The Homemade Snowshoe Repair Kit

Kids, teens, young adults, and parents all seem to enjoy the “what’s in my pack” game. I relay a fictitious story and ask the audience what should be in my pack. Then, I slowly pull out the essential accessories. Since nobody ever says that I should carry a snowshoe repair kit, it is always the last item I pull from my daypack when playing this demonstration game. The homemade snowshoe repair kit is often forgotten about, but incredibly important on the trails.

Why Do You Need A Snowshoe Repair Kit?

As part of the game, I point out some scenarios when a repair kit would come in handy. I ask, what would you do if one of your bindings break? You can no longer attach your feet to one of your snowshoes, and you have a foot of snow to travel on to get back to the trailhead a mile away. What if you bridge one of your snowshoes on a log, and your frame (wood or aluminum) breaks in half?

Responses from the audience are always interesting. But the bottom line is that you need to have supplies available to do field repair on the trail. Supplies are essential so that you can continue with your snowshoe journey–especially in deep snow. And you would do this by creating and carrying a snowshoe repair kit.

How To Create A Custom Snowshoe Repair Kit

1. Know Your Snowshoes

Learn about the materials that make up your snowshoes. Identify what could potentially go wrong with the shoes. What parts could break? Knowing snowshoe anatomy can help you determine what parts you should make handy in case they do break. Can you get those parts from your snowshoe company? The more you learn about your snowshoes, the better prepared you will be to treat them in the field should something break.

2. Scenarios For The Frame

Whether you have traditional snowshoes made of wood or modern aluminum snowshoes, look at the frame. Rarely do frames break. However, the most common snaps come from bridging a snowshoe on or across a log or rock. If the snowshoe frame does break, a method for a temporary field repair would be to create a splint out of metal or wood. Then, connect the splint to the remaining frame with cord, wire, clamp, duct tape, or all of the above.

3. Scenarios For The Decking

Similarly, if a Hypalon deck of an aluminum frame shoe tears or breaks away from the frame, there are a few options to consider for the repair. Use either plastic cable ties or wire to reattach the two together. Duct tape works well for temporarily mending tears in the deck’s fabric.

4. Scenarios For The Pivot System

Pivot systems can be simple or complex, depending on the type of snowshoe. Look at the pivot system of your shoe. Sometimes a simple nut and bolt, or aluminum wire can fix the problem in the field, depending on the extent of the breakage.

5. Scenarios For The Bindings

Broken bindings can be a significant problem since the function of the binding is to attach the snowshoe to your foot. The use of a fabric strap, webbing, mesh, or other thick material can help to affix the snowshoe to your boot or shoe temporarily. This repair involves a combination of creativity and some engineering ingenuity. Take your time, plan, and prepare a solution.

Materials In My Homemade Snowshoe Repair Kit

Okay, you have gotten to know your snowshoes, you have considered some scenarios that could go wrong when snowshoeing on the trail, and what you can do to solve the problem. Now, you’ll want to find what you should put into your homemade snowshoe repair kit.

Plastic carry case

I use a quart-size heavy-duty zip-lock plastic bag. You can use a small plastic container with a lid or an old fanny pack as well. Any of these will work to store your repair supplies.

Wire & plastic cable ties/zip-ties
I carry about a dozen 10-inch plastic cable ties and about 3 feet (0.9 m) of aluminum wire. These items can be helpful in many repair situations.

Hose clamp
A hose clamp, like the one you would use to connect a hose in your car or for plumbing, can come in handy. You can use a hose clamp to fix a broken frame by using it to clamp on a tent stake or stick.

Metal or substantial aluminum tent stakes

Tent stakes will serve as a splint for a broken frame, as noted above.

Bootlace or fabric strap with clip, webbing or mini-bungees

Any of these items can help with a binding repair. The bootlace can also work for attaching decking to a frame, or of course, for replacing a broken lace on your boot.

Nuts, bolts, and washers

These items can be used for attaching a traction device to a pivot system or deck; or for replacing a broken rivet on the snowshoe.

Duct tape

Canada’s Red Green says that duct tape is the “handyman’s secret weapon.” Using duct tape for most snowshoe field repairs is a way to show you are handy (be you a handyman or handywoman). Use duct tape to adhere to decking, bindings, and frames.

Multi-tool or knife with many tool features

A small multi-tool, which includes pliers, Phillips, and a standard screwdriver, etc is one option you can add to your kit. You could also use a Swiss Army knife that has multiple tool options on it. These two tool devices will help with repairs that require screwing, tightening, twisting, bending, punching, and cutting.

Parts from the snowshoe manufacturer

The last thing to add to your repair kit, if available, are any items you can secure from your snowshoe company. Order any auxiliary parts they may sell that would help with field repairs. For example, MSR has a snowshoe field service kit that includes such items as clevis pins, split rings, washers, lock nuts, strap retainers, and more. If you own MSR snowshoes, consider adding this to your homemade snowshoe repair kit.

Snowshoe Repair Kit In Action

I once taught a winter backpacking course where students hiked to our campsite using snowshoes. One of the student’s snowshoe bindings broke away from the frame at the toe hole on their plastic snowshoe.

In my tent that night, I carefully taped the binding to the frame with many wraps of duct tape. Once I got the duct tape to hold onto the two components, I re-wrapped the tape onto itself. This repair held that binding in place through the rest of our trip. I was amazed at the power of duct tape and my repair kit. Red Green would have been proud!

When heading out on the trail for a day of snowshoeing, take your homemade snowshoe repair kit. You should never leave home without it.

Do you have a snowshoe repair kit? How has it helped you?

Article Updated Dec 2019

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