View topic - Big snowshoes: Faber vs.

Hello everyone. It's a long time since I was last here.

I am still looking for a pair of large snowshoes to float my rather large butt (6'3, 270).

For my use--Maine woods, varied conditions, on and off trail--I'm thinking a pair of Huron/Maine/Michigan shoes in 16X48 would be best. The only other style I can find with equivalent or greater floatation would be Alaskan 12X60's, but I don't think that style would work well in the thick stuff.

It looks like the only 16X48's I can find are from Faber or an Ontario company called Snowshoe Sales and Repair (http://snowshoesalesandrepairs.com/?action=products).

The Fabers appear to only be available in rawhide; the others in 400 pound monofilament. Anybody have experience with the SSR shoes, or other mono-laced shoes?

I've been using a pair of Sherpa 10X36 aluminum shoes for years. They are great on packed trails, but not sufficient floatation in the deep stuff.


Other options for big guy snowshoes?

The Iverson's look great, but don't appear to come large enough for me.

Lure of the North is in Sudbury, Ontario - hand-woven mono Huron snowshoes. It's a young couple, they are very lovely and very good at traditional crafts and winter camping things.

http://lureofthenorth.com/product/equip ... snowshoes/

They do have mono 16x48 Hurons. I don't have their snowshoes, I did buy an ice chisel and some other equipment and service and quality was great.

Cheers,
M

I have had a pair of mono-laced 16 x 48's from SSR for several years now, and they are a superb product. Tough, low maintenance, and super flotation. Great company and great service. They have changed my snowshoeing life.

The one thing they are not great for is snowshoeing on trails made by people with smaller snowshoes, which includes almost everyone else. If you are doing that a lot you would probably be better off with 14 " width. But I prefer to break trail, and these are super for that purpose.

Kinguq.

Thanks to both of you. My Sherpa's are fine for when we're on broken trails. I'm specifically looking for better floatation when we're not. Most of my winter travel is on the 1,000 acres of land trust land behind the house, and we are most often the first ones to break trail there.

Brooke, just sent you a PM

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"Lure of the North is in Sudbury, Ontario - hand-woven mono Huron snowshoes. It's a young couple, they are very lovely and very good at traditional crafts and winter camping things."

Thanks for the tip. I just ordered a pair!

(That's probably why it's been so mild.)

My old ones now have more patches than babiche.

Now, for some snow...

Dave

A belated thank you to all for the help. I ended up with a pair of 16X48 Hurons (though we prefer to call these "Maine" shoes here, despite the Ontario origins of my pair).

Great service and what appears to be a high quality product. Love the light weight of the mono lacing.

I added several additional coats of spar varnish on the bottoms to get a little more protection for the woody, rocky, icy conditions typical here.

Due to the snow drought, they have not yet been used. We have maybe a foot of snow in the woods around the house, so they haven't been needed. But it's snowing today and I'm hopeful to have enough snow on the ground by tomorrow to make it worth using them. I'm getting antsy, and will head north and higher in elevation if I have to!