Northern Lites Backcountry Snowshoes

Review date: January 25, 2004

Reviewer details: Edward Ripley-Duggan, erd@wilsey.net: I am 50 years old, 6'1" (1.85 m) & 215 pounds (98 kg). I live in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. I hike regularly year-round in the Catskills and the Adirondacks. I'm presently the Outings Chair of the Catskill 3500 Club and an avid trail maintainer.

I've been a hiker since I was in my teens, growing up in England. I'm particularly fond of winter travel in the Catskills. I'm a keen snowshoer and, until a recent major injury, an enthusiastic cross-country skier (a sport to which I hope to return once fully healed). I enjoy backpacking (I through-hiked the Northville-Placid trail in 2003) and though by no means an extreme ultralight enthusiast, when three-season backpacking I prefer to carry a packweight of twelve pounds or a little more (food & water additional, of course). From mid-spring to mid-fall I primarily use a Hennessy Hammock, which I find an excellent shelter. I rarely use a tent these days except in winter.

Manufacturer: Northern Lites

Year of Manufacture: 2003

Manufacturer's Website: www.northernlites.com/

Listed weight on website:(current Backcountry model): 43 oz (1.22 kg)

Weight as delivered: 45 oz (1.28 kg)

MSRP: $229

Product description: This is a snowshoe for (to quote the manufacturer) "mountaineering, backpacking, hiking, and general use over uncertain terrain." I have used the shoe for all these purposes. The frame is a lightweight tubular "spacecraft aluminum alloy." This tubing has a smaller diameter (at .625", 1.7 cm) than that of any other snowshoe frame I have ever examined, and is exceptionally strong. The toe of the frame fore of the hinge is angled up at about ten degrees. The decking material is green Coolthane, and the pivot strap (hinge) is 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) Biothane. These materials are nylon reinforced urethane plastics, resistant to both tearing and abrasion. This is a thirty-inch (76 cm) shoe, 9 inches (23 cm) at the point of maximum width (at the front crampon). There are 21 perimeter cleats on each shoe, which maintain the decking tension. These are of a tough nylon compound (i.e. nylon in its plastic form, not textile); each cleat has a downward projecting ridge to enhance traction. The front crampon is mounted to the Biothane hinge and has a lateral plate with five teeth and two lengthwise plates with two teeth. The heel crampon has two lengthwise plates with five teeth.

The binding consists of three rubberized toe straps, the holes of which lock by inserting a prong from an aluminum buckle. The heel strap is nylon with a side buckle. There is a ridged heel plate to assist the tracking (alignment while walking) of the shoe.

The original Northern Lites shoe, which I also own, is based on a Native American (Michigan) design. It has an approximately tear-shaped tail. In its present incarnation, Northern Lites maintain a similar geometry, but have a less pointed tail, which makes glissading more stable, though perhaps not as fast. The manufacturer rates the snowshoe for 175 to 250 pound (79 to 113 kg) load.

Location of snowshoe testing: Catskills (this pair not yet used in Adirondacks)

Other snowshoes owned: Havlick Adirondack II, Grivel Violino

Environment: Rough, mountainous, ledgy terrain to 4000 feet (1219 m). Trail ice and glare ice are frequently encountered in winter.

Conditions: -10°F (-23°C) to 40°F (4.5°C)

Review: My wife gave me my first pair of Northern Lites about ten years ago as a Christmas gift. As a keen cross-country skier, I needed them for backcountry use. Snowshoes serve well for areas that cannot be negotiated on skis, as well as providing an activity for occasions when (because of conditions) skiing is not an option. As I am fond of winter hiking on the Catskill peaks (many of which cannot be safely negotiated on skis, at least by me), I now spend far more time climbing on snowshoes or crampons.

My original pair of Northern Lites is still in service, but I have recently purchased a new pair, and it is those that I am reviewing here. The manufacturer had advised me, when I sent the old pair in for some pre-season repairs, that the frame was wearing thin in places. Although Northern Lites offer a "Lifetime Warranty," this appears to be for the lifetime of the shoe, not the owner (perhaps not unsurprisingly). As an incidental point, I feel that the precise policy should be more clearly articulated in the sales literature. Still, I was offered a new pair at a price well below retail, and the firm also repaired (though for the last time) my old pair, so it seems churlish to grumble. My dealings with Northern Lites have always been pleasant, and they repair promptly and for free (the turn-around time has generally been a week or less).

The new shoe, while in many regards similar to the old, has a hugely improved binding. Northern Lites refers to this as the "TruTrak." It is extremely robust, and (as the name implies), it indeed tracks extremely well, with no splay to speak of. The shoe is narrow enough that it fosters a conventional gait. I have found the toe straps easy to adjust while wearing heavy gloves, and the heel strap does not ice. The snowshoes remain attached to my feet through the most difficult of ascents and descents, something that cannot be said of all brands, by any means. By way of example, I hiked for seven hours through ice and powder on a traverse this past weekend, and I did not need to adjust the shoes at any point. The binding will accommodate a wide range of footwear, and I have tested it with a variety of backpacking and insulated winter boots (the latter including a pair of very bulky US size 13).

The hinge is sufficiently "tight" that it facilitates walking backwards; always a handy ability on bushwhacks. On old "catgut" shoes one apparently had to attach a string to the rear to enable this feat. The tail does not droop and catch. Pleasant to report, the hinge is not so springy that snow is catapulted towards the legs while walking, a problem I have noted with some shoes. It is quite possible to jump wearing these, although I would not recommend this for the novice or soloist. I cannot, of course, speak to the strength of the hinges of the new shoes in the long term, but they appear identical to those on my old pair, where the Biothane strap has held up extremely well.

Because the tracking is so good, traverses conducted by edging the shoes into the slope to provide a stable platform (a technique not possible in all snow conditions) are straightforward. The crampons, while not as sharp or hard as (for example) those on the Sherpa Tucker binding, are very capable. With careful technique I can usually negotiate steeply pitched sections by frontal assault, making traversing unnecessary. The traction is far better than merely adequate and, under most conditions, compares favorably with other high-end snowshoes.

The single greatest advantage offered by these shoes is their low weight (it should be noted that this pair was slightly heavier than advertised). If one needs a thirty-inch (76 cm) shoe (and, with my combined body and pack weight, I do), the standard-sized tubing used on most is comparatively heavy. Though the frame on the Northern Lites looks flimsy, it is, in my experience, very strong indeed. It can wear, but this occurs over many seasons of use. The benefits of having a light snowshoe include greater stamina over long distance hauls, considerably more agility in foot placement, and less weight to be carried when the shoes are tied to the pack while negotiating snowless areas. On the few occasions when I wear my 36-inch (.91 m) powder shoes (which are still reasonably light in construction) the additional weight is very noticeable, and I huff and puff. The old rule of thumb that "a pound on the foot is equivalent to five pounds on the back" has much truth to it.

Field repairs are generally fairly easy to accomplish on these, although it is helpful to have spare cleats (which may be requested from the manufacturer). I have not experienced a major failure, although I carry a supply of repair materials whenever snowshoeing. The crampons have a fairly efficient anti-balling plate, although under some snow conditions clumping will occur. This can usually be rectified by careful probing with a knife or stick, and a Teflon liquid of the kind used by cross-country skiers helps prevent this occurrence. As a final note, the thin frame makes this a quiet snowshoe underfoot (unlike, for example, the various hard-decked snowshoes on the market).

Summary: The Northern Lites Backcountry Snowshoe is a capable all-rounder, useful in all but the most difficult circumstances. It is carefully constructed from high-grade materials and is well thought-out and engineered. The weight of the shoe makes it comfortable for long treks, and it is extremely maneuverable, a real asset for winter bushwhacks. Glissading, edging and other techniques are easily accomplished. The binding is adjustable with gloved hands and is secure on both ascent and descent. The savings in weight resulting from the lightweight frame may result in some loss of longevity, but the benefits (in the opinion of this writer) offset that disadvantage.