Snowshoes...

[forestwalker]

I bought a pair of snowshoes, and today I got to test them

Ojibwe style

No lampwick, byt polyester webbing works ok:

Nice view from out on the ridge:
http://www.hunter-gatherer.org/pix/winter-horizon-web.jpg[/ímg]

And nice tracks in the snow...
[img]http://www.hunter-gatherer.org/pix/tracks-in-snow-web.jpg

(more pictures: http://deepwoods.dreamwidth.org/5512.html)

 

[Wayland]

Very nice, I fancy a pair of traditional snowshoes but they are the very devil to get over here.

 

[Gill]

I,m sure you could make them Gary, wood and rawhide and a bit of patience.

 

[forestwalker]

Very nice, I fancy a pair of traditional snowshoes but they are the very devil to get over here.

I got Gilpatricks book, but (1) clear ash (or any clear wood for that matter) is like hens teeth over here, and (2) I decided to first play with a pair that was properly made before I tried my hand at making a pair. I got these from Jarrod Stonedahl (http://woodspiritgallery.squarespace.com/items-for-sale-snowshoes/), took about a week to get them here and it was not too expensive (I could not get a pair of plastic and aluminium ones for the price I paid, nor a pair of usefull skis).

 

[forestwalker]

I,m sure you could make them Gary, wood and rawhide and a bit of patience.

These are not rawhide (durn, there went my cred , but nylon. Looks like it is tubular nylon, perhaps one can get "bootlaces" on a roll?

 

[Wayland]

Nice link.

I think synthetic lacing makes good sense unless you have the materials to hand for maintenance.

It's nice to have the "look" though I guess.

 

[forestwalker]

Nice link.

I think synthetic lacing makes good sense unless you have the materials to hand for maintenance.

It's nice to have the "look" though I guess.

I think the main advantage is that it is not attractive to mice and is easier to deal with in wet snow. And does not look to different at a distance

 

[spandit]

I've always wondered whether actually strapping tennis rackets to your feet would be effective - it's always the joke because some snow shoes look like that

 

[forestwalker]

I've always wondered whether actually strapping tennis rackets to your feet would be effective - it's always the joke because some snow shoes look like that

Well, these would be two handed tennis rackets The answer, anyway, is "quite poorly". A tennis racket is way too small.

Taking jokes literally since 1964