Komperdell Alpinist & Mountaineer Snowshoes

Thank you so much for the detailed reply! Somehow I missed it earlier :-O

Received my snowshoes. Now i just need snow!

As you can see, they still need a coating of a varnish and th wax on all the webbing and oil/lotion on the leathers. They are webbed and leathered in hide and in gut from our people's hunting from the year before, where we hunt to provide people with freezer meat, who can't provide for themselves. We use all natural materials and in a very conservative way, traditionally using all of the animal, as in the old ways. I want to get these ready for this snow season. No trapping, but I hike the Algonquin region forest lands in winter, very majestic, water and woodlands. Technically, these are heavier than the man-made 'shoes, and to have these hand built can be expensive, if you do it right. I guess my recommendation might be that, if you're not very experienced, go with man-made "technicals", and then, when you know what you really want, pursue custom built traditionals. You should consider the elongated Bear-paw style that gives you a shorter "paddle", yet long enough to get you out and about in non-wooded, field conditions. Here's an example of a modified Bear Paw, man-made; The U-shaped Komperdells in this listing are a modified Bear Paw. I'm not super familiar with their quality. BTW; I 'shoe in muks too. My Aunt makes us moose-hide muks, lined with shearling and packed with sweetgrass. Almost invulnerable to all conditions, if coated properly and laced correctly. Takes the Aunt a year to do 3 pairs of muks, but they last forEVER, only need lace changes over time. To be absolutely honest, I don't know each and every technical out there on the market. Go with a solid name that gets excellent reviews and props in discussion boards among the guys and gals out there using them. My input should be considered pretty helpful regarding the physical principles of the different shoes and what we've discovered over the millennia of using them practically as part of our survival as peoples in snowy places all over the globe. The right pair of 'shoes can save your life, the wrong pair can get you killed, after all! Many of us, who REALLY get out into the snow, have many pairs of snowshoes, different structures for different conditions. Including the new ones that I am finishing, I have 12 pairs, 4 of which are man-made technical materials. They see very little use, unless it's for casual runs and a lighter, easier to pack in shoe is the right choice. For REAL shoeing, its always the tradish shoes. I'll do some reading,(self edification is good too), and, if I find a brand shoe that I think fits the bill, I will post it to you in this discussion. CHEERS!