The ground in Maine exists in three states:

• Lovely, moss-covered, and solid
• A muddy, boggy, colloidal mass
• Frozen over and bound in snow

Subsequently, a key feature of living in Maine is a sturdy pair of snowshoes.

Ideally, snowshoes should allow you to travel the frost-laden world of Maine without undue turmoil.  No post-holing, sinking up to your knees, and taking the Lord’s name in vain as you struggle to move several yards.

There are things you need to know before you buy snowshoes.

• The weight of yourself and the things you plan on carrying
• The kind of snow-covered terrain you will traverse
• The nature of the snow you’re walking upon

For the years I was stationed as a paratrooper in Alaska, I jumped out of planes with the Army’s old magnesium tennis rackets strapped to my weapon case.  Inelegant though binding and snowshoe may have been, they offered decent flotation for an infantryman burdened by a 50 lbs rucksack full of ammo and gear.  They had little to no traction however, which is why when the Army moved to the injection-molded MSR snowshoe in recent years, I’ve been happy, as I’ve been using the same pair of MSR snowshoes since 1996.

For casual walks on hard-packed snow, like groomed trails, you can usually opt for lower-cost snowshoes with simple bindings and little in the way of traction.

Bindings

Understanding bindings is important.  There are basically two kinds of bindings, rotating or floating bindings, and fixed bindings.  As you can see with our 2024 recommendation, the Crescent Moon Luna, that is a fixed binding.  A rotating binding will pivot, and may or may not have a crampon attached to the toe.  Most wooden snowshoes, too, have a pivot like this on the binding, for greater traction walking uphill, thus reducing fatigue.

Some models, particularly mountaineering focused snowshoes, will have an additional “heel lift” to reduce strain on your calves.

Additional Traction

As we mentioned, some snowshoes will have toe crampons, heel crampons, and traction bars running along the side.  My MSR snowshoes have “breaking bars”, a feature that seems to exist only on injection-molded or plastic snowshoes, that help prevent sliding backwards on ascents.

For 2024: MSR Evo Ascent, 22-inch
Great for Maine backcountry Can add tails for additional flotation Very expensive
Check Price on Amazon

There is a lot to be said for versatility.  In addition to the two other models we recommend here this year, there’s one more model we recommend for maximum versatility.  We encourage you to shop around, especially at L.L. Bean or REI.

For 2024: MSR Evo Trail
Great for Maine backcountry, albeit not robust mountaineering Can add tails for additional flotation Decent price point
Check Price on Amazon

Last modified: January 24, 2024