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Sizing Snowshoes:
When renting snowshoes be sure to bring the boots you are going to wear with the snowshoes.
Bring the socks you are going to wear with the boots.
Sizing snowshoes: Tell the clerk that you are going to need snowshoes for recreation walking and that you will not be breaking trail. The guide will break trail. The shoes you rent or buy should have lightweight snow claws and have a slight upward turned toe.
Take a ruler or tape measure with you. The snowshoe should be 8-10 inches wide, no wider. Shorter, lighter people can use 22-inch-long snowshoes; heavier, taller people need 24 to 30-inch-long snowshoes. You will not need huge snowshoes. The key factor is the water content in the snow: lighter, dryer and deeper snow requires bigger snowshoes. Most of the snow in the eastern Cascades is 30-50% water content. Therefore the size of the shoes listed above should be well-suited to our snow. Taller, heavier people will receive considerable pressure from rental clerks to rent 33" snowshoes; please do not rent shoes any longer than 30"!
Have the sales person or rental clerk show you how to attach the snowshoes to the boots and how all the straps and the bindings work.
Make sure none of the bindings are frayed and that all the buckles, snaps and clips work.
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Practice:
When you get home, practice putting your snowshoes on and taking them off several times. If you still don't understand the bindings, take them back to the rental shop and have them go over it again.
Put on your socks, snowshoe boots and snowshoes and practice walking around your lawn (even if there is no snow on it). This helps you get used to the gait you will walk while wearing snowshoes.
Try to rent your snowshoes for your first trip 1 day before the trip so you can practice and possibly take them back for more binding instruction.
Poles?
Some people favor using trekking or ski poles to help them keep their balance. Some people who are long-time skiers feel "naked" without poles. Other people find poles an encumbrance and like the freedom of just striding along without poles. You may try your first trip half with poles and half without to see what works best for you.
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