Walking Equipment and Accessories

MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes | Review

It's easy to see why the Lightning Ascent Snowshoes from MSR are one of most popular on the market

If you’ve got a pair of snowshoes on your feet then you’re more likely than not surrounded by some serious terrain (either that or you’re tearing your living room apart wearing snowshoes on your couch).

Snowshoes are only required when the white stuff is particularly thick, and even if the rest of the environment you’re trekking through isn’t particularly hostile, you don’t want to end up with a pair that will leave you wanting or irritated on your expedition.

They can quite literally be the difference between an enjoyable outing in the great outdoors and an all-too-real, potentially hazardous struggle.

“One of the only options if you want a snowshoe that can handle both deep powder and technical routes.”

That’s where the MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes come in. The lightweight product is commonly regarded as one of the best products on the market, and it’s no secret why.

MSR’s snowshoes are perfect no matter if you’re trail hiking or getting well and truly lost in the backcountry – they’re one of the only options if you want a snowshoe that can handle both deep powder and technical routes.

The Lightning Ascent Snowshoes from MSR is widely thought of as one of the best on the market. Photo: Chris Johnson.

Hit your natural stride with ease thanks to the full rotation bindings. Photo: Chris Johnson.

On snowy trails, or deep in the back country, the Lightning Ascent Snowshoes will do the business. Photo: Chris Johnson.

These are light enough for you to forget you're wearing them, ideal for those long walks in the white stuff. Photo: Chris Johnson.

The full rotation bindings give you an unrestricted range of movement and allow you to hit your natural rhythm and timing in the shoe, and the little details – like the Televator heel lifts in particular – don’t go unnoticed either. There’s nothing worse than being forced into an uncomfortable walking position when you’re out in the wilderness, and these snowshoes are set up to avoid exactly that.

On technical terrain the hinged bindings are preferable to most alternatives, and on packed snow or marked trails the MSR snowshoes are lightweight enough that you’d be forgiven for thinking you were just making way in a pair of boots.

For their versatility, reliability, weight and comfort, the MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes are tough to beat. This is a piece of gear you can trust when you’re out on the white stuff.