Snowshoe Leather Treatment

Nothing is quite as invigorating as blazing a trail through freshly fallen snow while clad in a pair of traditional wooden snowshoes held to your boots by rawhide bindings. Contemporary snowshoes made of frames coated with black epoxy fiberglass are easier to maintain than their solid wood counterparts, but the rawhide bound wooden snowshoes hearken back to the beginnings of the sport and are well worth the little extra effort required to maintain them.

  1. Care of Lacings

    • Mice love to chew on rawhide snowshoe lacings.

      Rawhide lacings sag if not regularly varnished. Wet rawhide must be slowly and carefully dried away from any direct source of heat to allow the leather to contract to its original shape. Leaving wet snowshoes in the trunk of a cold vehicle will cause freezing of the leather to occur. Without a coat of varnish to protect the rawhide, frozen lacings could become brittle and break. Wooden snowshoes should always be stored dry in a cool space away from the damaging UV rays of the sun and inaccessible to rawhide hungry rodents.

    Protection for Lifelong Use

    • Traditional wooden snowshoes were designed to last a lifetime. With diligent care and yearly maintenance, yours can last just as long. An annual coat of clear varnish preserves both the rawhide and the wooden frame from the ravages of winter weather. A piece of medium grit sandpaper should be used to remove loose flakes of varnish before applying a new coat. It is important to apply the varnish liberally especially in areas prone to wear like the rawhide at the ankle and beneath the foot. After 48 hours of drying time, a second coat is highly recommended.

    The Varnish

    • Recreational boaters with vintage hardwood watercraft know the protective properties of marine spar varnish. This product is equally good for the treatment of wooden snowshoes with leather bindings. This varnish is formulated using a combination of phenolic resin, tung oil and ultraviolet inhibitors. The result is a high gloss finish which flexes to prevent cracking. The UV inhibitors help protect against sun damage. Varathane may be used instead of the spar varnish as long as it too contains UV inhibitors.

    Storage Issues

    • Wooden snowshoes with rawhide or traditional handcrafted babiche lacing must be properly stored in the off season. Heat and dampness with inadequate ventilation can cause the growth of mold and mildew on the laces. If snowshoes have been exposed to road salt, a gentle wash and air dry in a 62 to 68 degree Fahrenheit environment should remove the damaging substance that would have caused leather deterioration if left on the lacings. Hanging the shoes on a wooden peg in the back of a secure closet will deter hungry mice.

    Damage Control

    • If your leathers show signs of wear mid season, the lacings should be immediately treated as they would have been in preparation for off season storage. It is always a good idea to check snowshoes after each trek to inspect for damage and deal with it before venturing out on the trails once more. Regular maintenance extends the life of your equipment thereby enhancing your enjoyment of the sport.