Do You Need Boots for Women’s Snowshoes
I’m tossing out a quick, short post today. Still working on my next article on Atlas womens snowshoes. That article will cover women’s snowshoes for mountaineering and back country hiking. You can read my previous article on Atlas Women’s Snowshoes for Trail Walking if you want to get to the nitty-gritty, but a conversation I had this morning prompted me to drop what I was doing to hopefully explain away a misconception about snowshoeing.
I was having a chat with my sister-in-law this morning. She asked what I’ve been doing lately so I told her about my new womens snowshoe site. She mentioned she’d never considered the sport, despite being an avid spring and summer hiker, because of the expense. “not only do I have spend a lot for the snowshoes but I have to buy boots for them as well,” she explained.
Good news, folks. Though she’s not alone in that assumption, she’s also wrong. Many people associate winter sports like snowshoeing with specialized footwear. You buy alpine skis, you need ski boots too, right? But the truth that holds true with skiing does not hold true with snowshoeing. In fact, the additional equipment needed in a womens snowshoeing arsenal is probably already occupying storage space in your closet. So let’s talk a bit about women’s snowshoe accessories.
Snowshoe bindings are designed to work with just about any footwear. While, technically, you could slip into your favorite sneakers and strap on your snowshoes, I don’t recommend it. Nothing says uncomfortable like a sopping wet pair of feet on a cold winter’s day. Ideally, you want to wear a pair of waterproof hiking boots. If you’d be comfortable hiking in them, you’ll be comfortable using them in your snowshoes. The three things you should consider in a boot that works well with snowshoeing are medium height, waterproof and the lighter the better. Something like the Asolo Stynger GTX Women’s Hiking Boots is perfect but pursue your own brand loyalty as long as it meets the criteria I’ve outlined. Another great boot I really love is the 2010 Northface ChillKat Woman’s Boot. While there isn’t such a thing as a specific snowshoe boot for women, this is what it would be were they to begin specifically making one.
In addition to hiking boots (which you hopefully already own if you’re the type who likes to get out in the wilderness) you should consider waterproof shell pants like those designed for skiing or snowboarding. Ideally they’ll have a powder boot cuff. While you will be floating above the snow when on snowshoes, you may occasionally sink a bit, fall over or kick snow up on your legs. Keeping the snow out of your boots will make your snowshoeing experience much more enjoyable. Marker and Nils are two companies that both make great clothes for snowshoeing and other winter sports.
From there it’s all about common sense. You’re going out in the cold so dress appropriately. Layered clothing for warmth, a coat or jacket that offers both wind and water resistance, waterproof gloves and, of course, something to keep your head warm. If it’s a particularly cold or wind-bitten day, you might want to consider face protection like that offered by a cozy Seirus Neofleece Extreme Masque. Remember that your outer layer of clothing (gloves, jacket, pants) should always be waterproof.
So don’t be turned off by the price, folks. After you’ve bought the womens snowshoes that are right for your particular hiking preference, the clothing (providing it’s sensible and weather appropriate) is something you probably already own and perfectly useful for other winter sport activities. Here’s a video to give you a bit more advice on layering and dressing appropriately for snowshoeing.
As mentioned in our introduction, this first real article is devoted to Atlas snowshoes for women. Of course, there’s more to that than you might think.