com/product.php/100/blizzard-survival-bag. what do you think about this? Have you considered something like this?

Adan,

I would only sleep in a Blizzard with synthetic clothing
due to dampness, I slept in one before and its not breathable at all (its also very noisey)

I agree Stephen, this is for emergency situations only. Not for sleeping but for surviving overnight in winter.

Hi Adan,

Long story which I won't bore you with, but I used mine many years ago for about 4 hours at 45f and was I plenty warm in it wearing a sythetic hoody.

Cheers,

Adan- Hello :) I have a couple of Blizzard bags (unopened) that I (and wife) was carrying, but never tested out. The reports I've read are pretty decent, so I think they are definitely a viable option. If I am pressed for space I wouldn't hesitate carrying one, but given a choice I'd opt for a half bag + parka + bivy – going to be a more comfortable for sure.

I agree w/ Stephen that you're going to get damp w/ the Blizzard bag (or any of the reflective bivy/blanket products), but for the weight and volume, I still think it's a pretty good choice

Mike

Hi Mike,

I ended up purchasing another one after using it, I leave the other one
in the car.

they would be outstanding to have in a vehicle! I'm guessing it's a wee bit bigger after you used it, not sure how they get that bag packed so tight :)