MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes Review // Best Snowshoes & Bindings
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- Опубликовано: 28 июн 2024
- MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes are the pinnacle of ultralight and aggressive all-terrain performance. The Lightning Ascents feature the new Paragon bindings and Ergo Televator along with 360 degree traction making them the best snowshoes with the best bindings.
MSR Lightning Ascent (mens): amzn.to/3HFs2Nc
MSR Lightning Ascent (womens): amzn.to/3kTNDZC
MSR REVO Ascent: amzn.to/3jjzQuH
MSR EVO Ascent: amzn.to/3jjzT9R
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Did I make the right choice? Are MSR snowshoes still the top dog or should I have gone with Tubbs (or something else)?
Wow, yeah, that is quite a price hike. Sticking with my old school Evo Ascents for now.
@@TotalCatskills I have not had any issues with my EVO Ascents other than being old, all of the binding material has hardened and is less flexible. MSR is having supply issues on all of their bindings. I could not get replacements for the EVO. So I decided it was time to buy new and you watched my thought process.
I got a set last November and use them every weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park generally above Timberline. The traction and grip were often extremely useful, particularly in situations where snow had melted on a sunny day, then formed a sheet of ice it was covered by a thin layer of nighttime snow making the ice invisible... the ascent probably saved my bacon a couple times!
Great to hear. I have really enjoyed them in the Adirondacks. I do still believe the EVO Ascents are also a great product. I find the Lightning bindings superior. See you outside!
I have the 2011 version of the Ascents. I still love them. They were $289 at REI back then so the current price sounds reasonable to me for what you get. The heel lift is a lifesaver on the hills around here.
Great to hear. Also great to hear they have lasted you 10+ years. I would not buy a snowshoe w/o a heel lift. And this one is so easy to use, I do not have to tip toe on flats between inclines.
@@OutsideChronicles Haha, yes, the tiptoe! Sometimes the hill will flatten out for a few yards before it rises again and I’ll just do the 10-15 tiptoe steps. Pure laziness …because it is so easy to flip the lift.
I got these this year in the 30 inch model, they have been bullet proof so far. About 100-125 miles on them, definitely more than most people need but worth the money I feel. I was worried about the deck but figured they testing harder than what I'm doing in Wisconsin/UP so far. I ordered the spare part off Amazon, if that's an option for you.
Great to hear. UP is beautiful. I saw some of it on a trip last year. I am a fan of MSR gear. I’d love to see some of their testing scenarios. See you outside!
The gorilla tape is probably a good call. I rented a pair of Lightning Ascents recently and the woven deck was fraying on the inside after who knows how many uses. Still worked great though!
How do you know what size to get go by the load weight of the shoes? If a person weighs 198 lb? Including a. 40lb pack 30" seems to carry the heavier load.
Nice review. I have the Lightening Explore with the older binding with the silly lateral pivot adjustment. One failed. .I had to just bolt the pivot down. If you have an opinion on the Lightening Explore 25" cause I was over 200lbs when I bought them, would be appreciated.
I bought 2 pairs of Denali Evo ascents for me and my wife back in 2010. We used them all around Colorado and climbed many peaks with them. Never loved the 4 strap system but once on foot it always worked without issue. I think they work great in every way, but loud on crunchy trails. Last year we both broke straps and hers both broke where the binding rubber connects to the crampon top. So looking at an upgrade but not sure the Lightnings are the solution. Your point on the gaiters was a good point. Also many reviews complained about the side catching on pants. The Evo Ascent with the side crampons inside the deck seemed safer and provided float on both sides of the crampon. She really wants the upgrade but I may just stick with what I know works with the Evo Ascent. Plus I will have spare parts. We'll see...REI sale starts today so I will go look and see what I think in store.
Good points, you might want to give the Revo a try. They have the new bindings. Plus they make a female version. The Revo is kind of in between the two. I have not had the sides catching, but that could be my gait. See you outside!
I found the bindings in stock at a local shop near me. I'm interested in seeing how you like those long term!
I am definitely digging the Paragon bindings. They are more stable and comfortable on the trail. And even creating this video, they were easier to put on and take off for the many takes you do not see. They also look very easy to field replace if I can get ahold of replacements.
Smart idea w the gorilla tape. I’ll have to look at my pair that are now 2years old and see how they’re holding up
It can't hurt. Here is that guys full video with his reasoning: ruclips.net/video/5CjYpMopZR8/видео.html
i got these for Christmas because I have wanted them for a while. However, my excitement wore off quickly as I couldn't keep the back strap not staying connected. I feel like you need to be really strong to pull tight enough for it to stay latched.
You definitely need to get the straps with the single cleat tight. The older EVOs have 4 on each foot. If you were too loose, they would come undone. I do not mind the single back strap. Making it tight does not put much pressure on your toes.
So REI has sale now and I find myself looking at another pair of snowshoes. I took your advice for REVO and bought repair kit that came with extra rivets and clips, so I place clips in reverse fashion to secure the straps. I also have extensions for packing winter only fat tire bike trails. This year my husband expressed interest in snowshoeing with me sometimes, so I am buying another pair of snowshoes, but we got some new players competing with MSR's. I am looking at Atlas Range and Range BC. BC has single strap that you weave through hooks and can be removed to swap easily. I don't want the BOA version because if they break, I will be stranded in the middle of nowhere. I am also considering Atlas Range trail which has new binding. I like that traction is slightly offsetted under because I don't was to graze my dog's leg with MSR's Lightghtening if she gets too close, they are less expensive, and I don't do anything that extreme to need top of the line MSR's. I would love to hear what you think about these other two options.
Sorry for the late reply. First, I would stay away from BOA. I like field replaceable items for the winter. The cold is not nice to plastics. The Atlas Range looks just like the Lightnings with the Range Trail having identical bindings. It looks like the BC and Trail both have heel lifts which is great. Between the two, I would go with the Range Trails. The advantage of sticking with MSR is you would have spare parts for both sets already. Hope this helps a little. Good luck, let me know what you decide. See you outside!
I'm 225lbs and have done 15 winter adk high peaks as heavy as 248lbs with out pack in the lightning accents. No issues with fabric or bindings so far.
Great to hear that the decking has been solid for you. The MSR snowshoes in general are clutch in ADK. Are you planning to complete your winter 46er? I finished mine on Gothics last year. Winter is the best time to experience those mountains. Last weekend, I hiked Giant and RPR and continued to New Russia. I highly recommend that trail in any season.
@@OutsideChronicles I'm at 19 for winter. Hope to complete by 2025.
@Outside Chronicles I've been giant 8 times Rocky 2 lol.
Looking to do traverse in the fall.
@@Defender_of_Faith Awesome, good luck!
@@Defender_of_Faith I hear the traverse is amazing in Fall.
do you keep the toe section a bit looser or pretty snug? I have a hard time "sliding my foot in" im just afraid of making it too loose...
i also have issues with the straps not staying put in their keepers... but ive only used them on St Regis and Whiteface... maybe once i break them in more?
I think that is the problem I have with the gaiters. I have been keeping it snug so I do not have to adjust the side straps. When I put them on, I am only securing the back strap. I am not sure the “proper” or recommend method. So far my straps have stayed put. St Regis fire tower is very cool. I have not been there in winter. Whiteface’s last approach after the road is pretty awesome!
Accents! Compact, superior traction. You’ll get use to the bindings.
I despise the (all) traditional straps!
I really like the comfort and stability of the new bindings. I really like the overall feel and performance so far. See you outside!
Between the Evo ascents and revo ascents which would you recommend?
Thanks what I struggled with. I really like the Paragon bindings, but I like the construction of the EVO Ascents. I think the bindings would be enough to push me to the REVO. For me, I went back and for with the REVO and Lightning for that reason. See you outside!
I’m looking at getting these but seems like a flaw to not work well with gaiters. For a backcountry shoe it would go hand in hand.
It is not a deal breaker. You can slide your gaiters in, you just need to be aware of it. I keep the side straps buckled, if you undo those to get your boot in, the tips of the gaiters fit underneath with no issue. They are really nice snowshoes. I have gotten an opportunity to use them in both the Adirondacks and Catskills and they have performed as good or better than my EVOs. The bindings strap in once and are secure for the whole trip without adjusting. A big plus to the three strap EVO design. I am still concerned about long term durability with decking. However, I did a pretty gnarly bushwhack this past weekend and had several sharp twigs poke the decking and it still looks flawless. See you outside!
@@OutsideChronicles I bought these shoes and turns out the gaiter thing isn’t an issue at all 👍
@@lorim2000 Cool, yeah it is not a big deal. I think it depends on how you put them on and loosen them. I am lazy! Hope you enjoy them!
I prefer GV Mountain Extreme 830 to Lightning Ascent 30s, I put some serious miles on my older 4-strap Lightning Ascents and was pretty underwhelmed by them. They felt flimsy and cheap compared to the GVs, with their paper-thin decking. The GVs come in 825 and 830 sizes, and are about 1/2 pound heavier than Lightning Ascents of the same size. They do not accept tails. Standard binding is 2 ratcheting straps over the foot and a strap with holes that lock with a spring-loaded buckle at the heel. A sturdy plastic toe stop keeps your foot from sliding forward on downhills. You can also get them with a Spin binding (similar to BOA), and a light-use binding called Alligator. This will be my 9th winter with them, I’ve had to send them back for repair twice (I beat the CRAP out of them) and the longest I’ve been without them was less than 2 weeks. No waiting months to even get a reply like with MSR. They cost half what Lightning Ascents do.
I use Tubbs Mountaineers and Louis Garneau Blizzard IIIs in 1036 for most of the winter, they have the flotation I need in the 5-6’ plus I go out in. I bushwhack about 98% of the time so big snowshoes are a must. Plus I weigh about 260 LOL. They don’t climb as easily as the GVs do, but 2 or 3 stamps are enough to make a firm base for the huge toe crampons.
I have a pair of GV Wide Trail 12x42 for when my 1036s sink too deep, they don’t have very aggressive crampons so climbing anything more than moderately steep is a real workout for my arms and poles.
I’m hoping to pick up a set of Atlas Range MTN for this winter, they come in a 10x35 version which is the size I prefer in deep snow.
Great feedback! Thanks for the comment. See you outside!
@@OutsideChroniclesI also had a pair of Denali Ascents, I didn’t use them often because even with 8” tails they were marginal at best for my weight in all but very packed snow (what they were designed for, after all.) One advantage that I do think the Denali/Evo have over the Lightnings is the traction rails being closer to the center. This is similar to the way mountaineering boots have soles that don’t flare out in order not to provide leverage against your ankle when you’re edging. In the same way, the Denali/Evo traction rails don’t torque your ankles on traverses. If only they’d built them with steel braking bars instead of the molded-in plastic ones!
So did you get Atlas Range? I am looking at the trail and BC series. I was wondering how well the decking and grip perform.
With your pack and yourself, how much do you weigh since the 22 inches version only go up to 180 lbs?
I am 6’1” and 180lbs, my pack is between 10-30lbs depending on the trip. Many of the trails I hike get packed down quickly and are technical. I like better maneuverability over floatation. You can always add tails for 6” more length.
@@OutsideChronicles thank you for the info! I really want the 22” for better maneuverability but wasn’t sure if I would need to step up to the 25” instead. Good to know!
If I broke a binding, I would tape the heck out of it. I keep electric and gorilla tape in my pack with a lighter to warm up the glue.
Let me know what you think in back country powder! I’ll stick with my old school leather and wood!!! No trails where I go!
Makes sense, you need the right gear for the conditions. Climbing Adirondack High Peaks in old school snowshoes would be challenging. But early climbers did. I hear they wore crampons (or hobnail boots) with their snowshoes.
I don’t climb mountains because they are there. I walk back country out of necessity!