Homemade Snowshoes

Cordage

• The first step in making good snow shoes is to create some sort of cordage to bind everything together. This can be anything from store-bought nylon cord to small branches of trees that are tied together. Whatever it is, it must be pliable and strong enough to binds each of your shoes together. Gather or cut as many similarly sized strips of cordage as you possibly can before beginning to build the shoes.

Shoe Frame

• Next the frame must be constructed for the outside and inside supports of the shoe itself. This can be anything from a pliable branch bent into a tear drop shape bigger then your foot, or a metal frame that can be cut, tied or welded together in the warmth and safety of a shop. Whatever you choose, make sure it is durable enough to hold up against the strain of you walking on it with all of your weight through heavy snow. Once the frame is connected or tied together at its two ends, you can begin to lay out the supports for your foot.

Foot Supports and Tips

• Now lay pieces of wood over each other in a cross section, moving systematically down the frame and tying each end to the actual frame with one to two pieces of cordage you have cut or gathered. When winding the cordage, wrap it two to three times for each piece and make an "X" as you wrap it for maximum strength. Next, sew cordage through the middle of the tear drop frame with the cross section supports tied into it, creating another "X" through the middle, adding some more flex and support for your feet. It's important to make sure you don't make your snow shoes too wide or too heavy with supports and cordage, as this will make it difficult to walk. Measure your foot before you build the frame, giving only one to two inches on all sides of your foot for the size of the frame.