The best snowshoes
Size a snowshoe by total load, meaning your body weight plus clothing, boots and pack, against the manufacturer's published load range, and size up for deep light snow. The MSR Evo Trail at under $250 is the pick for mixed and steeper ground because the whole deck is a traction surface rather than just a toe crampon.
Snowshoes are the cheapest honest way into winter travel: no lift ticket, no skins, and no requirement to know how to ski. The Retrospec Drifter at under $50 costs about the price of a lift ticket and tells you whether you enjoy walking on snow. If you already know you do, the MSR Evo Trail at under $250 is the one worth owning, because the entire deck is a traction surface rather than just a crampon under the toe, which is what lets it hold a firm traverse.
The whole subject is simpler than ski touring in every respect except one, and the exception is the important one: the avalanche problem is identical. Snow does not care what is on your feet.
Sizing: total load, not body weight
Flotation is a function of surface area against load. The load is you plus your clothing, your boots and everything in your pack, which for a winter day is commonly twenty to thirty pounds on top of your body weight, and for an overnight considerably more. Manufacturers publish a recommended load range for each size, and that range is what to shop by.
| Snowshoe length | Typical total load | Where it works |
|---|---|---|
| 20 to 22 in | Roughly up to 180 lb loaded | Packed trails, dense spring snow, rolling terrain |
| 25 in | Roughly 150 to 220 lb loaded | The general purpose size for mixed conditions |
| 30 in and up, or add-on tails | Roughly 200 lb loaded and above | Deep light snow, breaking trail, heavy packs |
Snow density changes the answer as much as load does. Dense wind-packed or spring snow supports a small shoe easily, and cold dry powder swallows the same shoe. Models that accept add-on tails are the sensible hedge, because they let you extend flotation for a deep day without owning two pairs.
The picks
The ladder is green circle and blue square here, because there are two honest tiers in snowshoeing rather than three. Green is finding out whether you like it. Blue is the shoe that handles steeper and firmer ground, which is where cheap snowshoes stop being adequate.
Snowshoe picks
Retrospec Drifter Snowshoes
- Frame:
- Aluminium
- Binding:
- Double ratchet
- Use:
- Rolling terrain
Fifty dollars to find out whether you like walking on snow. Snowshoes are also the cheapest honest way into winter travel: no lift ticket, no skins, and no need to know how to ski.
Best for: A first pair, and flat to rolling terrain.
What it costs you: Basic bindings and limited traction. Not for steep or icy ground.
MSR Evo Trail Snowshoes, 22 inch
- Deck:
- Steel traction rails
- Length:
- 22 in
- Tails:
- Add-on flotation
The whole deck is a traction surface rather than just the crampon under the toe, which is what lets these hold a firm traverse. Add-on tails extend flotation for deep days without buying a second pair.
Best for: Mixed and steeper terrain, and deep snow with the tails fitted.
What it costs you: Noisier and heavier than a light aluminium frame. Not a running snowshoe.
Specifications are the manufacturer's published figures, not measurements we took. Sizes, prices and stock change constantly, so confirm on the retailer page before buying. We earn commissions from Backcountry and from qualifying Amazon purchases, and every link on this page is one or the other. Where a Backcountry button reads "shop the category" it opens a search for that category rather than that exact model, so it finds comparable gear alongside it.
How we chose
We compared published deck constructions, traction layouts, binding systems, published load ranges and heel lift availability across the range, then read verified owner reviews across retailers for the two things a specification cannot express: whether a binding can be operated with cold gloved hands, and whether the shoe holds a firm angled traverse rather than sliding. We did not test these in person and we do not claim to have.
Traction is what separates cheap from good
A budget snowshoe has a fabric or plastic deck with a small crampon under the toe. That is adequate on flat and rolling ground where the snow is soft and your weight goes straight down. The moment the surface firms up or the ground tilts, the toe crampon is the only thing biting and the rest of the shoe is a sled.
A shoe with steel traction rails running the length of the deck bites along its whole edge, which is what lets it hold a traverse across a firm slope instead of sliding sideways down it. It also grips going downhill, where a toe crampon does nothing at all. If your terrain includes anything steeper than rolling, this is the specification worth paying for.
Heel lifts, sometimes called televators, are the other feature worth having. They are a small bar that flips up under your heel on a sustained climb, which reduces calf strain in exactly the same way a ski touring binding riser does. On a long climb the difference is substantial.
What else you actually need
- Waterproof insulated boots and gaiters. The binding needs a stiff sole to clamp, and snow over the cuff melts against your sock and stays there.
- Adjustable poles with powder baskets. Shorter for climbing, longer for descending, big baskets so they do not sink through.
- A headlamp, every time. Winter daylight is short and snowshoe travel is slow. Finishing later than planned is the normal outcome, not the exceptional one.
- More layers than you think, and a puffy. You will sweat climbing and then stand still at a viewpoint in a wind, which is the coldest moment of the day.
- Food, water that will not freeze, and a way to keep it that way. A hydration hose freezes in an hour in real cold. A vacuum flask does not.
Winter travel extras
Black Diamond Spot 400-R Rechargeable Headlamp
- Output:
- 400 lumens
- Power:
- Rechargeable
- Rating:
- Weather resistant
Any tour that starts before dawn or runs longer than planned needs a headlamp, and "longer than planned" describes most tours. Four hundred lumens is enough to skin and enough to ski out carefully.
Best for: Every touring pack, all season.
What it costs you: Lithium cells lose capacity in deep cold. Carry it in an inside pocket on the coldest days.
Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator
- Network:
- Iridium satellite
- SOS:
- Two-way with response centre
- Subscription:
- Required
Cell coverage in avalanche terrain ranges from patchy to absent. Two-way satellite messaging means a rescue request that is confirmed rather than hoped for, and it means telling someone you are running late instead of triggering a search.
Best for: Any tour beyond cell coverage, which is most of them.
What it costs you: Needs an active subscription and does nothing for the first fifteen minutes, which is the window that decides an avalanche burial. Companion rescue is still the plan.
Thermos The Rock Vacuum Insulated 1 Litre Bottle
- Volume:
- 1 litre
- Insulation:
- Vacuum stainless
- Use:
- Hot drinks
Water freezes in a hydration hose in an hour below about 20 F, and a dehydrated skier makes worse decisions. A vacuum flask of something hot solves hydration and morale in one item.
Best for: Cold-weather touring and long resort days.
What it costs you: Heavy for the volume. On a warm spring tour a plain bottle is lighter and enough.
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5
- Size:
- Two person
- Case:
- Watertight
- Use:
- Day tours
A watertight case matters because a soaked kit is a useless kit, and a wet dressing is worse than none. Pair it with a repair kit: a broken binding screw or a torn skin glue can end a tour just as fast as an injury.
Best for: Every touring pack.
What it costs you: A kit is not training. Wilderness first aid is a course, same as avalanche education.
Specifications are the manufacturer's published figures, not measurements we took. Sizes, prices and stock change constantly, so confirm on the retailer page before buying. We earn commissions from Backcountry and from qualifying Amazon purchases, and every link on this page is one or the other. Where a Backcountry button reads "shop the category" it opens a search for that category rather than that exact model, so it finds comparable gear alongside it.
Pace and planning
Snowshoe travel is slower than walking and much slower breaking trail. One to two miles an hour on a packed trail with modest elevation is a realistic planning figure, and deep unbroken snow can halve it even with a party rotating through the front. Plan on the pessimistic number and set a turnaround time before you leave.
The touring time calculator uses the Munter method, which works for snowshoe trips as well as ski tours provided you feed it honest rates, and the pace chart gives the trail-breaking corrections that explain why parties finish in the dark. The tour planning guide covers the forecast, the map, the timing and the plan you leave with somebody, all of which apply identically on foot.
Avalanche terrain, on foot
This deserves repeating because snowshoeing is often treated as the gentle option. It is gentler in every respect except avalanche exposure, where it is identical and in one respect worse: a snowshoer travels slowly, which means longer exposure when crossing a runout, and a party on foot is often less practised at recognising terrain traps than a touring party.
The requirements do not change. A course first, then a transceiver worn on the body, a probe and a shovel, then practice until companion rescue is automatic. Start with the avalanche safety basics, learn to read the regional forecast, and understand the slope angles where slabs release before you plan a route under anything steep. The companion rescue guide explains why nobody else arrives in time.
Frequently asked questions
What size snowshoe do I need?
Size by total load, not by your body weight alone. Total load means you, your clothing, your boots and everything in your pack, which for a winter day trip is commonly twenty to thirty pounds on top of you. Manufacturers publish a recommended load range for each size, and the bigger the load the more surface area you need to stay near the surface. Snow density matters just as much: dense spring snow supports you on a small shoe, while cold dry powder swallows the same shoe entirely. If you regularly break trail in deep light snow, size up or buy a model that accepts add-on tails.
Are snowshoes better than skis for the backcountry?
They are different tools rather than better or worse. Snowshoes are far cheaper, need no technique at all, work on terrain too tight or too rocky for skis, and let you carry a heavy pack comfortably. What they cannot do is descend: coming down is walking, so a long climb is repaid with a long walk rather than a run. Skis and splitboards climb more efficiently on open terrain and descend fast, at the cost of much more money and a genuine skill requirement. Many people use both, and snowshoes are the cheapest honest entry into winter travel.
Do I need avalanche gear for snowshoeing?
If you go anywhere in, under or above avalanche terrain, yes, and exactly the same gear and training as a skier. Snow does not distinguish between people on skis and people on foot, and snowshoers are involved in avalanche fatalities every season, frequently while travelling below a slope rather than on it. That means a transceiver worn on the body, a probe, a shovel, a formal avalanche course, and the regional forecast checked before every trip. If your route stays on flat or gently rolling terrain with nothing steep above it, none of that applies, and knowing which of those two you are on is precisely what the course teaches.
What boots should I wear with snowshoes?
A waterproof insulated winter hiking boot with a reasonably stiff sole. The binding needs something solid to clamp, so a soft trail runner deforms and lets the shoe rotate on your foot. Insulation matters because you are moving slowly compared with skiing and your feet are in contact with snow all day. Gaiters are close to essential unless the boot is very tall, because snow that goes over the cuff melts against your sock and stays there. Mountaineering boots work well and are overkill for rolling terrain.
Do I need poles for snowshoeing?
Not strictly, but they help enough that most people use them. Poles take load off your knees on a descent, give you two extra points of balance on a traverse or a crust that breaks unpredictably, and they let your arms contribute to the climb. Use adjustable poles with the largest baskets you have, since a small trekking basket sinks through soft snow and does nothing. Set them shorter for climbing and longer for descending, exactly as a ski tourer does, which is why the adjustable touring poles on this site are the sensible choice for both.
How fast do you travel on snowshoes?
Slower than you expect, and much slower breaking trail. On a packed trail with a light pack, one to two miles an hour with modest elevation gain is realistic for a reasonably fit person. Breaking trail in deep snow can halve that, and in genuinely deep light snow a party can be reduced to well under a mile an hour with everybody rotating through the front. Plan turnaround times on the pessimistic figure, and remember that winter daylight is short. The same Munter method used for ski touring works for estimating snowshoe trips if you use honest rates.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, published certification standards and verified owner reviews across retailers. We do not test equipment in person, and every figure quoted here is the manufacturer's published number unless we say otherwise. This is researched buying guidance and not professional instruction: binding release values are set by a certified technician on a calibrated jig, and avalanche terrain requires formal training and a current regional forecast that no article can replace.
