How to Snow Shoe
Winter is a great time to go hiking and exploring. Walking on snowy ground is one thing, but walking on snow can be very dangerous. A very thick layer of snow cannot hold the weight of a grown adult, and snow boots won’t help you traverse the terrain. What you need is a way to cross snow-covered terrain without falling through the snow and injuring yourself. If you want to walk through a snow-covered place safely and securely, you need to use a good pair of snow shoes.
What Are Snow Shoes?
Snow shoes are a form of footwear designed for walking and traveling over snow. snow shoes distribute the weight of the person over a wider area, which means that the person does not fall deep into the snow and get injured. The webbed and latticed pattern of snow shoes make them more lightweight, and help prevent snow from adding unnecessary weight when walking.
Snow shoes were first invented in Europe, although the modern snow shoe traces its origins from the ones used by the Native Americans. Snow shoes were built for people to walk through the tundra and thick layers of snow with ease. Lightweight, portable, reliable, and easy to build, snow shoes were an important part of winter life.
Snow shoeing is still a very popular winter activity, along with skiing and tobogganing. If you participate in many winter sports, especially in natural environments like slopes and tundra, it’s very important for you to know how to snow shoe.
Choosing Snow Shoes
Wood and leather strips were the traditional materials used to make snow shoes. While wooden snow shoes are still very popular today, modern snow shoes are built with lightweight steel, plastic, or carbon fiber composite. When choosing a pair of snow shoes, you should always consider the following:
Weight. Heavy snow shoes will add extra weight to your walk or climb. Buy a snow shoe that’s light enough for you to walk on, but is durable enough for the long haul.
Size. snow shoes come in standard sizes, but don’t buy one that’s too big or too small for you. A good rule of thumb is that there should be at least one square inch of a snow shoe’s surface for every pound of weight it has to support.
Bindings. Make sure that the straps and bindings that secure the snow shoes to your foot are tight and won’t snap easily. They should also be fairly easy to remove just in case the snow shoes snag on brush, or if you need to walk on solid ground and you no longer need the snow shoes.
Walking With Snow Shoes
If you know how to walk, you know how to snow shoe. The only difference is that you have a pair of big platforms on your feet that make walking a bit more complicated. If it’s your first time to walk with snow shoes, you need to take a wider stride than usual, making sure to lift the snow shoes clear off the ground. You should lift one foot slightly, and allow the inner edge of the other shoe to slide into the edge of the other shoe. As long as you can take a full stride without getting tired, you got snow shoeing right. Like in skiing, you should never allow your snow shoes to cross together.
It also helps to carry a couple of poles or walking sticks to help guide you through the trail. Always remember not to go snow shoeing on your own to avoid injury.
Whether it’s a hike, a jog, or preparing to ski, snow shoeing is an essential part of winter sports. With these tips to help you in snow shoeing, you’ll always be safe walking through even the deepest and harshest snow-covered terrain.