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Review for MSR Lightning Trail Snowshoes
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Phil S.'s Review of MSR Lightning Trail Snowshoes
I bought a pair of Lightning Trail 25s last season for use on established trails where my 30" & 36" mountaineering snowshoes were just a bit of overkill. Even though I weigh considerably more than their upper limit on packed trails it's not a problem, and the dense, late-season snow off-trail only lets me sink about 4-5".
For those of you familiar with MSR snowshoes, the short version of this review is "these are typical MSR snowshoes, with typical MSR snowshoe performance." For everyone else, these snowshoes share the design features and performance of MSR's severe-terrain "Ascent" line, but in a lighter, simplified form that's perfect for established trails and day hiking both on and off trail in rolling terrain.
The first thing you notice is how the frames are made of notched aluminum bar instead of aluminum tubing. This is called the 360 Degree Traction frame, and unlike tubular frames, which rely solely on toe & heel crampons for traction, the MSR frame bites into the snow and provides traction when traveling across slopes.
Next are the toothed braking bars that extend from frame rail to frame rail to provide rigidity and traction when traveling up and down slopes. The 25" models have 2 of these, one directly under the ball of the foot and one under the heel, so there's weight on them whether you're ascending or descending.
The bindings are 3 simple rubber straps that won't absorb water and freeze like woven straps, and are easily manipulated while wearing gloves or mittens. One goes over the toes, another over the instep, and the last locks your heel in place. Stretch them over the buckle pins and slip the free ends into the strap keepers, that's all there is to it. Adjust the fixed end of the strap if you find there's too much or not enough strap for your boot. Longer straps are available if necessary. You can adjust them individually for comfort with any kind of footwear - my huge Sorel Conquests and my much smaller non-insulated Asolo & Vasque Gore-Tex hikers all fit perfectly and are securely held in place.
The Lightning Trail design features are impressive, but what about actually using them? Strap 'em on and find out! Ice, exposed roots and fallen limbs under the snow, the 360 Degree Traction frame grabs and holds so you can just walk. As mentioned before, if you find yourself crossing a slope the entire frame rail holds you in place so there's no need to twist at the ankles or knees and kick in toe crampons, as with tubular-framed snowshoes. The decks are flexible and extremely puncture-resistant, and the snowshoes are lighter than competitors' equivalent models of the same size. All this means you can go farther over varied terrain, and feel more secure while doing so.
I love these snowshoes. I still use my 30" Lightning Ascents for off-trail snowshoeing or steep terrain, but these are perfect for my almost-daily 2-3 mile hikes on the established trails around my home.
For those of you familiar with MSR snowshoes, the short version of this review is "these are typical MSR snowshoes, with typical MSR snowshoe performance." For everyone else, these snowshoes share the design features and performance of MSR's severe-terrain "Ascent" line, but in a lighter, simplified form that's perfect for established trails and day hiking both on and off trail in rolling terrain.
The first thing you notice is how the frames are made of notched aluminum bar instead of aluminum tubing. This is called the 360 Degree Traction frame, and unlike tubular frames, which rely solely on toe & heel crampons for traction, the MSR frame bites into the snow and provides traction when traveling across slopes.
Next are the toothed braking bars that extend from frame rail to frame rail to provide rigidity and traction when traveling up and down slopes. The 25" models have 2 of these, one directly under the ball of the foot and one under the heel, so there's weight on them whether you're ascending or descending.
The bindings are 3 simple rubber straps that won't absorb water and freeze like woven straps, and are easily manipulated while wearing gloves or mittens. One goes over the toes, another over the instep, and the last locks your heel in place. Stretch them over the buckle pins and slip the free ends into the strap keepers, that's all there is to it. Adjust the fixed end of the strap if you find there's too much or not enough strap for your boot. Longer straps are available if necessary. You can adjust them individually for comfort with any kind of footwear - my huge Sorel Conquests and my much smaller non-insulated Asolo & Vasque Gore-Tex hikers all fit perfectly and are securely held in place.
The Lightning Trail design features are impressive, but what about actually using them? Strap 'em on and find out! Ice, exposed roots and fallen limbs under the snow, the 360 Degree Traction frame grabs and holds so you can just walk. As mentioned before, if you find yourself crossing a slope the entire frame rail holds you in place so there's no need to twist at the ankles or knees and kick in toe crampons, as with tubular-framed snowshoes. The decks are flexible and extremely puncture-resistant, and the snowshoes are lighter than competitors' equivalent models of the same size. All this means you can go farther over varied terrain, and feel more secure while doing so.
I love these snowshoes. I still use my 30" Lightning Ascents for off-trail snowshoeing or steep terrain, but these are perfect for my almost-daily 2-3 mile hikes on the established trails around my home.
This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.
Would Recommend:
Yes
3 of 3
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