Best MSR Snowshoes: Reviews by OutdoorEquipment.com

msr snowshoes

We freakin’ love MSR snowshoes! No company makes snowshoes that hold a candle to the MSR Lightning or MSR Evo snowshoes. Read our reviews to learn more.

These are technologically advanced snowshoes from a company who has been one of the world’s leaders in camping and mountaineering equipment for decades.

When most people think about winter sports, two things usually pop into their minds: skiing and snowboarding. While these are fantastic activities that provide untold amounts of fun, they aren’t the only worthwhile things you can do in the snow.

Snowshoeing is becoming an incredibly popular winter activity, even overshadowing skiing and boarding in some areas of the world.

There are many reasons why snowshoeing is becoming so popular, including:

  • Less Expensive — All you need are the snowshoes and you’re good to go.
  • Easy to Do — The learning curve is fairly shallow and pretty short, meaning it doesn’t take a long time to become a pro.
  • Walk Anywhere — You don’t have to buy a lift ticket to go snowshoeing. Simply go to the ski resort, mountain resort, national or state park, and get walking.

Even though there’s much less gear involved in snowshoeing than there is in other activities, and even though there many different varieties of snowshoe to pick from, you still need to choose carefully when deciding which company to buy them from.

And honestly: MSR is as good of a choice that’s out there.

  1. Top 3
  2. Reviews
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  4. History

The Bestselling MSR Snowshoes: Reviews & Ratings

MSR’s snowshoes are almost universally praised among both professionals and amateurs around the world. In that respect, it’s very hard to choose just a few of their models to write about.

Instead of just pulling names out of a hat, we’ll take a look at three of the bestselling models in the entire catalogue. That way you can get an idea of what makes this company so good. We’ll whet your appetite, teasing you with the scent of three appetizers below, before you devour the main course by investigating the entire lineup later.

MSR Evo Ascent Snowshoes: Reviews & Ratings

These Mountain Safety Research snowshoes are lightweight, super durable, and easy to walk in. Whether you’re hiking, slinking, trudging, or running, the Evo Ascent will help you find a natural gait and smooth stride.

Some of the best features of this model include:

  • Injection-molded plastic decking
  • Three straps with heel stabilizers
  • And separate EVO Floatation Tails.

And here’s our unvarnished view of the Pros and Cons of the MSR Evo Ascent snowshoes:

Advantages

  • Secure attachment
  • Provide excellent traction
  • Easy to adjust
 Disadvantages:

  • Entry and exit can be difficult
  • Heel lift bar a little difficult to put back down


Learn more about MSR Evo Ascent Snowshoes

MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes

These Lightning Ascent snowshoes are super versatile models that will take you anywhere on the mountain, while maintaining an ever easy to use binding system.

Some of the best features of this model include:

  • 360-degree traction
  • Total-Traction frame
  • And urethane-infused nylon for the decking.

And here is our view of the Pros & Cons of the MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes

Advantages

  • Provide fantastic traction
  • Heel lift is great for steep climbing
  • Excellent floatation
 Disadvantages:

  • Securing straps can be difficult
  • Can be hard to get on and off
  • Metal studs hard to move in cold weather

Learn more about MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes

MSR Evo Snowshoes

These MSR snowshoes are perfect for beginners with their ultra lightweight and compact design. But these aren’t just for newbies–veterans will also enjoy using them for their fantastic traction and extra stability.

Some of the Evo’s best features include:

  • Steel crampons
  • Horizontal brakes fixed underfoot
  • And injection-molded plastic decking

For more info, read our more in-depth review of MSR Evo snowshoes. Otherwise, here’s a quick summary of the Pros and Cons:

Advantages

  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Excellent ice traction
  • Super stable security
 Disadvantages:

  • Framing is loud on crust and compact trails
  • Toe straps can slip out of rubber clips
  • Rubber can wear down after heavy use

Learn more about MSR Evo Snowshoes

MSR Snowshoes: Summary

MSR snowshoes are some of the best of their kind in the entire world. Their wares are made with the highest quality materials and their designs are, to be perfectly honest, brilliant.

Take a look at any of the three models above for some serious snowshoeing action.

A Brief History of MSR Snowshoes

Mountain Safety Research–or MSR–was founded in 1969 by Larry Penberthy when he became irritated by the lack of safety and reliability of the mountaineering gear available at the time.

Over the years, Penberthy created a great deal of camping and mountaineering products that were efficient, safe, reliable, and easy to use. MSR broke into the snowshoe scene in dramatic fashion, being the first company to create shoes made from composite materials, making them more lightweight and durable. MSR sells a variety of outdoor equipment, from tents to stoves, but their snowshoes are some of their most prized possessions.

MSR is currently being operated by Cascade Designs, a Seattle-based, family-owned company that also runs Therm-a-Rest, Platypus, and SealLine goods.

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