Improvised snowshoes--- Now why didn't I think of that?

Ever have one of those moments when you run across something that is Sooo Simple and so easy...
you just want to do a face palm?

Anyway this is not my invention... I found it in an old issue of Outdoor life magazine.
but I am going to try and give you all a simplified version of what to do... The way they wrote it up seemed a bit...off...anyway, here goes.

start by cutting a pine branch at least three feet long...or lacking a tape measure...lets just say you want a branch about the length of your arm...

look for one that has a lot of needles... the more the better..

now the side of that branch the faces towards the sky... is the side you want facing the snow, so turn your branch over and using a cord tie an overhand knot to the branch a few inches below the cut you just made...

Place your foot on the branch then thread the lose ends of that cord threw your bootlaces and tie off nice and tight...

Remember I haven't tried this myself yet but from the article they say

Once you're strapped in, walk normally across the snow. Your boot will naturally come up from the branch about 30 degrees when you walk, which will keep you from sinking into the snow.

well you can read their version By Clicking this link But I think my version is a bit easier to understand.

There's no snow down where I am but it is snowing up in the high country... Might have to make a special trip up to Wolf Creek just to try this one out.

a reply to: HardCorps

that does seem so obvious now...i clicked this link expecting to see one of the 10 or so ways ive seen snow shoes made...and was pleasantly surprised..

wonder how well it holds up though

a reply to: rockpaperhammock

I'm an avid skier so snowshoes are not really my thing...
But I can see where this might help you get someplace safe... Seems to me other types of trees like holly would work just as well too...

But this is one of those things worth filing in the back of your mind as a just in case right?

I used to kid a friend of mine that worked in a shoe store all the time about never having any snow shoes .Yea op good simple way to create a disposable pair for sure

a reply to: HardCorps

I wonder if bungee cord would work better.

a reply to: ArmyOfNobunaga
How are you going to make an improvised bungee cord?

Pine branches can be used to line a snow cave dug into a bank for insulation from the cold, too.

If you find yourself stuck and need to get out of the cold, find a snow bank, dig out a cave and line the bottom with a ton of pine branches. Crawl in and seal it up except for a little hole to the outside. You won't be comfortable, but you will survive the night.

link

originally posted by: intrptr
Pine branches can be used to line a snow cave dug into a bank for insulation from the cold, too.

If you find yourself stuck and need to get out of the cold, find a snow bank, dig out a cave and line the bottom with a ton of pine branches. Crawl in and seal it up except for a little hole to the outside. You won't be comfortable, but you will survive the night.

link

In a survival situation, it might not be ideal but if you take a bit more time/effort to make it bigger and put a thick mattress of pine branches on snow (ground) it is quite comfortable....we called them quinzies and I spent many nights in them as a kid with my brother

a reply to: CraftBuilder

When I hunt camp or hike I always have several strapped into my pack. They are very handy.

We usually just used the same idea for any kind of common path over thick snow. Just lots of pine branches to make the travel easier.

originally posted by: ArmyOfNobunaga
a reply to: HardCorps

I wonder if bungee cord would work better.

I was thinking Para-Cord myself... I always keep a small bundle of it in a side pouch of my pack.
in the magazine they said to use string... I didn't see that working all that well... I guess a bungee would work... have to wait until we get some snow here to try a few things out... ya know refine it a bit...

like last night I was thinking it might be a easier if I used 2 branches per-foot... spread out my weight a bit so I'm not trying to balance on a single branch... and now that I look at that picture again... I'm thinking it'd best to tie that first knot behind the first 'Y'... that way the cord won't just slip off the end while I walk...

Well, we'll have snow here soon enough and my neighbors are already use to seeing me in the yard doing crazy S**t... trail and error, we'll figure it out...

I like it I usually take my snowshoes when going out in the woods, or the old military cross country ski's that my father bought when I was a kid. They are about seven feet long and five inches wide. You can blaze a trail with those. I never got into the cross country skiing with the thin version that you use on trails. The real cross country skis like I have give you a real workout. None of the pansy cross country skiing that people do here now.

I'm going to have to try that this winter. I have size fifteen EEEE shoes, so I don't need snowshoes over hard snow.

a reply to: rickymouse

With feet that big I bet you can walk across the Lake...

Won't go into that old bit about guys with big feet

I was going to try these this winter. I am currently watching "Dude you're screwed" and they dropped Matt in the Arctic circle, close to the Russian border. On day two, he made some snow shoes that sort of worked after more days and several modifications. In the interim, the other four guys watching had some fun and they each made a pair of snow shoes they thought would work better than Matt's sad snow shoes. One guy happened to use the ones in the pic - big fail, they posted every other step, stem down first. These might be better than nothing but the best ones made were with clean branches curved in long ovals - about 4', and about 14'' wide at the widest part in the middle with (from what I could tell) para cord criss cross weaved down the whole length. They worked pretty good. That part of the episode was quick so I couldn't see the other two styles. The long ones won the race between the four though. Just FYI. The snow was wet so it might make a difference on the type of snow these are used in.

Also, I watch a lot of survival shows and everyone should carry para cord on their person. It's easy to do with belts, bracelets, coffee cup holders, you can purchase or make your own.

If you are caught in a really bad whiteout or whatever.

Try digging an T shaped hole in the side of a drift/bank - that way the cold air sinks in the middle and you and anybody else shelter/sleep slightly warmer again - and always try and dig a hole directly up through the top above to avoid any build up of CO2. (just push a stick/pole straight up)

Sure they'll be videos that explain/ show you what i mean if you want more info.

edit to add (Sure i saw it used as an Arctic/Antarctic survival technique years ago.)