Northern Lites Snowshoes Elite 25″x8″ 36 oz.

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These are the "medium" length lightweight snowshoes made by Northern Lites. The shorties are the Elite Racers, the longer is the 30" Backcountry type.

These are my partners favorites, mine are the racers. But, these are my favorites for powder with a light pack. The longer with a heavier pack or very heavy layer of soft powder without a base layer of ice or compacted snow under the powder.

Again, the color is for me very much appreciated because we are not experts at snow hiking or camping and every bit of safety that can be built into gear is very important to me and us.

The weight is phenomenal. They are so light, they are lighter than my "other" brand 22" shoes. The crampons are good on ice and snow, they are not as strong as the Denali Ascents or other titanium, stainless steel or heavier crampons. But I see nothing deficient or weak about them … and they worked going across a frozen pond where the main surface was slick ice.

The ultimate thing that gives them a 5 rating is the binding. It is "proletarian" functional. No bells and whistles to break or get mucked up. They fold down to a flat shape which is easy to pack. This is actually one of their most important features for me. They are compact, light, and totally functional and by all reports very durable. They come highly recommended by the Fifth Season Mountaineering gear shop at the base of Mt. Shasta in Shasta City, CA. (They are our 'go to' local shop for advice on snow and winter technique and technology — the best in the entire northern California area, and they have a web site if you need info on Shasta and the southern Cascades.) So here is a bigger picture that shows the bindings I love, they work great with my Stegger MukLuks and boots and low tops, with or without gaiters:

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