SNOWSHOES ???

[raleigh]

I did not get any responces in the dressing for ice fishing forum so I thought I would try it here.I am looking to bye a pair of snow shoes for those hard to get to lakes this winter. I want to spend 200.00 or under. Anyone have any good recemandions for snow shoes? I have been looking at redfeather.

[Hoppes]

I have aluminum and traditional wood snowshoes, both work very well.  I tend to like traditional things but it's hard to beat aluminum.  Tubbs makes a great snowshoe.  LL Beans has a good selection with some real nice, easy to use bindings.  Some styles of snowshoes are better suited to certain type of snow conditions also.  You might want to investigate various styles on the web before purchasing.  Modified bearpaws have served me well over the years.  Snowshoeing can be a wicked good winter pastime and allows you to explore places most people do not visit in the winter, including cross country skiers.  Good luck in finding exactly what fills your needs!
Hoppes

[TroutFishingBear]

raleigh, go to REI, you know off of north avenue in grand junction. near 7 street I think. They have some there I am sure.

[Thriller]

I know nothing about snowshoes, but in Canada, you might want to look at Mountain Equipment Co-op (http://www.mec.ca/index.html ).  They have an amazing selection of quality outdoor gear (although not geared to hunting/fishing, it still is good stuff).  You do have to purchase in inexpensive membership to be able to shop from them.

[Skiff]

The snowshoes you get, like Hoppes said, will depend to a certain extent on the type of snow you are out on.  If it's usually loose, powdery snow, fairly deep, like in the bush, or hiking off a trail between lakes, I'd go with the traditional large tear-drop shaped shoes, only because they will keep you on top.  (That's what I use.) If you're out on a lake, where the snow is generally wind-blown and packed a bit more firmly, the smaller shoes like the aluminum ones with plastic webbing or canvas sheeting are good.  They will work in deeper snow, but you have to really lift your knees high to get above the snow, and that gets tiring.  The big ones, of course, will work just fine out on the lake as well.

[2 dogs]

I have a  pair of wooden Beavertails (sort of round with a short tail) that I made 40 years ago in school and they have served me well for everything from powder to trails and snow drifts on the lake. I guess the aluminum are fine but there is something about wooden snow shoes with leather bindings. Sort of like SGT. Preston and his dog KIng if you remember them.