Gear Review: Adventure Research Ascender Pro 929 Snowshoes

Value Rating: 10 Durability Rating: TBD Overall Rating: 9 Product Name: Ascender Pro 929 Snowshoes Product Brand: Adventure Research Best Use: Snowshoeing Specs/sizes available: Sizes 929 and 825 The Full Review: I purchased these snowshoes for my overnight trip to the Tilly Jane A-Frame this weekend. Three miles in on Saturday and three miles back on Sunday. The snow had been piling up in the entire PNW and there were parts to the trail that were more packed and others where the snow was nice and soft on the way in. These provided plenty of float in the soft moments. The upward curve of the front is substantial and this also helped in the softer sections when taking that next step. The trail was far more packed on the way down and the aggressive traction pad was great. There are a few short steep sections near the top and also a side hill traverse. There was no slip sliding around. Finally, the weight of these went unnoticed. I'm sure there are lighter options out there but there are heavier ones as well. These snowshoes are suitable for 90% of the people/activities out there. The Good: Easy to use. Aggressive traction pad. Good feature set for the price. Comes with a carry bag. The Bad: The clips to hold the forefoot straps in place after tightening are awkwardly placed and do not hold the straps. On the way down I slipped them under the heel strap before tightening and this kept them secure and out of the way. The other problem this presents is you will need to undo the heel strap to make adjustments to the forefoot straps if needed. The Bottom Line: For the features you get in comparison to the price these are a great deal. Would recommend.