Tubbs Adventure 21, 25, 30

Review Date
May 3, 2003

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Christopher (Unregistered User) ,  Climber

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I used these shoes for the rather long approaches ice climbing in northern Canada. I had serious issues pertaining to the bindings with these snowshoes: 1. The tightening straps are damn near impossible to use with cold fingers. 2. The heel strap kept slipping off of my mountaineering boots, even though the heel of my boot had a crampon welt for the heel strap to fit in. 3. In Canada where we were climbing, the average temperature during the day never got above 0 F and the straps iced over making it impossible no matter how hard you tried to dial in your bindings. So my overall consensus of the binding is that they suck. I diffidently like the Atlas ratchet binding system much better.

Review Date
January 29, 2001

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Neal Boutin(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Hiker from NH

Price Paid:  $140.00 at Campmor

Summary:
An avid warm weather hiker, I haven't had a good winter activity for years (no more skiing for me). My (soon to be) wife suggested snowshoeing so I started looking into it. I decided on Tubbs shoes as they seemed more rugged than the Atlas shoes of equal price ($165 range). My wife liked that there was a women's specific model.

While shopping around I found a great deal from Campmor. $140 for the 25 inch shoes, men's and women's models. I just had to get them.

We've taken them out for a couple of mountain hikes so far and I'm impressed with them. Once I strap them on, they stay put. My wife's, however, have the bad habit of loosening up from time to time. Usually, the heel strap loosens and slips off of her boot. As the bindings are pretty much the same on our shoes, I'm not yet sure what's going on.

I'm think the heel strap issue has something to do with her boots. The heel tapers in towards the bottom where the strap wants to go and I think it's simply working it's way down as she walks (the rubber lowers of her boots are pretty soft too). My boots are more squared off at the bottom of the heel which seems to work better with that strap (much harder rubber there as well). Something to watch out for anyway.

At 25 inches, these things aren't great at floating on powder (obviously bigger is better here). But for the packed trails and heavier snow these things have been great.

--neal

Similar Products Used:
None

Review Date
September 1, 2000

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Glenn(Unregistered User) ,  Day Hiker , from Calgary Alberta Canada

Price Paid:  $160.00

Summary:
These shoes have a very good binding system. At 185lbs the 30's work great. Climbing and decending was very good, off canber was alittle tricky but nothing you can't get use to. Overall a great shoe at a great price.

Similar Products Used:
I've looked at others but for the price the Tubbs were the best built and had the best binding system without having to spend the money on a specialized binding.

Review Date
May 13, 2000

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by: Heather A. Bee(Unregistered User) ,  Day Hiker , from Portland, OR USA

Summary:
I have the Adventure 25 series. I believe them to be a good value. My partner has the Atlas 1033s and I think that the Tubbs are as good as far as "floating" on the snow and the Atlas 1033s are significantly more expensive. The only drawback to the Tubbs are the bindings--these are not easy to do with cold fingers and I usually have to have my partner to the final cinching. With any snowshoes I would remind the beginner that they are not meant to completely float on the snow and that it can be a strenuous, but wonderful sport!

Similar Products Used:
Low-end Atlas snowshoes--hated them. Tubbs has some kind of feature that makes the back end "spring up" as you are hiking.

Review Date
March 21, 2000

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Reviewed by: Kathleen Helmer(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Mill Valley, CA

Summary:
Okay here's the scoop! If you're wanting to try snowshoeing out and you've never been. These are a good priced shoe for the first few times. I think that if you become more involved with snowshoeing you'll want the type that has the clasps that buckle and cinch down. They provide a better fit.