Reviews > Snow Gear > Snowshoes > L.L.Bean White Mountain Snowshoes > Owner Review by Clifford R. Haynes

L. L. Bean
White Mountain "36" Tubbs Snowshoes
12/11/2002

Personal Stats:

Backpacking Background:
I am from and live in Maine. I have been hiking, backpacking, and canoe camping for over 45 years. I am also an assistant scout master; I average 2 to 3 days a week in the woods year round.

Over the years I've used or tried a variety of different gear. When I joined scouts as a boy, most of the boys my age didn't have backpacking gear, and their families didn't have money enough to buy it. So we had great fun making our own gear.

I can't really say that I have a backpacking style. I take what I need or want, depending upon what I plan to do on the outing. Even before my knees became a problem, I could never see being in a big rush. It is my opinion that camping is part of backpacking, and should be enjoyed at least as much as the hiking. In areas where there is a lot of hiker traffic, I tend to pack heavier in order to minimize impact. I just like being out in the woods, and exploring.

I got my first pair of snowshoes for Christmas when I was 4 years old. They were an old pair of army surplus crust shoes (very small bearpaw snowshoes). That first winter I had great fun in the back yard on my snowshoes hunting pretend rabbits with my wooden rifle. I couldn't walk very far because my legs wouldn't spread far enough. As the winters passed I grew into my snowshoes, and got even more enjoyment from them. By the time I was 11 and entering scouts, I had outgrown my snowshoes for all but crust and hard pack conditions. Since I didn't have the money to buy a bigger pair, I managed to talk an old fellow that made his living making snowshoes, pack baskets, and trapping into teaching me how to make my own snowshoes. By the next year I had a fine pair of snowshoes, that are still in use today. Over the years I have used about every style of snowshoe there is, including survival brush snowshoes. In my opinion there is no such thing as the perfect all around snowshoe. You either have to wait until the conditions are favorable for the snowshoes you have, or you need several pair and use the pair that matches the conditions. My approach to the problem was multiple pairs of snow shoes. My preference is the wood frame rawhide lace snowshoe; 36" (91.44 cm) Green Mountain style for bushwhacking and light backpacking, 48" (1.22 m) Michigan style for heavy work, Alaskan (Pickerel) style for open country trail breaking, and the L. L. Bean White Mountain snowshoes as a sort of all around utility snowshoe.

Test Location:

Maine - mid coast, western mountains, central, northern
New Hampshire - northeastern
Southern Quebec
West central Nova Scotia

Due to the length of time that I  have had my L. L. Bean White Mountain Tubbs snowshoes, I have used them in a lot of places, from sea level to about 4000 feet (1219 m). I have used them in temperatures from -20F (-28.88 C) to 50 F. (9.99 C), in about any snow condition imaginable in the north eastern US. Terrain has included lakes, rivers, fields, tote roads, mountain trails, and cross country bushwhacks.

Product Information:

Product Description:
The L. L. Bean White Mountain Tubbs snowshoes are essentially a Green Mountain style snowshoe, with a metal frame and solid synthetic deck. 

Detailed Description:
The frames are anodized 6000 aluminum tubing. According to the manufacturer (Tubbs) the decking is "Arctek", which Tubbs claims is 30% stronger than the industry standard "Hypalon" and puncture / abrasion resistant down to -40 F (-39.99 C). The decking is attached to the frame with thermal plastic straps, which are riveted to the deck with brass rivets and grommets. The stainless toe cord is attached to the frame by a riveted thermal plastic straps (no danger of galvanic corrosion).  The 401 aluminum toe crampon is the same as the one used on the current model Tubbs Altitude snowshoe. The aluminum heal crampon is sort of an open V with the narrow opening aft for better traction on hills.

The bindings are TD 91 Control Wing bindings (much like the currently "Strap and Go" bindings). The binding and toe crampon, fastened together with 3 nuts and bolts, sandwich the stainless toe cord and rotates (or pivots) on a synthetic bearing. The toe pocket size is adjusted in length and width via adjustment of a single strap and buckle. The heal and ankle wrap strap are adjusted via 2 plastic buckles and a quick release plastic snap. I have never had a problem with these bindings freezing up. The design of these bindings can be seen on the Tubbs web site, they look like the ones on the current Tubbs Altitude snowshoe. 

Note: The current model L. L. Bean White Mountain Tubbs snowshoe is very similar to my 1996 model, with the exception of some material improvements. The current model uses the "Bear Hug" binding instead of the TD 91. The decking is (according to the folks at Tubbs) TriTec. The current model line also has a Women's model with a tapered frame, smaller bindings, and lighter weight. 

Review:

When the metal frame, plastic decked snowshoes came out I tried several different brands, and frankly I wasn't impressed. About the only advantage I could see in them at the time was no maintenance. I continued to try the new designs every time I had an opportunity, but stuck with my old favorites.  In the fall of 1994 my wife and I became interested in K9 search and rescue. We quickly became popular training victims, because of our 8 year old son, Chip. Chip has been around dogs and animals all of his life and was comfortable in the woods, so he provided the very rare opportunity for them to train the dogs with a child. Helping with the training proved to be hard on gear, especially our snowshoes. When refinishing snowshoes became necessary a couple of times a month, we decided it was time to go "High Tech".

After a great deal of shopping and trying, we decided to buy the L. L. Bean White Mountain Snowshoes. We chose the White Mountains for several reasons, the primary reasons being high surface area, quality of construction, price, and L. L. Beans guarantee. They have proven to be very durable. I normally put them in the Jeep in the fall, and pull them out for storage in the shed in the spring. By keeping them in the Jeep I have them if I need them. 

By 1997 my knees had deteriorated to the point that I preferred to use the White Mountains for most of my snowshoeing. The cleats give me excellent traction in most conditions. In deep  powder or corn meal snow the traditional open weave snowshoes provides better traction than closed deck snowshoes. If I have to break trail alone in deep powder snow, I switch to my old Alaskans or Michigans. For breaking trail with a light pack and a partner, in most snow conditions (even at my current weight) I consider the White Mountains adequate. I really like these snowshoes on a packed trail. They are narrow enough to allow a comfortable gait, while having surface area enough to provide good floatation.

The "Strap and Go" bindings are some of the best I have used. After you have adjusted the straps to fit the boots you are using, you just put your toe in the toe basket, pull up the heal strap, and snap the strap that wraps around the front of the ankle. Quick, easy, and reliable. The placement of the binding on the cross bag gives excellent balance for smooth trail action. The toe cleat comes back under the ball of the foot far enough to insure good traction on the flat or going down hill, and forward enough under the toes to allow you roll forward and dig in the toe and cleat on a steep up hill. The control wings keep the snow shoe aligned with my foot, and shorten the heal strap so it doesn't move around. I feel the control wings also make these snowshoes easy to use crossing ice. When crossing ice, especially over moving water, snowshoe straps like pack straps should always be undone so they can be kicked off should you break through the ice.

I can't accurately say how many miles I have on my White Mountain snowshoes. I know I have over 300 miles (483 km). I have used them to hike most of the AT in Maine, several winter hikes up Saddleback with the scouts, and yearly hikes to Tumbledown Mountain (the back way over Jackson). The White Mountain snowshoes work well for hiking on snowmobile trails too. We often like to pack up some gear and head out on the snowmobile trails for an over night. We like the snowmobile trails because you can travel cross country easily, then when you get to a spot that looks interesting leave the trail to explore and camp.

Another thing we like to do with our snowshoes, is snow shoe mystery hikes. We normally do these with my wife's lady's hiking group or our church youth group. The leader lays out a trail to maybe a scenic spot, or some destination for an activity. Then the leader leads the group (that doesn't know where they are going) on the snowshoe hike to the destination. One of my favorites is a night hike. I use a snowmobile trail so I can get to the destination ahead of the group with a sled loaded with the supplies to make steamed hotdogs and hot chocolate. I usually haul in a couple of old railroad kerosene lanterns for light. When the group gets there the water is hot for the cocoa, and within about 5 minutes the hot dogs are ready. My White Mountain snowshoes are especially good for these hikes. The cleats give me lots of traction for pulling the loaded sled in and out. These mystery snowshoe hikes are even more fun during a snow storm.

The review in a nut shell. I have come to like and depend on my L. L. Bean White Mountain snowshoes. They don't have the appeal or the memories of my old wood and raw hide snowshoes, but I wouldn't give them up. Folks often ask me what I think of the bargain store metal framed snowshoes (especially around Christmas time). After my first winter with my White Mountains snowshoes the answer has been the same, "Go to Bean's and get some White Mountains or try some of the other Tubbs models and buy the ones you like. When it comes to snowshoes cheap can get you in a world of trouble." 

Likes & Dislikes:

Likes;
1. If I ever wear out the cleats, I can replace them; three nuts and bolts for the toe cleat and four rivets for the heal cleat.
2. I have old worn out knees, my White Mountains provide me with a good stable footing.
3. I have never had ice build up on them, and they don't soak up water and get heavy.

Dislikes;
1. The trend today is small light snowshoes. Unfortunately these small light snowshoes mean you need to stick to the packed trail unless snow conditions are right. Given that the studies claim that over half of the population of the U.S. is over weight, I would think that a manufacturer would see the light and make a larger model for backpackers and heavy folks. I'd like to see a 48" (1.21 m) model snowshoe.

Reviews > Snow Gear > Snowshoes > L.L.Bean White Mountain Snowshoes > Owner Review by Clifford R. Haynes