How Do You Make Snowshoes And Use Them?
In deep snow, snowshoes are a must. Using snowshoes is an art and their use can only be mastered through experience. Basic skills for acquisition and use will be discussed bellow. Snowshoes can be built or acquired in the following ways ordered by quality of the shoe. • Aluminum/High Quality: Aluminum snowshoes can be purchased in a number of different places and have evolved to their current state of high adaptability and light weight. • Ash/High quality: Ash is a very light, mold resistant wood used as base so as to weave raw hide or basswood into a central lattice which then holds ones foot. This type of snowshoe is probably the most expensive but also the most effective. • By quartering an ash log one can, by use of water bend an ash quarter around itself to be used as primitive base for weaving. • Rawhide or curred basswood can be used as reinforcement and footholds. • Spruce/Low Quality: The easiest snowshoe to make and also the most adaptable. However they are made for one time
Snowshoes can be built or acquired in the following ways ordered by quality of the shoe. • Aluminum/High Quality: Aluminum snowshoes can be purchased in a number of different places and have evolved to their current state of high adaptability and light weight. • Ash/High quality: Ash is a very light, mold resistant wood used as base so as to weave raw hide or basswood into a central lattice which then holds ones foot. This type of snowshoe is probably the most expensive but also the most effective. • By quartering an ash log one can, by use of water bend an ash quarter around itself to be used as primitive base for weaving. • Rawhide or curred basswood can be used as reinforcement and footholds. • Spruce/Low Quality: The easiest snowshoe to make and also the most adaptable. However they are made for one time use and are rather flimsy for long expeditions. • Repeat all of the steps bellow for two shoes. Also note that when asked to reinforce a knot or string, do so generously as your wh
