Matthew Bradley
2013-09-16 14:52:57 UTC
*Tester Information
**Name:* Matthew T.
Bradley<http://www.linkedin.com/pub/matthew-bradley/76/934/aab>
*Age:* 38
*Gender:* male
*Height:* 5â² 6â³ / 1.68 m
*Weight:* 140lb / 63.5kg
*Email:* matbradl-***@public.gmane.org
*City, State, Country:* Pittsfield, Mass., U.S.A.
*Date:* 16 September 2013
*Backpacking Background
*Having grown up on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
I have been a casual day hiker for most of my life. I became gradually more
involved with dayhiking beginning with the Northeastâs big snow year during
the winter of 2010/11, when I became addicted to snowshoeing. Currently,
most of my hiking is done in the relatively steep and rugged Berkshire
Hills and Taconic Mountains, with occasional trips to the nearby Catskills
and Adirondacks.
*Product Information*
*Manufacturer:* Faber & Co.
*URL:* https://www.fabersnowshoes.com/
*Model:* Winter Guide (10 x 36 in / 25 x 91 cm)
*Place of Manufacture:* Loretteville, Québec, Que., Canada
*Year of Manufacture:* 2012
*Listed Weight:* 4.85 lb / 2.2 kg
*Measured Weight:* 4.79 lb / 2.17 kg
*MSRP: *$156.05 CAD
*Warranty:* one year; manufacturer will repair or replace if product damage
is due to material or manufacturing defect
*Product Description*
The Faber Winter Guides are constructed using a combination of natural and
synthetic materials. The crossbars and frameâwhich is upturned at the nose
and gradually tapers towards the tailâare made of lacquered ash. The
decking is made of injected copolymer and is reminiscent of a backpack
frame sheet. Circular holes in the decking segments provide exit ports to
prevent snow accumulation. The decking segments are secured to the
crossbars and frame with high test monofilament and the frame is joined
with strips of polymer.
[image: Inline image 2]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/9682226534/>
An injected polymer bar secured to the toe bar via two screws provides
purchase. In the same vein, the decking segment between the crossbars
incorporates fourteen short âknobsâ; four of these in turn incorporate
steel tips.
[image: Inline image 1]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8582302867/>
[image: Inline image 1]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8583413374/>
Faberâs Trio CBR binding is constructed from Delrin and includes a molded
toe stopper up front and two steel-tipped traction knobs similar to those
present on the middle decking portion. The bindings secure via dual
ratcheted straps, one across the top of the userâs metatarsal and the other
at the heel.
[image: Inline image 2]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8584526054/>
[image: Inline image 3]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8583430199/>
*Initial Use*
I received my pair of Winter Guides in mid-March of 2013 as the western
Massachusetts snowpack seemed to be well on its way to disappearing for the
season. Happily for me, we received a nice late season snowstorm on the
final day of winter and I was able to shake down my new raquettes rather
than put them directly into summer storage.
On the morning of March 19th I parked at Petersburg Pass just on the New
York side of the NY/Massachusetts state line and hiked up a three-quarter
mile segment of the Taconic Crest Trail. The trail gained about 400 feet
and the still-in-progress snow was powdery and unbroken. The Winter Guides
provided good flotation. Not so good as tightly-laced traditional
snowshoes, to be sure, but noticeably better than aluminum frame and
Hypalon models. I did have to herringbone and kick step a few times on my
way up due to the combination of snow conditions and the pitch of the
trail. I do not believe that burlier crampons would have made much of a
difference there, as there was no crust or ice underneath the fresh powder
to be gripped. I descended back to the parking lot and made the drive to
Williamstown, Mass., for lunch and to dry off.
[image: Inline image 1] <http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8571543015/>
After lunch I headed to the Vermont state line to make a trip up to the
summit of the peak known as The Dome. The snow was thin at the trailhead so
I started my trip up with my Winter Guides lashed to my pack. They didnât
stay there long, though, as it quickly became apparent that the fresh snow
overlaid a thick sheet of ice formed during the preceding weeksâ
freeze/thaw cycle. The Winter Guidesâ traction provided more than adequate
there. The route to the summit of The Dome gains 1,700 feet in 2.7 miles.
Given that I was breaking trail in powder the entire time there was quite a
bit of sweating on the way! The Winter Guides did their part to help me
out, however. Flotation was again clearly superior to aluminum and Hypalon
snowshoes, and the relatively long tail functioned to counterbalance the
nose, lifting it with each step. In addition, the width of the Winter
Guides helped provide stability on the heavily canted trails.
The next day I made a trip to the parking lot of Mount Greylock Ski Club
for a loop to the Stony Ledge overlook. I began the loop via the Roaring
Brook Trail, a mile and a half up with nary a flat spot until the top. The
snow had compacted somewhat overnight due to temperature and wind. The
Winter Guides kept me right on top of wind-packed drifts which the two
barebooters who had preceded me had sunk to their knees in with each and
every step. I descended via the Stony Ledge Trail, an old Civilian
Conservation Corps alpine ski piste. The descent was quick and *sans
problÚme*. Thanks to the upturn at front and the counterbalance lift action
of the tails I felt comfortable hopping along at a brisk pace without any
fear I would inadvertently kick the noses into the snow and be sent for a
face plant.
[image: Inline image 2]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8575398283/>
*What I Am Looking Forward To / What I Know So Far*
I acquired the Winter Guides to fill a specific niche. I have traditional
wood and babiche snowshoes that work wonderfully in powder and in wet snow
and I have aluminum and Hypalon snowshoes that work great on packed and
iced trails. Neither is perfect for the crusty off-trail snow one regularly
finds in the sometimes steep terrain of the Berkshires and Taconics,
however. Traditional snowshoes lack the grip to climb without constant kick
steps, and aluminum and Hypalon snowshoes tend to break through the crust
on each step due to a combination of relatively poor flotation and the
puncturing action of aggressive crampons. My initial use of the Winter
Guides leads me to believe that they will grip crust without punching
through it, but only time will tell.
One thing of which to be aware while using the Winter Guides is that the
polymer traction bar and knobs appear to be somewhat susceptible to wear
from contact with rocks. The lower stretch of my climb to the summit of The
Dome involving fairly thin snow atop a rocky trail surface left a bit of
wear on both of these elements. That is by no means to say that the decking
nor the snowshoe in general is fragile, but I will attempt to minimize use
of the Winter Guides in similar conditions from here on out.
**Name:* Matthew T.
Bradley<http://www.linkedin.com/pub/matthew-bradley/76/934/aab>
*Age:* 38
*Gender:* male
*Height:* 5â² 6â³ / 1.68 m
*Weight:* 140lb / 63.5kg
*Email:* matbradl-***@public.gmane.org
*City, State, Country:* Pittsfield, Mass., U.S.A.
*Date:* 16 September 2013
*Backpacking Background
*Having grown up on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
I have been a casual day hiker for most of my life. I became gradually more
involved with dayhiking beginning with the Northeastâs big snow year during
the winter of 2010/11, when I became addicted to snowshoeing. Currently,
most of my hiking is done in the relatively steep and rugged Berkshire
Hills and Taconic Mountains, with occasional trips to the nearby Catskills
and Adirondacks.
*Product Information*
*Manufacturer:* Faber & Co.
*URL:* https://www.fabersnowshoes.com/
*Model:* Winter Guide (10 x 36 in / 25 x 91 cm)
*Place of Manufacture:* Loretteville, Québec, Que., Canada
*Year of Manufacture:* 2012
*Listed Weight:* 4.85 lb / 2.2 kg
*Measured Weight:* 4.79 lb / 2.17 kg
*MSRP: *$156.05 CAD
*Warranty:* one year; manufacturer will repair or replace if product damage
is due to material or manufacturing defect
*Product Description*
The Faber Winter Guides are constructed using a combination of natural and
synthetic materials. The crossbars and frameâwhich is upturned at the nose
and gradually tapers towards the tailâare made of lacquered ash. The
decking is made of injected copolymer and is reminiscent of a backpack
frame sheet. Circular holes in the decking segments provide exit ports to
prevent snow accumulation. The decking segments are secured to the
crossbars and frame with high test monofilament and the frame is joined
with strips of polymer.
[image: Inline image 2]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/9682226534/>
An injected polymer bar secured to the toe bar via two screws provides
purchase. In the same vein, the decking segment between the crossbars
incorporates fourteen short âknobsâ; four of these in turn incorporate
steel tips.
[image: Inline image 1]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8582302867/>
[image: Inline image 1]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8583413374/>
Faberâs Trio CBR binding is constructed from Delrin and includes a molded
toe stopper up front and two steel-tipped traction knobs similar to those
present on the middle decking portion. The bindings secure via dual
ratcheted straps, one across the top of the userâs metatarsal and the other
at the heel.
[image: Inline image 2]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8584526054/>
[image: Inline image 3]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8583430199/>
*Initial Use*
I received my pair of Winter Guides in mid-March of 2013 as the western
Massachusetts snowpack seemed to be well on its way to disappearing for the
season. Happily for me, we received a nice late season snowstorm on the
final day of winter and I was able to shake down my new raquettes rather
than put them directly into summer storage.
On the morning of March 19th I parked at Petersburg Pass just on the New
York side of the NY/Massachusetts state line and hiked up a three-quarter
mile segment of the Taconic Crest Trail. The trail gained about 400 feet
and the still-in-progress snow was powdery and unbroken. The Winter Guides
provided good flotation. Not so good as tightly-laced traditional
snowshoes, to be sure, but noticeably better than aluminum frame and
Hypalon models. I did have to herringbone and kick step a few times on my
way up due to the combination of snow conditions and the pitch of the
trail. I do not believe that burlier crampons would have made much of a
difference there, as there was no crust or ice underneath the fresh powder
to be gripped. I descended back to the parking lot and made the drive to
Williamstown, Mass., for lunch and to dry off.
[image: Inline image 1] <http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8571543015/>
After lunch I headed to the Vermont state line to make a trip up to the
summit of the peak known as The Dome. The snow was thin at the trailhead so
I started my trip up with my Winter Guides lashed to my pack. They didnât
stay there long, though, as it quickly became apparent that the fresh snow
overlaid a thick sheet of ice formed during the preceding weeksâ
freeze/thaw cycle. The Winter Guidesâ traction provided more than adequate
there. The route to the summit of The Dome gains 1,700 feet in 2.7 miles.
Given that I was breaking trail in powder the entire time there was quite a
bit of sweating on the way! The Winter Guides did their part to help me
out, however. Flotation was again clearly superior to aluminum and Hypalon
snowshoes, and the relatively long tail functioned to counterbalance the
nose, lifting it with each step. In addition, the width of the Winter
Guides helped provide stability on the heavily canted trails.
The next day I made a trip to the parking lot of Mount Greylock Ski Club
for a loop to the Stony Ledge overlook. I began the loop via the Roaring
Brook Trail, a mile and a half up with nary a flat spot until the top. The
snow had compacted somewhat overnight due to temperature and wind. The
Winter Guides kept me right on top of wind-packed drifts which the two
barebooters who had preceded me had sunk to their knees in with each and
every step. I descended via the Stony Ledge Trail, an old Civilian
Conservation Corps alpine ski piste. The descent was quick and *sans
problÚme*. Thanks to the upturn at front and the counterbalance lift action
of the tails I felt comfortable hopping along at a brisk pace without any
fear I would inadvertently kick the noses into the snow and be sent for a
face plant.
[image: Inline image 2]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/8575398283/>
*What I Am Looking Forward To / What I Know So Far*
I acquired the Winter Guides to fill a specific niche. I have traditional
wood and babiche snowshoes that work wonderfully in powder and in wet snow
and I have aluminum and Hypalon snowshoes that work great on packed and
iced trails. Neither is perfect for the crusty off-trail snow one regularly
finds in the sometimes steep terrain of the Berkshires and Taconics,
however. Traditional snowshoes lack the grip to climb without constant kick
steps, and aluminum and Hypalon snowshoes tend to break through the crust
on each step due to a combination of relatively poor flotation and the
puncturing action of aggressive crampons. My initial use of the Winter
Guides leads me to believe that they will grip crust without punching
through it, but only time will tell.
One thing of which to be aware while using the Winter Guides is that the
polymer traction bar and knobs appear to be somewhat susceptible to wear
from contact with rocks. The lower stretch of my climb to the summit of The
Dome involving fairly thin snow atop a rocky trail surface left a bit of
wear on both of these elements. That is by no means to say that the decking
nor the snowshoe in general is fragile, but I will attempt to minimize use
of the Winter Guides in similar conditions from here on out.