pdoull 2 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Looking to buy some as I haven't gone down the track of a split board, yet, but... What's the go? Are they all the same? Doesn't seem much to them? Do I really need them? I have heard good reports in forums re: msr lightning ascents with flotation but they are exxy and haven' been able to find in oz. Would tubbs or lesser brand ( ocean and earth) be ok? Is there a big difference? I suppose you get what you pay for but any body with previous experience, it would be great to hear your advice before I part with the reddies. Link to post Share on other sites
ozsnowbum 9 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 i hate them ever since i tried a splitboard. they can be good in certain situations though. having said that, in my experience yes there is a huge difference between good and bad snowshoes. i was on a set of borrowed cheap ones vs my mates msr ones and i was struggling to even climb in his tracks they were so bad. we swapped and i broke trail and he lagged behind. they were fine on the flat but hopeless climbing. what are you going to use them for? id seriously suggest putting that money towards a split set up, no-one ever regrets this. Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 If it's steep I would rather be in shoes but thats all I have to offer Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 We had this discussion before, but I can`t find the thread I put up. I remember someone recommending me MSR. They were bloody expensive in Germany so I gave it a miss. But if it was like under 100 bucks, I would probably carry a pair in my pack (just in case) even if I were on splitboards. Link to post Share on other sites
NECK 14 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 There is a huge difference between crappy snowshoes and good ones. MSR ones with the ascent bar are the best for sure. I have Denali ascents (the older evo ascents) with 4 inch extension tails for deep days. They rock! I have never heard of 'ocean and earth' snowshoes, but I can pretty much guarantee they will be utter s**t! Look on internet auctions and you should be able to pick up a decent pair of MSRs with ascent bars for not too much over 100 bucks. Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I have 25" lightning ascents and also a few splitboards. In AU you make relatively long flat journeys. For this a split works best but splits get very sketchy on ice and steep terrain though so factor in crampons when deciding shoes vs split. Shoes like the lightnings have 100x more traction than a split so you never have to worry about slipping on ice, it does happen trust me lol. The floatation tails are a really handy thing to have when it gets deep. The biggest drawback with shoes is carrying the weight of the board on your back. In AU i love my split, but in japan i prefer my shoes. Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Also if using shoes a horizontal board carry is best as a vertical board can bump into your leg when walking. This gets annoying after a few hundred hits lol. Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I see you are in NSW ricky, you would be more than welcome to take my lightenings for a spin one day if you like. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I guess the question now would be ~ What would be the ideal BackPack to do a horizontal carry ? no thread jack btw( excuse me pls) Link to post Share on other sites
ozsnowbum 9 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 any backpack can do horizontal carry if you're happy to put the board in between your back and the pack, it might be a bit uncomfortable though but i only do this rarely. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 **in between your back and the pack** I never thought about that. It does sound uncomfortable Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Pain lol. Id rather have it hit my leg i think Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Alot of packs have vertical and horizontal straps and cushioning so either option would be just as comfortable (although this is in theory not in practice) Link to post Share on other sites
NECK 14 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Mounting your board horizontally will either wear through the bottom part of your shoulder straps or cut through the back of your jacket, depending on which side your edges are. Link to post Share on other sites
Besniwod 6 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I wouldn't bother with snow shoes. An inefficient way to travel in the BC. I used them when I did my AST course and wasn't impressed (I can't remember what brand they were but they were decent quality, might have been MSR). I also found that they got in the way when trying to get a probe/shovel out of my pack as I had to de-attach the snowshoes to access the avi rescue equipment pocket. This will depend on your pack but I noticed other participants having the same problem. This wastes valuable time and having to faff with your pack would be much harder when you are under the pressure of an emergency. That's the main thing that put me off them. When it gets icy, you can attach crampons to your boards. Link to post Share on other sites
pdoull 2 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 i hate them ever since i tried a splitboard. they can be good in certain situations though. having said that, in my experience yes there is a huge difference between good and bad snowshoes. i was on a set of borrowed cheap ones vs my mates msr ones and i was struggling to even climb in his tracks they were so bad. we swapped and i broke trail and he lagged behind. they were fine on the flat but hopeless climbing. what are you going to use them for? id seriously suggest putting that money towards a split set up, no-one ever regrets this. Oz - initially, the main purpose would be for hokkaido/ accessing un track pow. In the past, although having snow boarded for many years, I have been a bit of a poacher but looking forward I want to have the right gear, knowledge that if I go on a guided tour /go thru the gates/ find an abandon resort / or meet up with people that I am as well prepared as possible I don't want to be floundering around wasting energy and holding people up because of crappy equipment. Link to post Share on other sites
pdoull 2 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 I see you are in NSW ricky, you would be more than welcome to take my lightenings for a spin one day if you like. I am sure you will be taking them to Island bend so if we meet up it would be much appreciated. Resutsu would be better though. Link to post Share on other sites
pdoull 2 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 I guess the question now would be ~ What would be the ideal BackPack to do a horizontal carry ? no thread jack btw( excuse me pls) Gidday Jynxx. Take the thread wherever especially when it comes to gear. The Sj'rs / site is the best when it comes to knowledge and no nonsense practical appraisals of gear Link to post Share on other sites
pdoull 2 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 I have invested in an Osprey Koda 30 after seeing a heap of people with them and comments here. It has vertical carry for board. Link to post Share on other sites
ozsnowbum 9 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 i hate them ever since i tried a splitboard. they can be good in certain situations though. having said that, in my experience yes there is a huge difference between good and bad snowshoes. i was on a set of borrowed cheap ones vs my mates msr ones and i was struggling to even climb in his tracks they were so bad. we swapped and i broke trail and he lagged behind. they were fine on the flat but hopeless climbing. what are you going to use them for? id seriously suggest putting that money towards a split set up, no-one ever regrets this. Oz - initially, the main purpose would be for hokkaido/ accessing un track pow. In the past, although having snow boarded for many years, I have been a bit of a poacher but looking forward I want to have the right gear, knowledge that if I go on a guided tour /go thru the gates/ find an abandon resort / or meet up with people that I am as well prepared as possible I don't want to be floundering around wasting energy and holding people up because of crappy equipment. well if thats the case dont get slowshoes. get a split. i wouldnt considering hiking with someone on slowshoes. theyre always slower, and cant ride as hard because theyve wasted tons of energy carrying around a board. splits simply are way faster, use less energy, float better in powder, gives you the option to go ski touring, Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Once again it depends on terrain and conditions. I was half way up asahidake when my skins just stopped gripping to the hard, wind packed snow surface, a group of japanese went straight past me on snow shoes. All the things you said about splits are true but it does come at a cost. Noticably less traction. Link to post Share on other sites
ozsnowbum 9 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 dont you have chomps? they take me less than a minute to put on for me the only cost is the price ive yet to experience a day in the bc id rather be on snowshoes. sure you might get a 100 metres of icey terrain thats better on shoes but what about the other 1000s of metres youd rather be on a split? Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I didnt have chomps then but I do now. All the stuff I did in japan wasnt 1000's of meters of easy terrain with a bit of ice at the top like it is in AU. Asahidake, kurodake, shiribetsudake, they are relatively short ascents where IMO where the benfits of a split dont really get a chance to shine. Shoes are really effective in places like that and are a great cheaper alternative to get into the bc. Link to post Share on other sites
ozsnowbum 9 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 well i havent ridden any of your examples except shiribetsu and i thought that was plenty long enough for my split to be worth it. Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 We went along the ridge from the resort at rusutsu. Lots of steep sections where the splits were difficult to negotiate. We all ended up bootpacking in the end with our boards on our backs. I was dreaming of snowshoes that day. Im not trying pick a fight lol. Just giving my honest opinion. Shoes arent that bad for what the op wants to do. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts