Snowshoes: Traditional, Modern, or Hybrid.

Hopefully, like me you've enjoyed some snowshoeing this season. If  your new to the sport and you are in the market for a new pair you have quite the decision ahead of you. There is so many options in the market today. There are specific snowshoes for different types of activities in the snow, different materials, and lots of different sizes and shapes. Within this post I am going to talk more about the different materials and types of snowshoes, be it traditional, modern, and or even new hybrid types. I will list some of the pros and cons to each, and hopefully help in some to way steer you in what your lifestyle might require.

Let me start by saying that buying a snowshoe that is manufactured in Canada or US is pretty easy, as there are plenty of them around. There is at least half a dozen big names for sure. I myself, have tried and will touch base on four types available today. They are traditional wood and rawhide, Aluminium tube and vinyl decking, the all plastic type, and a ski snowshoe hybrid. All of them can be easily purchased to fit the users weight and function.

The first pair of snowshoes I got were made of bent wood and rawhide. They were made in Canada and they work great( I still have them). They are classically styled, are definitely time tested and durable. However one major downside for some people is maintenance. Every year you have to give them some love by applying Spar varnish to stop the rawhide from absorbing water. While some people enjoy the extra "hands on effort" to be a part of their equipment, some people just want a pair they can pick-up and go. These snowshoes typically use old style harness' that in my experience function beautifully. There are two basic harnesses for these snowshoes, the first is a thick rubber slip on harness that makes it quick to put on or take off. The other is a strap and buckle style harness that cinches down tight. The major downfall in the performance of wood/rawhide snowshoes as opposed to modern ones is the lack of cramp-ons in their construction. Without our spiky friends, they can make navigating some hills and snow conditions difficult and very slippery.

The other popular and more affordable are the Tubular aluminum and vinyl decking type. I use the term "affordable" loosely, as these come in a huge range from very cheap to big time expensive. Most rental places I have seen use these, as they are durable and provide newbies with ease of use. They have built in cramp-ons to help in icy conditions and scramble up hills. They also usually use a "clicky" binding system similar to downhill ski boots. I am not a huge fan of this type of snowshoe, as I find the bindings tend to break quite easy, or hard to adjust with gloves on. I also tend to find that these snowshoes can be too light. I like having the extra weight on my feet, it makes me aware that something is attached to me and I need to pay attention to my footing when traversing obstacles. These aluminum snowshoes also tend to have an extreme or should I say Xtreme!!! technical / futuristic look to them, with bright flashy colours and patterned nylon straps criss-crossing every which way around your foot.  They are easy to use for beginners, with their narrow widths, making walking more natural for the first timers. This type of snowshoes fill up about 70%-80% of what is on the market today, as you can buy them from Wally World to high end outfitters.

Another type of snowshoe is the all-plastic models. Made from a solid plastic deck that is a composite that does not get brittle in the cold, and resists UV light. They have cramp-ons just like the aluminum ones, but also have toothed rails running the length of the snowshoe. They provide to be the best traction on any snow or ice. They usually have a binding system similar to the aluminum style mentioned above. My wife and I use MSR Denali Classics. We have had the best luck with these shoes. They use a cinch system to attach to your feet, and have had no problem with the compound of the straps and have had no breakages. They are very adjustable and the same snowshoe fits my Wife's size 8 to my size 12 with no problem. These MSR snowshoes have a customizable tail system that use of different lengths of tails on the end of the main snowshoe to add more or less flotation to them depending on your weight. With the tails off it makes a great general winter hiking add-on for icy conditions. All plastic snowshoes are very light and easily to strap to a pack while hiking in, and some can even be "broken down"a bit to put inside a pack if needed.  The only downside of the all-plastic snowshoes is the noise, as they are loud. The bottoms crunch and bang on ice and rocks, as swell they scrape on trees, possibly startling any wildlife in the area away. While durable, they make a bloody racket!

Lastly, there is the hybrid, products like Marquette Backcountry Ski. I was recently asked to put them through their paces against the typical snowshoes that I have been talking about above. These skis, that are made in Marquette, MI. are marketed as "70% ski, 30% snowshoe, 100% fun". These are a new item to the back country ski and snowshoe world, and are a viable option for winter activities. They are made of 100% recyclable material, and can be set up with numerous different binding systems depending how aggressive you want to take your ski/snowshoeing. They lack a metal edge, but come fairly sharp out of the box. Re-edging can be done with a razor and smoothed with a torch if need be. The manufacturers suggestion for maximum control is a hard plastic telemark boot and tele binding. I used what I had lying around, and in the end my set up was some lighter weight NNN bindings and my Alpina XC touring boots.

As a tester I want to be able to actually put the items in question through the ropes to see if they are everything that we are told, and I was fortunate enough to be able to try these new skis in some pretty extreme conditions. This past weekend I was in the Bala, Ontario and on the ground was over 30" of snow. When my brother in law and I left the camp for a 3 hour ski, up hills, through bush, along trails, and down some slopes we were amazing at how well they held me up on the snow. In the 30" deep snow I was sinking perhaps about 7".  I followed Andy and his metal edged backcountry ski's fairly close with decent speed in the damp snow . You could definitely tell there was excessive friction, but it was completely expected as the width is almost double the normal backcountry ski. As we made our way up some decent ascends, that is one place that this hybrid greatly flourished. I could whip up the hills with ease usually in a light jog, the fish scales grip amazingly well in the deep snow, and the couple times there was slippage, waiting a second for the scales to bite cured that right quick.  Once on top of the hills this is where the Marquettes take their place. Take a look, pick a line, and give yourself a nudge, and down you go. While the snow was very damp and sticky, the skis had no problem knocking me on my ass, as they slipped out from under me the first few runs. Due to the lack of control from the NNN system for downhill skiing (soft boots and all), the ski style best used is straight, fast and as little obstacles in front as possible. The ski's length of 140cm however made for some easy maneuvering while in the thick of the bush. It also made for easy get ups after a spill, as I didn't have to swing full length skis around to parallel to stand up. I did have difficulty using the edge of the skis to climb a packed icy hill that was maybe 6 feet tall, but again I think it was due to the boot binding set up and lack of rigidity. It took me about 5 min to get up this hill and I did wear the part of the edge down quite a bit doing so, and will have to be repaired at a later date.

I found that with these skis, I kept treating them as snowshoes. Rather than kick and sliding, I was tromping. Maybe I was doing it wrong, but it seemed to work just fine as the length and width makes this easily doable. It worked so well that I feel they should really consider changing their percentages to possibly 50% ski / 50% snowshoe. Chatting with Andy as we progressed along the trail and myself caring a 20lb pack, we could really see taking these into the deep backcountry and on weekend winter camping trips. Too big and bulky for the "slopes", but take them into some deep snowy forests and your golden. The plastic is tough and the hardware simple, two components that one needs to trust.  After a weekend of putting these skis to the test, I have a couple of tips for anyone considering purchasing a pair for themselves.

1. I would recommend them as snowshoes. Snowshoes with the bonus of a lot more fun getting to the bottom of the hill
2. Get telemark bindings, used ones if you have to. This will help if you want to take the descends serious and have decent turning control. My toes killed the next day from being torqued back and forth from the soft toe boots.

Snowshoeing has a long and loved history in North America, it's great to see innovative new ideas like MBS hitting the market. Whether you stick with standard snowshoes, or try something fresh and exciting like Marquette Backcountry Skis, rest assured that either way your going to have a blast. I realize I could keep going on about the small details of each, but if you have any questions about any of the snowshoe styles please let me know and I would be glad to assist.

Tips over the edge. One of my first runs.

Climbing.

The skis thickness, hollow but sturdy.

Climbing, Actually steeper than it looks!

Super wide keeps this guy afloat.

Jogging across terrain.

This is the nasty hill that took me 5 min to climb, and shredded the edge of my ski.

Trying to start my line down a 50 year old ski hill.

Too much flexibility in the boots can make this ski perform poorly for more then straight runs.

A great purchase for those seeking deep woods adventure.

Geared Up.

I came across this photo somewhere, about 6 months ago. It has been sitting on my desktop waiting for me to do something with it. I absolutely love this picture. I look at it almost everyday. It really captures the honest, and traditional art of wilderness tripping.  Look at the slight smile, He wouldn't trade having a 80lb pack on his back for nothing at that moment. Not only that, but the gear he has as a whole. I find it funny how today, in 2012, I wear a Stormy Kromer, and a wool shirt everyday in the cooler weather, and while in the bush I wear 16" bean boots and wool pants. Looking at the photo it looks like its from the 30's - 40's, and his gears is still viable some 70 years later, and is still the best you can get. Wool and Leather folks, its all you need! 

Custom Drop Sheaths.

Tim and Chris of COEC asked me to make two different sheaths for their matching knifes.  I am a fan of drop sheaths, their simplicity and lack of snaps and buttons make them fool-proof and durable. These bad boys are made form 10 oz tooling leather. They were wet formed over the knife and then stitched to the backing. Wet forming is when you soak the leather then place it over the item, and stretch it while it dries. I lay it on a slice of log and tack it down tightly around the knife (or any object) while it dries. This insures a custom fit! They leather, after dried and stitched is treated with a blend of waxes. My treatment for sheaths is 65% beeswax, 35% paraffin, this is a good balance of stiffness for the sheath, and for a good measure I threw in a dollop if Damn Yak Pine Pitch Salve for a bit of oil and the grip of pitch. I like the idea of the "Pancake" Sheath, this was the first time making this type of sheath, its tight to the body and does not get caught on thing as easily as a regular sheath would. The initial fit is super snug, but with use they will loosen up appropriately. These sheaths should provide years of hard use and dependability. Can't wait to see them in a 6 months, to see how they have weathered.

Horned Crook Knife.

 

 

While cleaning up my office this past week I stumbled on to a crook knife I bought myself about 3 years ago. I had it wrapped in a rag tucked in a box with random junk. I bought it at a rummage sale for no more that $5, the fellow had about 3 of them all in rough shape. This one was the only one usable, handle firmly fixed, and blade somewhat sharp. It looks to be handmade from a possible broken kitchen knife, as the marks are from Sheffield, England, as popular as bushcraft is I don't think that they were commercial crook knifes with cattle horn handles from the turn of the century!

The makers mark is reads "J (or) I.Wilson, Sycamore St. Sheffield England", then their trademark peppercorn and diamond stamp. Doing a quick google search of the stamp, The company was started by Thomas Wilson as a general cutlery maker in 1750. After Thomas' death, his son John took over until his death in 1851. Apparently by the 19th century the peppercorn and diamond trademark was one of the most popular and well known trademarks of the cutlery industry. While searching I came across this image of a auction of a 6 pack of skinning knives. On the package you can clearly see the peppercorn mark and a bit of history of the company

The horn handle is very comfortable and the crook is not to deep, no spoon making with this one. Even without a sharpen, it whisks wood quite easy, and the very old rivets that connect blade and handle hold strong.

I need to get my butt in gear and sharpen this knife up and take it for a spin, maybe hammer out a paddle finally. Any readers dabbled with crook knives? And tips or ticks you can share?

Swags / Bed rolls.

Swags Or Bed rolls have a long history in Australia and America, Having their peaks during the Depression of the 1890s and again with the Great Depression of the 1930s.  They were typically carried by shearers, miners, travelling farmers, and the unemployed.  While here in the Americas we generally saw them carried by Cowboys.  The term Swagman is/was a common phase down under for a foot traveller. The historical swag consisted of a durable canvas outer cloth and wool blanket inside to keep you warm.  Commercial Swags are still made of Canvas, but usually made to fit your standard sleeping bag, and sometimes they contain integrated foam mattresses.  They are finding a place again around the world with bushcrafters and traditional campers who enjoy sleeping under the stars and don't mind carrying the extra weight.  Duluth pack makes a very nice bed roll, thought I think it would be great if it had a waxed bottom for added durability. And a quick Google found many tent makes and tack dealers do make their own bed rolls for reasonable cost, while making your own seems quite easily possible! The most accurate description of a swag is probably from the 1907 book "The Romance of the Swag" by Henry Lawson.

"The swag is usually composed of a tent “fly” or strip of calico (a cover for the swag and a shelter in bad weather—in New Zealand it is oilcloth or waterproof twill), a couple of blankets, blue by custom and preference, as that colour shows the dirt less than any other (hence the name “bluey” for swag), and the core is composed of spare clothing and small personal effects. To make or “roll up” your swag: lay the fly or strip of calico on the ground, blueys on top of it; across one end, with eighteen inches or so to spare, lay your spare trousers and shirt, folded, light boots tied together by the laces toe to heel, books, bundle of old letters, portraits, or whatever little knick-knacks you have or care to carry, bag of needles, thread, pen and ink, spare patches for your pants, and bootlaces. Lay or arrange the pile so that it will roll evenly with the swag (some pack the lot in an old pillowslip or canvas bag), take a fold over of blanket and calico the whole length on each side, so as to reduce the width of the swag to, say, three feet, throw the spare end, with an inward fold, over the little pile of belongings, and then roll the whole to the other end, using your knees and judgment to make the swag tight, compact and artistic; when within eighteen inches of the loose end take an inward fold in that, and bring it up against the body of the swag. There is a strong suggestion of a roley-poley in a rag about the business, only the ends of the swag are folded in, in rings, and not tied. Fasten the swag with three or four straps, according to judgment and the supply of straps. To the top strap, for the swag is carried (and eased down in shanty bars and against walls or veranda-posts when not on the track) in a more or less vertical position—to the top strap, and lowest, or lowest but one, fasten the ends of the shoulder strap (usually a towel is preferred as being softer to the shoulder), your coat being carried outside the swag at the back, under the straps. To the top strap fasten the string of the nose-bag, a calico bag about the size of a pillowslip, containing the tea, sugar and flour bags, bread, meat, baking-powder and salt, and brought, when the swag is carried from the left shoulder, over the right on to the chest, and so balancing the swag behind. But a swagman can throw a heavy swag in a nearly vertical position against his spine, slung from one shoulder only and without any balance, and carry it as easily as you might wear your overcoat. Some bushmen arrange their belongings so neatly and conveniently, with swag straps in a sort of harness, that they can roll up the swag in about a minute, and unbuckle it and throw it out as easily as a roll of wall-paper, and there’s the bed ready on the ground with the wardrobe for a pillow. The swag is always used for a seat on the track; it is a soft seat, so trousers last a long time. And, the dust being mostly soft and silky on the long tracks out back, boots last marvellously. Fifteen miles a day is the average with the swag, but you must travel according to the water: if the next bore or tank is five miles on, and the next twenty beyond, you camp at the five-mile water to-night and do the twenty next day. But if it’s thirty miles you have to do it. Travelling with the swag in Australia is variously and picturesquely described as “humping bluey,” “walking Matilda,” “humping Matilda,” “humping your drum,” “being on the wallaby,” “jabbing trotters,” and “tea and sugar burglaring,” but most travelling shearers now call themselves trav’lers, and say simply “on the track,” or “carrying swag.”

Swiss Salt and Pepper Rucksack.

Used from the mid 50's to the late 60's this pack is absolutely bombproof. Solid leather construction, with unique "salt and pepper" coloured canvas that is so thick and tight it makes Duluth, Frost River, and even Filson seem like cheese cloth. The leather is about 6-7oz. tooling leather and tough aluminum hardware. This pack has two closures the main draw string, but being used in a snowy region there is a thinner canvas closer inside, that a string wraps around to keep completely sealed. Classically styled, they are getting harder to come by. They used to be cheap like $20, now typically $100 and up. Perfectly sized for a weekend away, and I guarantee* it'll last a lifetime of any abuse you can bestow on to it.


* not a actual guarantee!

[images via etsy & The Noisy West]

The Swanndri Bushshirt.

 

 

I am sure most of you have heard of Swanndri, the New Zealand Wool company.  For those not, here is a bit of history.  In 1913 New Plymouth tailor William Broome registered the trademark ‘Swanndri’ for a weatherproof woollen shirt.  Broom, born in Staffordshire, England, immigrated to New Zealand at age 21 and established a clothier and outfitters business, The Palatine.  The characteristics of the “swanny” design include its heavy dark fabric, often in a tartan pattern and ties up around the neck. In more recent "Ranger" shirt, a zipper has replaced the ties.  The original design was short sleeved, long in the back, and would be worn on top of farmers work clothes for warmth and shower proofing.  The "secret of Swanndri was that during production, these garments were dipped into a mixture of dissolved chemicals and then dried.  It is not known if Broome was taught this method for shower proofing the fabric or he developed the formula himself.  Unfortunately, the mixture caused the garments to shrink, making it difficult to determine size. Consequently they were sold as one size fits all.  The name was because the rain would literally run off the back of the garment as it does on a swan.

These Garments are now being produced with more "urban" styling line, but rest assured their heritage styles are still the most popular, and Bushcrafters around the world have adapted the bushshirt as their go to uniform, so I don't think its going anywhere.


Check out their site here:  Swanndri NZ

Collapsible Buck Saw Bag.

 

 

A while back I made a collapsible buck saw.  I needed a bag to tote it around safely and to keep it clean.  I saw a similar design on the Ray Mears Woodlore site, and set to work from the images there.   It is a great idea, a holder for the saw and my axe all in one.  Being able to sling it over your back while you go foraging for wood, and then having your hands free while dragging wood back.  It worked quite well during our trip recently and I look forward to having to use this tough little bag again.  Go ahead, draw up some plans and make your own!

Wild Grape Jelly.

This past weekend while out on a bike ride, my wife and I came across some wild grapes.  They were growing rampantly along a roadside fence in Campbellville.  There was a length of about 200 meters of beautiful bunches of grapes.  Having had a goal this summer to forage something and make a finished product.  While finishing up the ride, I decided to make jelly.  The following day I took a drive back with a bucket, and filled it to the brim with the slightly tart 1 cm wide grapes. After getting home I took to stemming them and was left with 7 lbs of grapes.  Online I found the following recipe on food.com and set to work.

Ingredients:

3 lbs wild grapes, stemmed

3 cups water

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 (85 ml) package liquid pectin

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, crush grapes with potato masher; pour in water and bring to boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until fruit is very soft.

3. Transfer to jelly bag or colander lined with a double thickness of fine cheesecloth and let drip overnight.

4. Measure juice (you should have 3 cups/750 ml) into a large heavy saucepan; stir in sugar.

5. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

6. Stir in pectin.

7. Return to full boil and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.

8. Remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon.

9. Pour into sterilized jars, leaving 1/8-inch headspace.

In the end I made two separate batches (you should never double a jelly recipe, make batches), which made 12 250ml jars, and have 5 cups of juice left.  I might try to make a concentrate.  Growing up my grandpa would make this condensed juice.  You would add the contents of the small bottle and 4 equal parts of water and you would end up with delicious grape juice.  The jelly set, and its super sweet.   All in all it was a success.  Hopefully some more hikes and rides will open up some more of natures free goods ready for the picking.

Tilley Hats.

Illustration by: Paula Becker

In 1980 an amateur yachtsman decided to make himself the perfect hat. Alex Tilley wanted his sailor's hat to float, tie under the chin, stand up to the harshest weather, launder, look classic, and wear comfortably. Tilley located a milliner through the yellow pages who agreed to sew a hat for him, but then ran into problems. "The canvas I wanted to use was so tough that needles couldn't go through it and it shrank when it got wet,". After experimenting, Tilley discovered that he could preshrink the canvas by boiling and steaming it. In 1986 he added a thin layer of foam to the sweatband and to the crown to make them float thus completed his hat. These hats, not just for yachting anymore are still made in Canada. Still are bombproof and come with a lifetime warranty. The washing instructions are simple; “Give ‘em hell”. Even though they now make over 30 different hats the original T2 hat is my favourite, with its classic look and comfort. You can order one up at their website, or find a retailer near you.

Gränsfors Bruks AB

When heading out on a canoe trip or backpacking trip a fine trustworthy companion is a Gränsfors Bruks axe. Gränsfors Bruks is a small Swedish familiy operated company formed in 1902. Known worldwide for their finely crafted axes that have been stripped of paint, labels and extra hardware. These axes have been showcased on the very popular TV series "Bushcraft" by Ray Mears and touted by the man himself. The head are proudly marked with the makers initals, some people will only but items made by certain people. I have been carrying the "Small FOrest Axe" on my adventures for about 5 years now, and everyone whom I have let try it (FYI - quickest way to loose a friend is to let them use your axe or knife) has been wickedly impressed. It cuts through wood like a razor blade. It really is incredible! So if you are in the market for a new axe, I suggest you go out to your local Lee Valley store or Canadian Outdoor Equipment and pick one that suits your needs.


VIDEO - Ray Mears - Choosing and Using an Axe.

Sami Style Coffee Pouch.

The Sami peoples are the folk who inhabit parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. Their livelihood has and does still included coastal fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding. Their best known means of livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding – which about 10% of the Sami are connected with and 2,800 actively involved with full-time. They heavily rely on their passed down skills of hunting, Bushcraft, and means of survival. The Sami make a lot of their own items, Boots, clothes, knives, and general dry goods. One of the Sami items aside from their puukko and leuku knives, that has made there way into the Bushcraft scene is the coffee pouch. Traditionally used to hold coffee, flour, or any dry ingredient are now being used to hold tinder for fire starting.

These pouches would typically be made out of reindeer leather, and hand sewn, But now are being semi-massed produced for everyday people wanting to get there hands on one. However looking online at a couple pictures any crafty person could make their own out of some thin leather, or even canvas. I drew up some plans quickly and set to work. I chose a thin enough leather that I could just poke the needle through by hand, and in about 1 hour had my own pouch. The leather was fairly stiff as it is not reindeer, so a rub down with neatsfoot oil was in order. After the oil and letting it soak in the leather was supple and buttery! I have included some pics of my pouch as well as a picture of the pattern. The pattern is a guide as there might be a bit to cut off when you are finishing up one of the seams.

They make beautiful pouches for any item on the trail. I keep my fire starting equipment in it, but might line it with a plastic bag and keep some GORP in it?. Regardless these pouches make very handy, and traditional items to store and carry your dry goods. I hope you make one, and please send some pictures my way!