Lightest snowshoes on the market today?

[chris smead]

Heya everyone,
Anyone know what the lightest snow shoes on the market are these days?
I'm looking forward to some winter trips.

[Justin Baker]

http://www.airlitesnowshoe.com/

[chris smead]

Wow! Didn't know such a thing existed.
I'm guessing I'll need something more durable though. I've been looking at these Altas Run snowshoes. Not sure if they are good. I've only been snow shoeing once, so I don't know a whole lot yet.

[Anonymous]

"I'm guessing I'll need something more durable though."

Indeed! Check out the snowshoes at Northern Lites. Either the Elite or the Backcountry will serve you well for all but technical snowshoeing. They are top quality and the lightest real snowshoes I am aware of. I have used the Elites for the past 5 years and am well satisfied with them.

http://www.northernlites.com/

[chris smead]

I'll check those out. Thanks Tom! :)

[Frank Deland]

Ditto to NortehrnLites
Here are some photos:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/101764446yARQiX

[Miguel Arboleda]

In Japan these are what are used on steep mountain trails, instead of snow shows. They are called, "wakan". They do a better job in gripping the snow than snowshoes and work better in the very tight brush and rocky terrain you find here. They only weigh 735g (the Northern Light Elites weigh 1134g).

[Sam Farrington]

What a great MYOG project using cheap ski poles and a tube bender.
But how well do they stop postholing, Miguel?
If postholing is not an issue, why carry more than Microspikes (for backpacking – not talking about climbing).

[Michael B]

the wakan is interesting and something I hadn't seen. Are these lighter at 410g or is your listed weight for two? these are Alum not steel. I wonder if that would satisfy the requirement to wear shoes in the daks.

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/fieldlife/item/10001125/

[John S.]

Wakan looks to have little float ability and only lateral toothed "crampon".

[Matthew Naylor]

Not the lightest things ever, but maybe interesting to the thread:

[Mike M]

every year I'm out snowshoeing I see a lot of folks that are on too small of snowshoes (maybe the right snowshoe, but they are the wrong weight :))

if you're always on very compact snow you can probably get by w/ a smaller shoe, but if you have to contend w/ less than compact or any powder you're going to regret too small a shoe

[Miguel Arboleda]

The wakan weight listed is for the two.

Wakan are also designed for the local conditions here, where, for the most part, snow is very wet and very deep. They wouldn't work very well in dry snow (like up in Hokkaido). Walkers here interchange what they use, between wakan and snowshoes, according to the weather and conditions. The wakan certainly wouldn't stop postholing in dry snow, so in those conditions people here use snowshoes. The wakan work very well on steep terrain, though, and the lack of webbing between the struts is part of what gives them better grip in the steep snow.

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