How do I choose the right snowshoes?

Size:
The primary purposes of a snowshoe are to provide flotation and traction. Since all MSR® snowshoes deliver exceptional traction, your next consideration is flotation, and this is where size comes into play.

Once you’ve decided on a snowshoe, assess your weight, including all the gear and clothing you’ll be wearing the majority of the time you snowshoe. If you only go on a couple of overnights a year, don’t include that 50-pound pack—just your fully clothed weight, plus a daypack and water. Then consider the snow conditions you’re likely to travel in most often—deep, untracked powder, or groomed trails and established snowshoe routes. Are you at a high altitude or very far north where snow generally falls deep and light and a larger snowshoe is in order, or are you at lower elevations or in a coastal range where snow has high moisture content and generally consolidates rapidly, making a smaller snowshoe your best choice?

The idea is to find the smallest possible snowshoe that matches your needs in most–not all–situations so you can maximize your agility and efficiency. Now, with Modular Flotation tails available across all MSR adult snowshoes, we’ve made that easier than ever. Should you find yourself on the cusp between sizes, always go with the smaller one and then simply add tails for added flotation as needed.

Style:
Click here to check out our blog post ​​​​​​on choosing the right snowshoe based on factors such as terrain, snow conditions, binding system, materials and user stance.