MSR Denali Classic Snowshoe

"Great snowshoes! Gone almost everywhere in these, with and without the tails. Great traction and easy to get in/out of, especially in icy conditions. Plastic broke on one shoe and MSR gladly replaced for free, great company."

"I have used these snow shoes on both deep powder (with the 4 inch extensions) and regular snow with a slight crust on it and in both situations they worked great. Good traction, good floatation and great stability.



The bindings are easy to use after a you get past the learning curve and stay secure though some pretty rough hiking. And you can put either shoe on any foot which makes it a bit easier when trying to put them on in deep snow or steep terrain.



No snow shoe even comes close at this price! I can't wait to go back out and strap them on!"

"I recently went backpacking in the Adirondacks and these were the best.



The crampons bit into the hard pack and ice awesome. We crossed paths with several other groups and the few without Denali's wished they had them.



Even the rangers patrolling the mountains were all wearing these. If you are going hiking someplace where there is an already established trail; buy the Denali's.



The rangers did say though that for places with alot of deep powder that they prefer the more conventional aluminum style snowshoes.



Otherwise I can't recommend these enough! I can't imagine having any other type of snowshoe for hiking.



And for other reviews that claim the bindings keep coming lose on them, they must not know how to use them. Nobody in my party or any others that I asked had any problem. They held secure the entire trip."

"This is my first year snowshoeing. Since I am really a hiker I wanted a good shoe that was easy to strap on the back of a pack when snowshoes were not always needed at the start of a hike. These with the modular design have fit the bill. I didnt' initially use the tails, but have found lately that the 4 inch tails have become pretty standard. With the tails though it is easy to carry just want you want/need meaning you aren't stuck with a 26 or 30 inch snowshoe if you really don't need it for the conditions. I currently weigh about 215 dressed to hike without pack and will typically carry 20-25 lbs in my winter day pack (arrgh). There are times I might have wanted the 8 inch tails, but unfortunately wasn't carrying them. The 4 inch have been adequate if whatever I have encountered to date.

My hikes have typically been up snow covered logging roads with a few side excursions. No super steep terrain of late. I think I'd like the televator heel feature for a lot of steep climbing.

I typically wear my Salomon XA Pro 3D XCR Trail shoes with these which work great. Just make sure you have the Gortex ones...

The only real complaint (thus why I didn't rate it 5 stars) I have is that I've had the heel strap come loose a few times. I think I am better at really pulling it tight which seems to help. You really want it as tight as you can get it. If this comes off it can lead to some interesting situations when it comes off and you suddenly are shoeless and posthole up to your waist with the one foot."

"I picked up the denali classic snowshoes at a local store, and I cant find a reason to complain, except that when making steep ascents they are very hard on your calves. The heelavator is on most other MSR snowshoes, but your also paying 70-140? more. I also bought the 8 float tails because I do most of my snowshoeing in the backcountry around wolf creek, CO, and the snow tends to get rather deep around there."

"The best snowshoe out there...hands down! If yer going to climb hills while shoeing, get the EVO Ascents with the heel lift bar...it works superbly and aleviates calf burn. The teeth on these shoes are incredible for gripping steep snow and for holding power on icy terrain. The pivot allows the shoe to remain flat while walking so that you don't hurl snow up onto your backside."

"Just returned from 4-day hike in the Adirondack High Peaks -- Wright, Colden, Algonquin & Iroquois. Denali Ascents proved perfect for 90% of activities on this trip. Worked remarkably well above the timberline traction-wise, but less so floatation-wise in powder in the saddle between Iroquois and Algonquin. Purchased the tails but havent used them yet. Managed to lose a strap when it slipped out of binding buckle, but believe that can be corrected by leaving closer to a 2 tail outside the buckle. Otherwise, very happy w/ ease of binding system and quality of shoe. Dont look to hold conversation on the trail w/ these -- they are noisy in anything but powder."

"These shoes work very well in most conditions. You will need the flotation tails in deep powder, but otherwise they perform remarkable well for their size. One thing, if you are going to use them for Backcountry Snowboarding get the EVO Accents instead, the space for the front of your snowboarding boots are too small on these, they will rub a hole in the tops of your snowboard boot toes."

"I have the older model with the lace-up bindings, but the design of the decks remain unchanged. What a great product. I have great faith in the rugged, molded design of the Denali's. What I like in particular is how well the decks repel snow when in deep powder. I'm running and jumping though powder while it seems all my friends are doing is being tripped up by they're big, clunky shoes. The Denali's also don't have all those riveted connections that are subject to failure. Solid piece of equipment that will last a lifetime. Great for beginners and advanced alike."

"I use my denali ascents primarily for backcountry boarding. I have no problems with the bindings. If you have really big feet you can just cinch down the binding a little further aft and you will have enough room for your toes in the hole.Ive also used them for winter ascents of fourteeners - they are one of the few that I would trust on technical/icy/steep terrain.Ive used many others, these are by far the best for true backcountry use."