Page 295 - The Lost Ways

Anatomy of a Snowshoe

Snowshoes work by spreading your weight over a bigger area so that you won’t sink into
the snow. This greatly reduces the amount of energy you have to expend in order to move
around while also lowering the risk of hypothermia.

While making some snowshoes ahead of time sounds like a good idea, you can also make

them in an emergency situation if you’re stuck out in the woods. About the only difference
is that you probably won’t have as much to work with.

But snowshoes are simple enough that in a pinch, you could make a set while out in the
woods that is good enough to get you home.

Snow shoes come in two basic designs: oval and teardrop. These two styles were
developed at about the same time but in different places. As far as utility is concerned,
they both work about equally well. The teardrop ones are a bit easier to make and tend
to be a bit longer. That’s not much of an issue, though, unless you are trekking around in
an area where there isn’t much room between the trees. But then, you probably wouldn’t
need snowshoes there.

The snowshoe consists of three basic parts: the frame, webbing, and binding. The frame
defines the outer limits of the snowshoe and provides a place to attach the webbing.

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