But if you desperately need to get from one place to another in the snow, a pair of inflatable snowshoes will be a big help. There really aren’t other features to speak of. Making them a great pair of backcountry snowshoes that won’t take up much space. Then you blow them up with the included hand pump or a CO2 cartridge and hike to safety. Need a pair of snowshoes to stick in your snowmobile, ATV, or other winter vehicle? Yukon Charlie’s Airlift snowshoes pack away into a small sack that’s easy to stash. Also available is the Tubbs Wayfinder Women’s version. But, if that’s what you’re looking for, this is a lightweight, easy-to-use option. So you’ll find that it fits a smaller group of people. The Tubbs Wayfinder Snowshoes are meant for flat terrain, but this is a long snowshoe that’s best suited for powdery snow. There’s no heel lift and limited spikes beyond the heel and toe crampons, but if you’re high-alpine, snowy terrain, that should be enough to keep you secure. While snowshoes over 25″ can be pretty heavy, the Wayfinder breaks the mold with 30″ of length and only 3 lbs., 6 oz. Max recommended load: 180–300 lbs., depending on length. If you’re serious about your snowshoeing and want to tackle some big backcountry objectives, you can’t go wrong with these TSL Snowshoes. TSL packed these snowshoes full of features, including a Boa Binding fit adjustment system, padding for your ankles, side rails for extra stability, and some serious side grips to complement the standard crampons. And at less than four pounds for a pair of size-small snowshoes, they won’t slow you down on long ascents.

At 20.5″, 24.2″, or 27″ long and 7.5–8.5″ wide, you’ll have plenty of flotation through soft powder. The TSL Highlander Snowshoes are built for serious adventures. Max recommended load: 180–280 lbs., depending on length There’s also a women’s version that shaves about a half-inch off of the width.

These MSR Snowshoes comes in three lengths (22″, 25″, and 30″) to best suit your height and the kinds of snowshoeing you’re doing (22″ is a pretty solid standard length, but MSR Lighting Ascent 25″ and the MSR Lighting Ascent 30″ are great for taller people or those looking for deep powder adventures). The entire frame is surrounded by a strip of steel to give you maximal grip, too.

There’s a huge amount of grip over much of the bottom of the shoe, with side-to-side heel and midfoot crampons. The Lightning Ascent is all about getting to the top of your current objective as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Snowshoes rating review