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Reviews > Snow Gear > Snowshoes > Tubbs Pinnacle Series Snowshoes > Leesa Joiner > Initial ReportTubbs Pinnacle
Snow Shoe
Initial Report 2/23/04 Personal Information: Leesa Joiner ljoATmidmaine(dot)com Southwestern Maine 41 years old Female 5'7" (1.7 M) 150 lb (68 kg) Background: My camping, hiking and backpacking experience has included trips varying in length from one day hikes to 2-week trips. My experience hiking began with my father, when I was about 6 years old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. During cold weather, I backpack, hike, snowshoe, cross-country ski, go ice fishing and winter camp with friends and family. Although I am not a lightweight backpacker, I am trying to ‘lighten up’ and even have converted to using a hammock while camping. I find that I spend almost as much time outside during the long Maine winters as I do during the summers. Product Information: Manufacturer: Tubbs Model: Pinnacle 25 Initial Impressions: I received the snow shoes from another tester who was unable to complete the test. They arrived in like new condition, without any tags or printed information. The snow shoes have a Rental ID Number stamped on them. The webbing is red and gray plastic that is attached with rivets. The webbing is textured, which is most likely a traction aid. The aluminum frame is an oval design with the front being turned up slightly. This design is advertised for day hiking/all terrain use. The bindings are very different than any I have used before. I was able to slip my foot into the binding and then just snap the clip that is at the top, front of the foot. Another adjustment made at the back of the ankle secures the snow shoe. I found them extremely easy and quick to adjust. The traction system consists of a claw like device on the bottom of the foot area. It is advertised on the web site as the 'Viper' the most aggressive traction system for vertical climbs and steep icy pitches. It does look very aggressive. The whole foot area pivots quite a bit from the 'rotating toe cord'. Hopefully this will aid in manueverability. I found the snow shoe to be as advertised on the web site. The web site contains quite a bit of information about Tubbs' products and information that helps a customer select the right snow shoe for their snow shoeing style and snow conditions.
Test Plan: I have a couple of weekend snowshoeing trips planned, as well as a weekend trip camping with my two sons' Boy Scout troop during their Klondike Derby. I will also be going to Vermont for a long weekend in March. Our temperatures will fluctuate between -10 and 30 F (-23 and -1 C) over the next few months. During the test period, I will be participating in numerous hikes that involve the use of snowshoes. Because I have easy access to a local wildlife management area that also has miles of snow mobile trails, I put on snowshoes a couple times a week and take off for an hour or two. The trips will range from single day to four day trips. All will be in western Maine, and northern New Hampshire and Vermont. After the first of the year, ice fishing season begins, and I will spend many weekends walking on frozen lakes checking fish traps with my children. Over the next 6 months our weather conditions will range from the current day temperatures of 20-30 F to -20 F (-6- 1 C to -29 C) with rain and snow. Most of my outings are done at elevations below 3000 ft. (914 M) on various types of terrain. I look forward to testing these snowshoes. I will be looking at how comfortable they are when worn for extended periods, their durability and how well they perform in different snow conditions. Of interest is how the 'claw' works in icy conditions- will the icy snow build up inside the metal prongs? Another question I have about the snowshoes is how well the bindings work over long distances. I would hope they would retain their settings without frequent adjustments. Read more reviews of Tubbs gear Read more gear reviews by Leesa Joiner Reviews > Snow Gear > Snowshoes > Tubbs Pinnacle Series Snowshoes > Leesa Joiner > Initial Report | ||||||||