If the pandemic has an upside, it’s this: our close-to-home parks and trails are more attractive than ever. And what better way to experience your favourite park or trail (or off-trail) in winter than ‘shoeing? The workout is unparalleled; it is safe and requires no specialized training; it’s relatively inexpensive; and it provides an ongoing opportunity to make close contact with nature.

MSR’s newest backcountry-ready snowshoe kit provides the tools winter hikers need for exploring off-trail with confidence. It features the Evo Ascent snowshoes—true all-around performers providing workhorse durability, all-terrain traction, and Televator heel-lifts to assist with climbing steeper slopes. (The heel-lifts reduce fatigue and increase traction on the steeps, and are easily engaged with a glove-friendly pull tab.)

If you plan to be in deep, soft snow, the Evo Ascents are compatible with Modular Flotation tails (sold separately). These 15 cm extensions allow you to take advantage of both the maneuverability of the smaller shoe in hard-packed conditions, with on-demand flotation for powder or when you’re carrying heavier loads.

And for the slipperiest hard-pack, nothing grips better than MSR’s UniBody Traction: Steel traction rails and brake bars molded directly into the ‘shoe decks. This imparts a lot of confidence (and adds a lot of speed) when you’re in trickier conditions.

MSR’s DynaLock Explore three-section poles offer fast, reliable adjustments and pack down small. We’ve used MSR poles for years now and the DynaLock tensioning and lever system is the best and most intuitive in the business. In some cases you may want to ‘shoe without poles, and the lightweight but tough aluminum DynaLock Explores will easily strap to your pack when you don’t need them. (The collapsed length is a hair over 62 cm.) And they telescope back out in seconds.

Completing the kit, the carry/storage pack doubles as daypack, letting you carry the water, snacks and layers you need on winter backcountry adventures.

FEATURES IN A NUTSHELL

Backcountry-Ready Kit: All-terrain snowshoes and pack-friendly poles make this kit ideal for winter hikers exploring backcountry terrain.
Confident Foot Control: Evo Ascent Snowshoes feature secure TriFit™ bindings, edge-to-edge traction, and Televator™ heel lifts for conserving energy on the steeps.
DynaLock™ Explore Poles: Strong 7075 aluminum, three-section poles pack down easily and feature extended EVA foam grips for added comfort when sidehilling.
Carry/Storage Pack: Built with rugged coated nylon panels to resist abrasion, and a wide-mouth roll-top for easy access to contents. Features a removable foam seat, internal zippered pocket, hydration compatibility, and loops for pole attachments.

See what else is new from MSR here.