The use of trekking poles with powder baskets will help maintain your balance with whatever you have on your feet. Get the adjustable type of poles to adjust for various snow conditions; the length will depend on the snow’s density and hardness. You’ll also find that shortening your poles will make it easier to climb in fresh snow while shortening them will make it easier to descend. Powder baskets are usually $5 to 8, from the manufacturer.
Archive for the ‘Snowshoeing’ Category
Trekking poles are essential for winter trekking and powder baskets for those poles are, too!
“I’ve only made this mistake once and I’ll never do it again!” I’m referring to heading out for that first snowshoe trek of the winter season, grabbing the backpack, the snowshoes, and the trekking poles on the way out the door. Upon arrival at the trailhead, I noticed that the trekking poles had the small baskets that had served me so well through the summer. Well, they’ll be fine in snow, right? “I’ve only made this mistake once and I’ll never do it again!”
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The shape of snowshoes is probably the most important factor for selecting snowshoes and its your planned use that will dictate what you choose.
FOR CLIMBING: A relatively short, wide snowshoe is generally more versatile and maneuverable. They are generally best for climbing situations and hiking in forested areas. I prefer molded plastic snowshoes such as the MSR Denali as they are light, indestructable and easy to strap onto the outside of your pack. The Denali is an excellent choice for winter trekking in mountains and wooded trails.
FOR HIKING: A relatively long, narrower snowshoe is generally more efficient and promotes a faster pace. They are generally best for flatter, more open areas when one’s path is straighter. The Tubbs Couloir Backcountry Snowshoe is a good example of a snowshoe that is perfect for tromping around fields.
FOR WOMEN: The Atlas Women’s 923 Elektra 9 Series Snowshoe is designed for a woman’s biomechanics including a narrower stance and stride. It uses a lightweight aluminum frame and is sized for a total weight of 200 lbs or less.
The Rayzar Hat is an excellent headgear choice for aerobic activities in very cold conditions.
The weather in Maine this time of year is typically in the single digits during the day and most light hats intended for aerobic workout don’t hold enough heat for temperatures below 10 degrees. Read the rest of this entry »
Posthole is winter hiking slang for stepping into snow that isn’t dense or strong enough to support your weight. Your foot will drive down into the snow, making it hard to remove your embedded foot from the snow cover and leaving behind a deep, distinct footprint in the snow. What happened there was that your weight was greater than the support of the snow and your foot drove downward, stopping only when the snow compacted to the point where it held you.
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Nalgene bottles are awesome for hauling water on a trek, but, in the winter, need additional protection to avoid freezing. The best solution is a Nalgene bottle cover and here’s three types of products for that use:
Black Diamond has a great reputation for climbing and trekking gear and have a wide range of trekking poles for your needs. They’ve added a new model to their stock for trekking, hiking, and backpacking; the Black Diamond CF Enduro Trekking Poles.
Take the Snowskills.net headlamp test:
- Does your headlamp feel heavy?
- Does your headlamp have only one light setting?
- Does your headlamp shine less light than you could read a newspaper by?
- Does your headlamp leave you guessing as to how much power the batteries have left?
If the answer to any one of these questions is YES, then it’s time for a new headlamp, and we recommend the Princeton TEC Quad Headlamp.
For hiking in snow, snowshoes are usually the tool of choice. Climbing in deep snow or ice? Crampons will do the job. But what do you wear for traction when there’s icy conditions without underlying snow? A company called 32 NORTH INC. just down the road from the Snowskills.net headquarters produces several awesome products for increasing grip in freezing conditions. One of their products that any winter hiker should own and carry is called Stabilicers.
Winter hiking, trekking, snowshoeing, and nordic skiing is a Tale of Two Hats. When aerobic activity in the winter is involved, it takes two hats: one for traveling and one for taking a break. The traveling hat keeps you comfortable on the go while the taking a break that keeps you warm and dry at rest.
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