The Fimbulvetr might not look like a snowshoe but the thermoplastic elastomer body is what will have you walking on the white stuff in the 21st century. So long to the old wicker and wood shoes and hello Fimbulvetr. Developed in Norway these are meant to be light, comfortable and most importantly easy to walk in.
These feature and asymmetrical shape that is designed to mimic the foot, while the punched honeycomb pattern is there to maintain torsional strength and floatation, all of which is good for helping to trek through the snow. Video after the jump
Normally winter in the backcountry means deep snow – but this year it can mean patches of dirt, grass and rocks. That not only can ruin a day on the skis, but in many cases it can also ruin the skis. Fortunately Marquette Backcountry Skis, which is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has created a hybrid pair of skis that are a little bit cross-country, a little bit downhill and even a bit of snowshoe.
Skis, snowboards, poles and boots – these are just a few of the winter sport items that use carbon fiber in their construction. Carbon fiber has been the material of choice for higher end equipment due to its high strength to low weight ratio. Not only is it light weight and strong, but it is the type of material that can make an overall product stronger by adding additional layers in higher stress areas. Wanting to tap into the advantages of this material, Crescent Moon of Boulder, Colorado is in the process of testing their newest and lightest snowshoe, the Kilo.