Customer Reviews

MSR Denali Evo Ascent Snowshoes

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I couldn't resist buying the EVO Ascents when they were on sale at EMS during their January 20% off sale. Get the tails anywhere you find them (LLBean online & free shipping) but definitely get them. My old Tubbs Mountain 30s and my Atlas 10-25s have served me well and both companies have replaced the snoshus(!) when they failed under my heavy use. Both were badly worn and ready to fail. My thinking was these EVOs could serve the functions of both my old snoshus.
I first tried my EVOs sans tails on a run around my local Grafton Lakes ponds to see how they compared to my Atlas 10-25s used for the same purpose. The EVOs felt lighter and their slightly narrower width worked beautifully. I tried them again on some packed snow both in Grafton and up in the VT Aiken Wilderness. The uphill and downhill traction were better than my Atlas.
Next trip was to ascend Stratton Mtn on the AT trail, a modest 6+ mile hike on moderate slopes. The EVOs with tails performed superbly. They were better than my old Tubbs Mtn 30s that have been up and down Stratton many times. My 150lb weight and about a 20lb pack were easily handled by the EVOs. The cross slope traction was far superior to Tubbs and notably better than the Atlas.
Soon, I will take the EVOs to the Dacks and try them on some steep ascents and see how they compare. I am very confident they will stay my first choice, though.
Noise - many complaints have been voiced about the MSRs slapping on the snow. Yet, I found them to be acceptable and not really any noisier than my Tubbs on cold snow. So far, the EVOs have not been on wet snow.
Traction - the EVOs have outperformed both my Atlas and Tubbs models.
Rankings - On gentle to steep trails...1, EVOs, 2, Tubbs, 3, Atlas
- On flat runs...1, EVOs(no tails) 2, Atlas
If you run a lot, get dedicated running snoshus!

I backcountry snowboard in the Tahoe area. Ideally, I'd use a splitboard for climbing steeps, but until I can afford one, these do pretty well. I have been out with groups of 8-10 snowshoers on several occasions, and these have outperformed every snowshoe I have seen.

The option to use tails on these shoes is awesome. If the snow is firm, going without the tails makes life much easier. The shoes are light and small. When there is powder, attaching the tails is pretty easy. I will say the tails are a little annoying if you're on flatter terrain. In this case, your foot is not centered over the snowshoe and you have to lean back and weight your heel with every step. However, the tails work perfectly on steeps because one's weight naturally goes toward the heel as the snowshoes are angled upward. Not only do the tails provide more float on powder, they also provide more gripping surface so your snowshoes are less prone to sliding backwards when heading up the soft stuff.

Laterally, these snowshoes are awesome as well. There is lots of grip on the edges, so you don't have to worry as much about a snowshoe dropping off the side of the trail.

Regarding complaints about noise, I've experienced some noise while on flats. However, these snowshoes are called Evo Ascents for a reason: They're made for ascension. During climbs, I've never had an issue with noise.

I'm still not sure if there is a real difference between the Evo Ascents and the Ascents. A buddy of mine is hiking with the regular Ascents and seems to have every advantage that I do over the rest of the group.