DIY snow shoes

[silentpaddler]

I went googling madly to find more on ojibwa shoes (which may
go by other names in other parts)....
found this gem:[video=youtube;VrklMB6hCa0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrklMB6hCa0&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

BTW, I agree that a shoe with a rounded nose is probably better in dense bush...I use the Huron style and like them a lot...
but with enough practice you can get by with any type of shoe...

 

[Beardy]

Excellent thread!

I found http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popu...o-Make-and-Use-Snowshoes-Making-the-Shoe.html and was going to give it a go, but will have to have a read through the links here first.

One question, what type of wood are you guys using for this, and how thick and wide are you cutting it? Circular saw up to the task, or are you planing or sanding it before steaming it? Or are you using dowels?

Lots of questions but hey, I've never snowshoed before and I'm thinking we all might get a great chance to try it out this winter!

 

[jojo]

The wall paper steamer I have used for years, works very well. The other thing you can use is a steel tube with one blocked end stood at an angle, say 45 degrees, with water at the bottom. Put the wood to be bent in there and apply heat at the bottom end to boil the water, keep a rag at the top, not too tight though, you're not making a steam canon!! that will providfe plenty enough steam and heat to bend the wood.

You can also wrap towels around the bit of wood you want to bent and pour boiling water on that until the wood is pliable. Works well on Oak and Ash. Obviously, if you try to bend a 4"x2", it won't work! A snow shoes frame is about 3/4"x1/2" in the middle to just about 1/2"x1/2" square at the end, should be no problem bending that with hot towel and boiling water, just take a bit of time and keep trying until you reach the point when the wood turn to spaghetti!

If you want to make quicky snow shoes look here. They call them pioneers snow shoes.

 

[milius2]

Hazel or willow.. I'll try them both.. Thanks Silentpadler for that video, very impressive indeed. I was watching Ray yesterday making the Roycraft pattern (as Forestwalker has mentioned) snowshoes in one of his World of Survival.
Shame I couldn't get of my work earlier today, I would have started them. It's all for tomorrow..

Thanks everyone and I'll post on Saturday with the results.. if any

 

[milius2]

So I'm heading off to event with no snow shoes There's from -10 to -16 C outside, wood is frozen, I kept it indoors for a while but couldn't get it to bend that much.... too dry this time of year.. Ahhhhhh a day too shot. Need more time and preparation, a steamer or a hot bath could have helped, but didn't had any of those available.

 

[Pandabean]

Sorry to hear that Andy. Maybe a project for next year? Good luck with your course.

Just saw this on amazon and its due out in 2011....might be of some interest.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Wo...4855/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292761962&sr=8-1

Thanks for the video Silentpaddler

 

[milius2]

Thanks mate. I think this might turn out even better. I'll have more time to get the better materials and do a more careful job. Anyway there were a lot of steep climbing involved today and I would've carried them on my back most of the time some pics later.

 

[milius2]

Ok, I've got a few pic's so here it goes:

The event turned out to be more about berries and different bush that can provide you with vitamins needed in winter. There were not much talking about food in general as in survival situation.

that's instructor holding a blackberry.

that's the lot in front of Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) I don't think you have them in UK? do you? They're great!


we had to go up and down quite a few hills, people with sky's struggled a lot. My snow shoes would've left me far behind.

The three bushcrafters of Lithuania me on the left. Forth one taking photo.

Thanks for looking !

 

[Pandabean]

Great photos. Looks like the course had a great turn out.
Did anyone else have any snowshoes or think about using any?

Ive just about got some ex army/nato ones like Waylands so hopefully I can get to try them out in the new year when they arrive.

 

[milius2]

No, no one with snow shoes. One third of the crowd was in sky's, but they only had some advantage when on the clear paths, most of the time they had to carry them on their backs Yea, it was a great day out with loads of useful info. Brought home some natural tea's and learned a few shrubs i didn't knew before.

Good luck Pandabean with your snow shoes and let us know how you get on with them!

 

[Wayland]

Great photos. Looks like the course had a great turn out.
Did anyone else have any snowshoes or think about using any?

Ive just about got some ex army/nato ones like Waylands so hopefully I can get to try them out in the new year when they arrive.

Ah ha.. You got them then. Hope you enjoy them.

 

[Pandabean]

No, no one with snow shoes. One third of the crowd was in sky's, but they only had some advantage when on the clear paths, most of the time they had to carry them on their backs Yea, it was a great day out with loads of useful info. Brought home some natural tea's and learned a few shrubs i didn't knew before.

Good luck Pandabean with your snow shoes and let us know how you get on with them!

I wouldn't have said skis would have been ideal in the forest like that unless there were wide paths. But then again I haven't been on skis before.

Wayland - yup, bought a set from the guy he said he had a few sets so I e-mailed him and got a pair rather than messing around with bids and evilbay.

 

[Pandabean]

They have arrived , which was pretty quick considering but then again the seller is only an hour up the road essentially. I will give them a go and post on the forum when I have tried them.

 

[milius2]

Looking forward Pandabean

 

[Pandabean]

Just tried them out the back in the dark and they worked well. Just need to find deeper snow and daylight, they aren't too bad to walk in, thought I'd be walking like John Wayne in them.

Oh and just left some confusing prints for the postie with them.