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Initial Report - MSR Lightning Snowshoes
by Mike Lipay - January 29, 2006
| Description |
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| Date Arrived | January 17, 2006 |
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| Manufacturer | MSR (Mountain Safety Research) |
| Year of Manufacturer | 2005 |
| Website | http://www.msrcorp.com/ |
| MSRP | $219.95 USD |
| Warranty | MSR Snowshoes are guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship without time limit. Return shipping charges to the consumer for repaired products are covered. Should a product be found defective under this warranty, we will repair it or replace it at our option. (website). |
Mfgr. Specs
from website |
Model: 35123
Dimensions: 8 x 30 in. (20 x 64 cm)
Weight: 3 lbs. 5 oz. (1504 g) per pair
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Personal
measurements |
Model: 35123
Dimensions: 8 x 30-3/4 in. (20 x 78 cm)
Weight: 3 lbs. 13 oz. (1720 g) per pair
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| Personal Information |
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| Name | Mike Lipay |
| Age | 51 |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Weight | 185 lbs (83.9 kg) |
| Email | hiking AT westernpa DOT us |
| City, State | Plum, Pennsylvania |
| Background | I've been hiking and backpacking with the Boy Scouts since the '60s, although currently I hike more solo, with my kids, or as a trail guide for a local outdoor group. I am no ultralight backpacker, my pack (external frame) weighs 29-40 lbs (13-18 kgs) loaded (not including food), though I am always on the look out for ways to cut down on the weight. I'm a low-techie, preferring a hiking staff to trekking poles, compass to GPS, fire to fuel; but I do carry some techie stuff as well, recently swtiching over to a digital camera from film, and an UV sterilizer from a filter pump. |
| Additional Bio | I have never used snowshoes, though I hike regularly in the winter and the snow my trips have always been in winter boots. The reports submitted will reflect the viewpoint of one just learning to use snowshoes, and as such may be a bit less technical than one who is more experienced. |
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| Appearance, Features, and Usage |
The MSR Lightning Showshoes are oval in shape, with the front and rear of the shoes slightly elevated from the base (Front: 1-5/8 in, 4.1 cm; Rear: 5 in, 12.7 cm). The oval frame is a lightweight coated steel with a toothed underside and three toothed cross members securing one side of the oval to the other. Inside the oval is a rubber mat and a step-on binding (a plastic form where the boot rests), at the front of the binding is a pivot point where another steel toothed bar exists.
The binding is composed of three rubber straps with holes for fastening to a quick-release pin. To secure the MSR Lightning Snowshoes to boots calls for stepping onto the plastic form and adjusting the rear strap so that the ball of the foot rests on the pivot, this adjustment only needs to be performed once. After the boot is in place a gray rubber strap is pulled over the top of the boot (above the arch), through a hook on the other side of the shoe, at which point I inserted one of the holes in the strap into a pin on the top of the hook, then slid the strap into a retaining clip (it's easier to do than to explain). A similar procedure is performed on another strap which secures the toe of the boot.
Once both boots are secured the shoes are ready to use. Walking with MSR Lightning Snowshoes is little different from normal walking, in theory at least.
A small instruction booklet is included, written in 6 languages (English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish), complete with diagrams. The booklet fits nicely into a pocket and can be taken along on trips. The diagrams did not exactly match the MSR Lightning Snowshoes, it was written as instructions for both the Lightning and Lightning Ascent snowhoes, with the later being used in the diagrams. Since the two snowshoes are almost exactly the same this was not a problem, once I realized the reason for the difference. Overall, I found the booklet quite helpful both on attaching them to my boots, and on how to walk with them on different terrains.
Underside view of side teeth and front teeth.
Top view showing binding system.
Upper view with boot installed, outer side.
Upper view with boot installed, inner side - note how strap inserts into hook and pin.
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| First Use: |
I was anxious to use the MSR Lightning Snowshoes, and was fortunate to have 4 inches (10 cm) on the ground in my backyard. While that is not a lot of snow, it was enough to get a feel for using the snowshoes. I noticed a few interesting points:
- I have to consciously keep my feet spread slightly farther apart than usual, otherwise one showshoe ends up on top of the other (with less than desireable results)
- Turning requires either a gentle curve, or shuffling a little at a time, until I have reached the direction I want to go
- Looking behind me requires turning the upper body without moving the legs, otherwise the same undesirable result occurs as when I stepped on the shoes
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| Test Plan: |
Over the next few months I plan on using the MSR Lightning Showshoes at every possible opportunity. I am fortunate enough to live within a few miles of a county park that offers several cross-country ski trails with a varying terrain. I am also less than two hours away from the Laurel Ridge where snowfall is measured in feet and contains a number of ski trails covered with both natural and man-made snow. It is my intent to progress to these lengthier, more challenging trails as my experience grows. Snow here tends to be of the heavier type rather than powdered, and compacts easily.
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| Personal Observations |
So far, with my limited experience, I am quite impressed by the light weight of the MSR Lightning Snowshoes. I had expected steel frames to be heavier than the aluminum tubed frames I have seen in stores, but this does not appear to be the case, these snowshoes are very light.
The straps used to secure my boots to the snowshoes are what I see as the weak point. I find inserting the strap holes into the pin is not the easiest thing to do, I find it hard to see the straps while I am trying to get the hole in the strap into the pin. I am also concerned about the straps breaking, while they are thick they are still rubber, and rubber does have the tendency to break. I have no doubt they will last through the testing phase, but I am concerned about the long-term. While the lower strap is more than long enough to handle my boots, I find the upper straps to be just long enough, thicker or larger boots might not be able to be strapped in (only 4 holes remained after my US size 8.5 boots were bound).
My final concern is over the rubber mats that form the inside of the frame. The area I hike contains a large number of hemlock and other pine trees where roots run close to the ground. When I get into areas of light snow will the roots poke through the mats? From what I can see of their attachment (held in place with rivets) I do not see any way that the mats can be replaced.
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Read more reviews of MSR gear
Read more gear reviews by Mike Lipay
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