CrescentMoon Snowshoes | Crescent Moon Gold Snowshoes Help, How-To, Q & A

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MEN'S & WOMEN'S CRESCENT MOON GOLD SNOWSHOES
DISCUSSION, HELP, QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Kyle S. asks - I am looking for a replacement set of snowshoes. I am 5’9 160# I have a set of 30” Tubbs from 10 years or so ago. I have been having issues with the rivet that holds the crampon to the binding breaking. So far I have been able to replace it with a new rivet, but it usually happens a mile from the car. Ready to upgrade to new snow shoes! What do you recommend for a good all-around snowshoe. I don’t currently get into the mountains, but do some hiking in the winter along Lake Superior’s North Shore on the Superior Hiking Trail. There are some steep sections, but the climbs are not sustained for long periods of time. I don’t know if I will take the time to use the climbing bar for the length of the climbs. I want a good binding, and a reliable overall shoe. Typically I go out 15-20 times per year.

ORS Crew (Chris) answers - Needless to say, there are solid offerings by Atlas and Tubbs (the Tubbs Flex NRG is a solid option and I discuss this model further below). But two great shoes that sometimes get overlooked and would certainly fit the bill for you are the Crescent Moon Gold and the MSR Lightning Flash. Both are U.S.-made -- Crescent Moon in Colorado and MSR in Washington -- and both have unique features. Crescent Moon prides itself on the security and ease of use of its binding. The company refuses to compromise on that binding, and that's why you don't see it trying to compete with other manufacturers at the lower price points. They make a snowshoe that is meant for snowshoeing first and foremost -- not a snowshoe that is designed to be easy to sell on the retail floor due to its low price, but hard to actually use because of inexpensive materials or unproven design. Crescent Moon also features the only true toe crampon in the industry and an aggressively tapered shape, allowing for great traction and flotation with a more natural gait. The MSR Lightning Flash is very lightweight, easy to get in and out of and has a design that makes use of the shoe's entire flexible frame for traction. If your snowshoeing consists primarily of packed trail walking (walking on trails generally packed down by other snowshoers etc.), the MSR Lightning Flash is hard to beat. Both Tubbs and Atlas have incorporated elements of the MSR snowshoes design in the Tubbs Flex line and the Atlas Aspect. The MSR Lightning Flash SpeedLock binding system allows you to customize the angle of each snowshoe to your gait. MSR has always approached snowshoes from a mountaineering -- versus recreational -- standpoint, and the ease of use and dependability required on Alpine summits has made for many satisfied more casual exercise users. I wouldn't recommend the Atlas Aspect for your needs, as it's overkill and more expensive than what you need. But you would do well to consider the Tubbs Flex NRG model. It features an amazingly comfortable design and easy walking gait due to the Flex tail technology. The Strike Zone on the Tubbs NRG also does a great job of absorbing shock and stress, especially nice on packed snowshoe trails. None of these snowshoes include heel lift bars but you can save the money and do without them for your type of uphill climbing. Onless the climbs are very long and considerably steep it would probably more hassle to spend the time engaging the heel lift at the bottom of the hill just to then spend time lowering them again after such short climbs. The crampons and traction bars on all the models mentioned will get you to the top nicely. So to sum up I suggest you look at the Crescent Moon Gold, MSR Lightning Flash and Tubbs Flex NRG models. For sizing just follow the sizing charts on each product page (some models are one size fits all as well).

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one size fits all