This article caught our attention in the Winter 2009 Issue of Wilderness Medicine Magazine.

Winter doesn’t have to be a stay-at-home season. There are plenty of opportunities to get your kids into the outdoors. With some basic equipment, reading, lessons and tapping into your own experiences, you can equip your kids and give them skills to participate in outdoor winter adventures and sports.

Get Ready, Set…Go

Back in the sixties I remember being so bundled for a winter outing I walked like a grade B movie monster. Gone are the days of cotton long underwear, thick cotton sweaters and bulky water logged snowsuits. The Fall 2008 edition of WM magazine discussed clothing and gear, but winter requires some added advice.

Outfit your kids in non-cotton synthetic fiber clothing using the layer method. Give attention to waterproof mittens or gloves with liners. Wool or fleece hats contain warmth and should cover their ears. Neck gaiters make up the distance between jackets and hats. They can also be pulled up for face protection. Neoprene face masks in extreme cold not only protect from cold exposure but also from sun and wind burns. Thicker synthetic socks and waterproof boots protect feet. Pay special attention to tight fitting boots which restrict toe movement and predispose to cold injury. Light reflection from snow cover can cause UV eye burns – bring sunglasses or goggles for all. Sunscreen is a must for exposed skin.

Helmets should be non-negotiable for activities such as sledding, skiing, and snowboarding.

Remember to bundle infants and small carry-along kids who may not be heating up from exercise as much as you. Carry instant heat packs, which shouldn’t be depended on for prolonged exposure situations, but can help take the chill from hands and feet. Besides, they are as good as a magic trick for little ones who marvel at the scrunch and heat trick.

Fun Things to Do

You can’t beat a great snowball battle or building Frosty for a quick outdoor activity, but there are a whole lot of winter adventures waiting to help build your kids’ confidence, skills, and general good health.

Sledding:

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Three important pieces of advice: Wear a helmet. Wear a helmet. Wear a helmet.

Too often this is considered a benign sport, but consider your kids are on a device that gains speed and eventually collides with something or someone. Examine and repair damaged equipment and check steering function. Sleds with runners and steering devises are safer than disks or toboggans. Pick gentle slopes, away from hazards, with a spacious level area to stop. Teach them proper riding position with feet always pointing downhill. Make a game of pulling the sled and racing back up the hill. Feed and water them every hour to maintain energy and warmth.

Skiing or Snowboarding:

Helmets. Helmets. Helmets.

These activities require training from a skilled individual. If you don’t ski or snowboard, consider lessons for the whole family. All resorts offer a variety of lesson packages that can include ski rentals and lift tickets. During lessons they learn not only to ski but how to fall and avoid injury. Rent equipment for a season if they are new to the sport before making a big investment in gear. The ski rental shop will help choose and fit the equipment. But if your child complains about a tight fit or bindings that don’t release when they fall, take time out for an adjustment back at the shop. Check your own equipment at the beginning of the season for needed repairs and routine maintenance. If you teach them yourselves try using a harness to control their speed, or ski next to them holding your pole parallel to the ground so they can hold onto it, or like we did for our youngest, just ski ten feet ahead of them to act as a stop if needed. No matter what method you use inject fun into the activity by taking lots of breaks for snacks and hot chocolate, play games like searching for winter birds, and let them snap pictures to preserve memories of the fun.

Snowshoeing:

Winter hiking just got a whole lot more fun with snowshoes. No learning curve here; if they can walk, they can snowshoe. Wearing snowshoes allows you to ride above the snow instead of sinking into it. You exert less energy, stay drier, and can cover more distance. As with any hike bring a map, emergency rescue gear, extra food, extra clothing, and leave your itinerary with someone. Most XC ski centers also rent snowshoes and poles for use on their trails. This is an opportunity to teach your kids respect for multi-use trails. Stay out of the XC ski tracks and yield to skiers coming downhill. It’s also a great time to observe the scenery and wildlife when walking down a quiet snow-laden trail.

Winter Camping:

Some campgrounds operate year round, or you can backpack into a designated trail campsite. If this is a first-time winter camping trip, consider car or tent camping in a designated campsite. Having your vehicle nearby is an “out” for sudden weather changes. Bring a four-season tent, sleeping bags, and thick sleeping mats or air cushions for ground insulation. Plan to sleep wearing your hat and mittens. This is a terrific opportunity to teach kids winter survival skills such as fire building in wet conditions, snow fort construction, trail finding, and weather monitoring.

Slick Advice for Tricky Conditions

Start outdoor adventures, like snowshoeing, early in the day so you are back before the daylight fades. Allow extra travel time for bad weather, traffic delays, poor road conditions, or detours. Stay home if the weather is bad. Frequently check kids clothing and gear for wetness and proper coverage. Catching problems early can avert a worse disaster later down the trail. Bring along extra hats, gloves, mittens, socks, and scarves to replace wet items. Bring a dry pair of shoes and extra food. Most kids less than twelve years need supervision for these outdoor activities which also gives you a chance to teach and spend valued time together. Equally important is bringing your sense of fun and flexibility. Quitting before they and you are exhausted reduces the risk of injury and enhances their prospect of continuing these winter outdoor traditions with their own kids.

Clothing Basics :

Dress in layers and be prepared to shed or add layers if you heat up or cool down or if the weather changes abruptly, as it often does in Colorado’s high country.

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Thermal underwear, windproof pants, an insulating layer of synthetic fleece or wool and a windproof and water-repellent shell jacket are the basic components of a layering system. Some snowshoers like to add a vest, or use a vest instead of a long sleeved pullover, sweater or shirt as the insulating jacket. A hat and a pair of warm gloves complete the basic outfit.

If you are going for a short snowshoe at an established resort center, you can be casual with the number of layers and options you take along. However, if you are going out for several hours and particularly into the Backcountry, never assume that the weather will be as good when you are out there as when you get out of your car.

Being prepared for worse – often far worse – weather than at the beginning of your excursion isn’t just a good good idea. It can save your life.

by Ryan Alford – Snowshoe Magazine

One thing is for sure…snowshoeing IS for everybody.

Well…almost everybody, but the sport has been around long enough to earn itself a cliché statement: “If you can walk, you can snowshoe.”

So, I challenge you to try snowshoeing. If you are a first-timer to the sport, understand that snowshoeing is probably the most versatile winter sport in existence. Where there is snow, there is the potential landscape for a snowshoer. Also understand that snowshoeing equipment is a fraction of the cost compared to many popular winter sports today – there are no pricey lift tickets either.

However, snowshoeing takes a commitment and an effort that will test your strength and willpower. The health and fitness aspects of the sport are significantly greater than any other winter sport in the world. An avid snowshoer will become aware of their heightened physical condition over time. By itself, snowshoeing is almost a wonder diet.

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That’s my public service announcement on snowshoeing. I’m proud to be a snowshoer myself, but I am uniquely involved in the sport and the industry. I represent the quickly growing and rising publication Snowshoe Magazine – a Web-based effort with plans to provide a print version soon. Not only is this forum your portal to more information on the sport, I will lead you through a season that will direct you to Snowshoemag.com for information updates, exceptional content and more.

I hold the sport of snowshoeing close to my heart. I first became interested in the sport after a growing frustration for the increasing prices of ski equipment and resort tickets. After discovering how cost-effective snowshoeing is, I jumped at the chance to purchase a pair of shoes. Later, I found myself tromping through the backcountry and enjoying the tranquility.

More and more snowshoers are born every day. I invite you to become part of the worldwide community of snowshoers and make a promise to try it out. Not only do you have the option to purchase equipment, you can also rent snowshoes. The sport is well-suited for families (including children ages 3 and up), the sport appeals to seniors who find it easy on aching joints and muscles…it appeals to virtually any person interested in the outdoors. Snowshoeing’s ideally universal in every aspect.

Snowshoeing can also be…”cool,” I guess. As the sport evolves, more and more backcountry snowboarders are finding snowshoes to be helpful. Plus, snowshoe races and competitions are very exciting to watch and participate in – something that a youthful audience can appreciate. Snowshoeing ain’t just a family sport!

Much is in store for snowshoeing, including its potential as an Olympic game. Plans are underway to begin working with the International Olympic Committee to hold snowshoeing demonstration races at the winter games, Vancouver 2010. Although we are far from that time frame, the participation needs to increase now. That’s where you come in. We need your help to increase awareness. We need your help in making snowshoeing a mainstream sport. We need your help by becoming a snowshoer.

As you maintain your visits to this area on eSnowshoes.com, if it starts here, I welcome you to the sport. If you already snowshoe, help me increase interest among those who have yet to take the snowy plunge. There’s plenty of information to be shared and discussed.

I would like to extend an invitation to you to visit Snowshoemag.com and sign-up for our free e-mail newsletter. When registering, remember to enter promo code “ESNOWSHOES” for your chance to win a free pair of snowshoes.

Basically, a GPS (global positioning system) device is a battery-operated handheld gadget that connects with a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites. The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but later opened it up to anybody and everybody.

So, if a snowshoer was out and about in the wilderness, they could use a device to pinpoint their location on a map (the unit has its own set of maps included). The device connects with four or more satellites to provide the user’s location to within three meters. It’s very accurate. The GPS device also provides coordinates, which are excellent for locating a point on a map. It’s all very simple once you have the chance to test out a GPS device’s capabilities.

I believe snowshoeing with a GPS device is essential. Not only can a GPS device save your life, it’s useful in almost any situation. Of course depending on consumer electronics is not the best suggestion for anybody snowshoeing in the elements, I recommend bringing a paper map and a compass as back up. You never know when those store-bought batteries will run out of life and leave you in a situation of possible danger.

Oh yes, bring extra batteries too.

Snowshoeing with a GPS device can be fun as well. A “sport” called geocaching is an excellent way to get involved this winter with the outdoors and a snowshoeing group as well. Although geocaching is geared for summer fun, it can work in the winter as well (depending on the cache and where it’s placed).

For those of you new to geocaching…it’s more or less a treasure hunt with a GPS device. Snowshoers can visit http://www.geocaching.com and plug in a location to find the caches in your area. At that point, pick a cache and go. Remember to plug-in the coordinates into your GPS device and allow your device to help identify the easiest route to the cache.

Some caches are better than others. But, when visiting Geocaching.com, research the where, what, when, who and how. There’s nothing worse than looking for geocache only to be disappointed near the end of your hike and hunt. That would suck!

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Geocaching can be fun if done with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure. Try it out. Go for it. But, you must have a GPS device to participate in a geocache adventure (a compass and a map would be very difficult, but if that’s what you prefer…by all means).

If you are in the market for a GPS device there are many to choose from. In my opinion, you have three brands to choose from: Magellan, Garmin and Cobra. Each brand has its pros and cons, but I will let you do the research and discover the wonderful world of GPS devices.

Here some Brands to check out:

Magellan

Garmin

Cobra

You will probably spend anywhere from $100 to $500 for a GPS device. There are many to choose from and many offer a myriad of features, but I would suggest purchasing a device that has a built-in compass, mapping included (most do anyway), are durable for the outdoors (waterproof and shockproof), and WAAS-enabled. (This is just a few items to think about when shopping for a device.)

by Ryan Alford – Snowshoe Magazine

This “have it your way” concept is what makes the sport so appealing. In fact, some snowshoes can be made to fit your every specification – down to the ounce and rivet. The snowshoeing audience is so broadly based…options are made to be available. This also includes a choice in color, materials, binding, crampons (the metal cleats underneath the snowshoe) and more.

“Weight” – From Nimble to Lumber

It’s time to get over your weight issues – if they exist. Working with a salesperson – if it’s with a retailer or with the manufacturer directly – they will need to know your exact weight to determine what size of snowshoes you need to wear.

The sizes range from 25-inch in length, 30-inch and 36-inch. Salespeople will also try to determine if you will be wearing a backpack during your snowshoeing excursions – so be prepared to know that before hand. Usually, a daypack is smart to have when snowshoeing anywhere (carrying, water, food, extra clothing and a first-aid kit is necessary). Obviously, carrying a pack will increase your weight by 10 to 50 pounds.

A great way to begin snowshoeing is to purchase a pair that fits your weight exactly. Don’t worry about the pack. For beginners, it is smart to stick to a trail you are familiar with…something that isn’t too deep and difficult. In the case you want to get off the trail and go more backcountry snowshoeing, purchasing a shoe that fits your weight and pack weight is suggested. Plus, don’t buy a beginner shoe if you think you will be doing a lot more than just strolling down the snow-laden passages of your local Nordic center. Go for the more expensive and tougher-made shoes.

Research the snowshoe brand as well. Although I do not promote one brand over the other, your preference will certainly matter after visiting a retailer in person or visiting their Web site.

Here’s a list of the different manufacturers and their Web sites:

Atlas Snow-Shoe Co. – www.atlassnowshoe.com

Crescent Moon Snowshoes – www.crescentmoonshowshoes.com

Dion Snowshoes – www.dionsnowshoes.com

GV Snowshoes – www.gvsnowshoes.com

Havlick Snowshoes – www.havlicksnowshoe.com

Mountain Safety Research – www.msrcorp.com

Northern Lites Snowshoes – www.northernlites.com

Redfeather Snowshoes – www.redfeather.com

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Tubbs Snowshoes – www.tubbssnowshoes.com

Yukon Charlie’s Snowshoes – www.yukoncharlies.com

Study their offerings and snowshoe design. There are so many different brands available. But, I will go into more detail on brands at a later date.

“Sex” – Mars and Venus Certainly Apply

Nowadays, women can find a snowshoe especially tailored for their abilities and finesse. Although a snowshoe series hasn’t been devoted specifically to men, what’s available nowadays is all about choice. Women called for it, and they received it.

Manufacturers have designed snowshoes with a woman in mind. From its lightweight frame that fits woman’s natural stride to the bindings that fit a woman’s boot efficiently, snowshoes are no longer limited to length and size.

This new and ergonomic way of designing a snowshoe is allowed for women to pursue the sport in comfort. The manufactures made a more ergonomic approach – now women have something that fits their abilities and wishes.

This is all just another reason why snowshoeing is such a great sport.

“Ability” – To Run, or Not to Run…That is the Dilemma

Snowshoers range in ability. Some like to run and compete in races. Others like to walk leisurely on a trail. And, some snowshoers pursue backcountry hikes that are physically demanding.

When choosing a snowshoe, not only will size apply…where you’re going will as well. A salesperson will generally ask, “Where would you like to snowshoe?” Or, “Have you been snowshoeing yet?”

Keep in mind, after the first 15 steps on snowshoes…you’re a pro; don’t let the sport fool you, it’s pretty easy. So, if you want to pursue backcountry hikes and take deep plunges in the snow, don’t be sold on something more first-time level. Try a something that’s manufactured to go the distance – a backcountry model. Ask your salesperson, but don’t allow them to sell you something you want to take back three weeks later. Snowshoes usually last a lifetime if cared for properly.

“Age” – The Kids Can Snowshoe Too

If you want the whole family snowshoeing, there are shoes available for kids. What’s available is pretty simple – nothing too fancy.

However, there are snowshoes available for kids that are shaped like bear paws and dinosaur feet. This really makes the whole experience fun for kids – especially if they’re leaving a unique footprint in the snow.

by Ryan Alford – Snowshoe Magazine