Chinook Trekker Snowshoes

Only got one chance to use them so far, to pull my 8 and 4 year old daughters on their sled across the farm fields and through the woods. That is exactly why I bought them. Last year I did the same thing, but I didn't have these and it was more of a workout than I wanted. Almost every step I took, my feet sank into the snow. Armed with these, this time, I still got a workout but not the kind that involved pulling my sunken boots from the depths. They definitely served the purpose for me, only once or twice did they sink in a little deep. The top binding strap is a little long, (as other reviewers have noted) and a person might want to trim them back a bit. That is not a big deal, better to have extra if you need it than not enough. I love the ratchets on the bindings, they make the on and off process very easy. I plan to use a lot more next year, if I can. I will give a follow up on their durability at that time. I am expecting that they will hold up fine, if I don't abuse them, they seem well enough made.

I purchased the 36" I'm 5-11 and 200 pounds. I had no trouble walking in them. They supported me in 3 feet plus of snow no problem. I would sink to about 6-8" , making it much easier to traverse the snowy U.P. woods. I also used them this spring in the sugar bush carrying a couple 5 gallon buckets of maple sap without a problem. I had now hardware issues but I notice a few things that could be contributing to other reviewers issues. The foot plate has some flex to it and if you are not paying attention when putting them on you can bend the tabs an break them. Also I think the buckles are long and can be trimmed to the user's boots. I haven't trimmed mine yet but plan to. It seems that when tightening the buckle excess hits the snowshoe itself and puts unnecessary tension on the buckle causing it to not tighten properly. Shoes themselves are of good quality the bag is sufficient to hold the shoes but don't expect much of it.

We bought two pairs of these due to the price and the total reviews. Overall they are a decent build, don't think they'll last for ever but 2-3 seasons of moderate use should be expected. We used the shoes up in the Sierra Nevada's traveling over established trails and roads with moderate changes in elevation. Extremely easy to put on and get out of. They held up and made a difference vs without snow shoes. We did not carry appreciable amount of weight so I cannot comment on the suitability for backpacking. The shoes arrive in a nylon travel case that allows water to drain out with side baffles. Overall, these are a good buy for occasional use or if you plan on limited trips. I would not depend on a multi-day backpack trip on them, I would rely on something sturdier. Pros: Cost, light weight, easy on/off, comes with a travel/storage bag. Cons: The support system relies on a plastic suspension, eventually that will wear down and tear at the rivets. Long term use/abuse look else where.

Used these over the weekend for a group day hike. I felt pretty confident in these. The others I was with had more expensive brands of snowshoes, but I held my own. I'm going backpacking in these next weekend and will update if necessary. So far I loved the straps, I noticed others taking much longer than I did to strap theirs on. Worked great uphill; going downhill I slipped several times until I started planting my feet flat to get more grip from the front crampons. Not complaining at all considering I know what the others paid for their snowshoes. Update: over a 3 day snow backpacking trip in the sierras, I feel confident in recommending these. Everyone (14 others) were using far more expensive snowshoes and I felt nothing but confidence in these. I'm shocked to see how the more expensive brands have these straps that others struggled with while I had mine strapped on in seconds. The straps on these are solid and so quick. I'm 145 and these worked on a day hike and a backpack trip with a ~45lb pack. Highly recommend.

These babies are the best! I read the reviews on the Chinook site and for the price I paid, $47, I got a great deal. At first, Amazon was quoting a 4 month delivery! I tried to order them on the Chinook site through listed retailers, CANADA and New York. I called the New York store and they were out. They are made in China and production was in process. The retailer said they'd just sent a shipment to Amazon. Viola! turns out I got the shoes last week. I love the way they fit. Especially how they attach. They have a ratchet device on the 2 straps that you click to tighten across the top. Just the sound of it, like a car jack as you jack up, sounds nice as the shoes get tighter with each click. Sweet! A press of the latch loosens them to where you just slip out. The strap around the heel has plenty of slack to pull and tighten. You can definitely tell these are high quality shoes. My friend has Yukon Charlies that he really likes. I read somewhere how snow gets kicked up on the back of the shoe, not good. Mine doesn't but my friend's Yukon Charlies do:-) I've used them twice and they fit perfect. They are a bit wider than other shoes I've seen. I got the 25's. I highly recommend these shoes! UPDATE: I've now gone out 3 times with these shoes. I live in the Sierra Foothills. Went on a pretty hilly terrain yesterday. My foot twisted and turned as I climbed and avoided some rocks. The shoes still stayed snug and tight. The metal crampons are thick and solid. My friend's Yukon Charlies crampons are thinner and the plastic material tore yesterday during his hike.

These snowshoes are perfect for what I'm looking for. I'm a heavier guy, so I needed something large but was also looking for something that wouldn't weigh a ton and make snowshoeing more difficult. These checked off both boxes. The lightweight aluminum frame is strong and durable, and disperses weight evenly across the snow. The built in metal teeth mean you always have solid footing, even on the most trafficked of trails. Also, the straps are the best I've seen. They're incredibly easy to get on or off thanks to their ratcheting style. Yet they're durable. The buckles do not loosen unless you hit the release, and the design is great so it's practically impossible for the release to get his accidently (I say practically only because I've just used these twice so far, so it's possible, but unlikely this could happen in the future.) The adjustable heel strap tightens nicely around the back of the boot, too. I took these out twice over the last week and have thoroughly enjoyed them. The case is a nice bonus. It won't really serve me any purpose other than storage in the garage or car, but it's still nice to have. If you're looking for a good pair of lightweath

Not my first snowshoes, have had wood and gut for 4 decades. This year has finally been snowy. I figured it was time to get modern, light weight shoes. These are really nice. Bindings are easy to use and stay tight. Crampons are strong and light. I have seen complaints that they weren't steel. I am glad that they aren't. The shoes would be a pound heavier each if they were. An hour on them, through virgin snow, heavily wooded with no trails. The aren't too expensive and I intend to use the he!! out of them.

Not sure why I'm even writing this now that the product isn't available...maybe because I was hoping for replacement parts (ha!). I bought these 4 years ago after I'd had back surgery and couldn't be struggling through deep snow (normally I don't wear snowshoes unless I absolutely have to). They worked well for the month or so I used them, then they've seen fairly minimal use since (again, I don't normally use them). Fast forward to this winter and we've gotten much more snow than "usual" so I broke them out again. The snow is deep, yes, but also crusty in spots where the wind has made it much harder, etc. I've only been using these out on the trails for a week and already they're breaking :( I so loved these at first; they're lightweight, easy to get on/off, and I've had minimal issues with snow clumping (when I did it was because the snow was warm, AKA snowman weather). But now I've had to start the search for a new pair. Hopefully these hold out 'til the others get here.