A few points about Snowshoes.

In which I give a brief overview of snowshoes, followed by a description of some of their benefits.
Global warming, heavy modern boots and the modern tendency for walking only on well groomed trails has made the modern man forget how useful snowshoes were and still are. Even in the moderately mild winters of the modern world.

[@Wambueducation]

Another useful thing about snowshoes, even when the snow is too powdery for them to work properly, is that it tamps down the snow into a nice trail, unlike walking in shoes which just makes a bunch of holes. If you have a group of people walking together, walking is a lot less effort for those behind, and the fittest people in the group can take turns being in the lead.

[@nunyabizzy]

I hope you understand how useful, interesting, relaxing, and generally enjoyable your channel is. I hope people tell you this daily, but just in case, I'm doing it now. Thank you.

[@austinrotker7289]

Just spent a snowy day binging all of your vids. Great stuff, very informative and very comfy. Keep up the great work man.

[@MalcolmPL]

Cheers. Nice to hear.

[@conradswadling8495]

good work, have pulled pulk wearing snowshoes, they have their uses for sure

[@MalcolmPL]

Yeah, I got a lot of use out of them this winter. As usual it seems that my younger self was an idiot.

[@Lowlandlord]

I've only ever used them as a kid in Northern Ontario, near Timmins, but my Grandad had hand made pairs for the whole family. Wasn't necessary enough, and I was too small for 'em, to really have proper experience with them tho.

[@KK-xz4rk]

Good points! Did native americans have anything similar to skis?
Many native people (like sami) winter boots (nutukaat) had fur outside and under the sole also. It really helps against slipping in snow (at least backwards). Best fur to make legwear for winter was seal skins (at least along coast). It was pretty waterproof and fur was short and sturdy it could be used as rawhide or made into leather. Rawhide boots were held in cool place because in warm room they started rotting and smelling. Reindeer skins were also very widely used

[@MalcolmPL]

Snowshoes and skis are the divergent evolution of a common ancestor. Remember I mentioned that the first snowshoes were rounded boards?Across the pond they grew longer and skinnier, and became skis. Over here they got broader and rawhide woven.
Re, fur soled footwear. I’ll have to look into that, it makes a lot of sense. But I’ve only seen Inuit examples.
Re, sealskin. I’ve got some mittens and a hat. It’s incredible how waterproof it is. But it isn’t terribly warm.
Re, rawhide. You don’t have to keep it cold so much as keep it dry, to stop rot.

[@KK-xz4rk]

@@MalcolmPL Here, across the pond, all fenno-ugri people had similar winterboots. Iv seen sami, hansi, mari, nenets etc.. They all have fur outside and under sole.
I read some 19 century book where local coastal people used a lot of rawhide sealskin shoes and how smelly they were if used indoors. Seal fur was really resistant and did not wear off under sole so fast. Dried grass and moss (soft dried plants) are widely mentioned as insulation inside leather footwear in winter (even Ötzi shoes were full of grass).

[@MalcolmPL]

@@KK-xz4rk Very interesting. I'll look into it. Thanks.

[@KK-xz4rk]

@@MalcolmPL Found a great YT channel. There are some videos about nomadic Nenets families.
th-cam.com/video/8gI6q4R8ih4/w-d-xo.html
Most of their outer clothing is still draditional reindeer fur. Fur covered shoes are prefered over modern ones. And look for children clothing.
th-cam.com/video/MfXD-NjkqGU/w-d-xo.html
They still have their old gods and traditions and old ways of doing handicraft.

[@MalcolmPL]

Thanks for that. My love of winter has given me a great fascination with northern cultures.

[@adreabrooks11]

I grew up in Huntsville, ON. I remember, at six or seven years old, having cousins visit from the Niagara Peninsula. The fact that they didn't know how to use snowshoes baffled me! Then again, my lack of knowledge about Thundercats and He-Man was just as perplexing to them, haha.
These days, living in Southern Ontario myself, I can understand how people get by without ever needing snowshoes. However, I still find myself shaking my head at some of the winter practices we've imported from warmer climates. "Why shovel your sidewalk?" my inner seven-year-old says, "Six or seven people walking along there in snowshoes, and you'd have a nice, flat pathway."

[@brainfreeze1925]

I'm from Niagara originally but have lived near enough to Peterborough for a few decades now. Yep, we never needed snowshoes :) My wife and I like to snowshoe and are looking for a new pair, likely traditional. We like--well, she likes me to--break trail in fresh snow. The modern snowshoes we have just don't cut it even though they are larger. They are good for trails though. We have very good friends in Huntsville that are originally from Niagara. Nice place . . . we always stop at the LCBO there when heading north to our cottage on Callander Bay.

[@adreabrooks11]

@@brainfreeze1925 I feel ya. Give me a nice pair of catgut-stranded beaver-tails made from wood any day; the modern lightweights just aren't the same - even if they are a pain to back up in.
I might recommend looking into some First Nations sources for a traditional set. If you don't know any, you might look into some of the "trading posts" up in cottage country - especially those who do a bit of outfitting.

[@watcher314159]

Why shovel your sidewalks? Because not everyone can walk unassisted. Wheelchairs and walkers do not perform well on snow and ice, and nor do many people with visual impairments. Then there are people with chronic fatigue for whom walking on uneven surfaces or the extra weight of snowshoes is unduly burdensome, and I'm sure like a dozen other disabilities I'm blanking on are also disproportionately affected by snow and ice. Disabled people are about a quarter of the population, and probably about half are affected by snow and ice, so statistically about one of your example 6-7 people would really appreciate that sidewalk being shoveled.
Also, enough people tamping down the snow will create a slippery shell of ice that will make anyone not wearing snowshoes (for whatever reason, even if wearing them is otherwise normal in your community) very unhappy and at a high risk for becoming disabled.

[@terrynewsome6698]

In Maine we still get 8 ft of snow in one storm, what happened to Canada?

[@MalcolmPL]

Maine is a fair bit further north than south ontario. In Ottawa and north they still get quite a bit. But in my lifetime the most we've ever had down here in one snowfall is a foot. And that doesn't happen very often. Usually only three or four inches.

[@terrynewsome6698]

@@MalcolmPL ok, I was wondering for a minute, I live in Tennessee now and we rarely get snow (winter rarely gets below the -10 c) I was just making sure my former northern neighbor hadn't turned into northern Kentucky while I was gone.

[@DerekBlais]

If planning to do anything in the woods in winter in northern New Brunswick, you absolutely need snowshoes. The wider, shorter in length “bear paws” are ideal for deep northern NB snow.

[@dancing_odie]

great video. I didnt know most of these things

[@brainfreeze1925]

Nice coat you are wearing. Where did you get it from (it looks very traditional)?

[@MalcolmPL]

Homemade.

[@ChattanoogaDave]

Did you make your snowshoes?

[@MalcolmPL]

No. I've repaired and replaced some of the leatherwork. But I didn't make them.

[@RuneChaosMarine]

saygo? seygo saygo.

[@MalcolmPL]

Shé;konh.

[@RuneChaosMarine]

@@MalcolmPL that's a good video in and of it's self.