TSL Escape Easy Composite Snowshoes - 217

Excellent delivery except we didn't know about the taxes we had to pa upon receipt.

I was pleasantly surprised to see these came with their own carry bag. I didn't notice that in the description. I was a bit worried when I took them out because the composite material seemed to be mostly plastic. I wasn't sure if they would hold up and almost sent them back. Very glad I didn't! If you go to the website on the package, there is a demo video that shows how to adjust them. They have a heel piece that can be flipped into place with a snowshoe pole if you don't want to bend down. It made it much more comfortable going uphill with that in place. When I got to flat ground, I just flipped it back again. I have used these twice so far. Once in hard packed snow in about 40 F weather and once in about 16 inches of powder over the same ground. I went uphill, downhill, through already broken trail and untrodden snow. They were great in all conditions. I did sink into the powder, but had a much easier time than I had with my aluminum frame snowshoes. These also had a fantastically easy entry and exit system. You can ratchet the ankle straps as tight as you like and then release them with a button. Way, way faster to take on and off than my other snowshoes. Because they can be used by anyone from 90-220 pounds, I can easily loan them to a friend if they want to try snowshoeing with me. I must admit that I have been jealous of the graphics on my husband's snowboards. The color and graphics on this ease that a bit. I would definitely buy these again.

These are only the 2nd showshoes I have ever used, but they were by far the best. The binding is very secure and easy to adjust, the only problem I had with them was tightening down the strap on the ankle area so that my foot wouldnt slip out. I think part of the problem was the boots I was wearing. Once I got them tight enough, they stayed on for the rest of the hike. I was mostly on groomed ski trails and a little bit of back country. I found they sunk in the fresh powder up to 18". I weigh around 210, so I was approaching the weight limit, so maybe that is a normal amount. I could actually run in these on the groomed, they are so light and nimble. I love the shape of them as they keep my stride normal. I read a nice review on them from an avid snowshoer and purchased based on that. I am not disappointed.

I've used these many times this season and they are really nice. The bindings are super easy to get into and out of and they are very lightweight. These are definately not for deep snow. The only con is that it does kick up some snow onto your backside.

Altogether a pretty good snowshoe. Relatively lightweight and the bindings are great - secure, comfortable and easy to get in and out of and/or adjust. I did find this model a little wide - it gave me the sensation of needing to widen my stance slightly. One suggested use I read before purchasing suggested they would be useful for photographing wildlife because they were so silent. Can't agree with that. While on a solo hike on a quiet afternoon they made a pretty good clackity-clacking. And by the end of a long hike it seemed like they felt heavier than models that have the back hinges that help lift the tails. But altogether a good shoe. Won't replace a good lightweight racing snowshoe, and I'm not sure how well they would perform for serious backcountry use (I haven't tried them for that), but altogether a good all-around use snowshoe. Plus, they do look really sharp with nice graphics, and they come with a nifty carry bag. I'm happy with my purchase.