Snowshoe questions, with end of season sales going on was looking at the MSR line for me and the g/f.
Are the Evo's enough for a first timer to putter around with? They seem to be everywhere, and cheap.
Or, is it worth trying to find a Revo?
And, if so, is the fancy straps on the Explore worth it over the basic ones on the Trail?
Lastly, 22" or 25"? I'm about 165, the g/f is considerably less.
I have the shoes that preceded both the Evo and Revo so here's my answers based on those...
Yes, the Evo's are enough to putter around with (and more). The plastic shoes are light, durable, excellent traction, there is repair kit available, straps are easy to use and 'tails' are available to make the shoes longer and add floatation (see the black tails on the red shoes below). The main downside in my experience is that they are loud on hard snow...the plastic makes a hell of a racket on crisp snow.
The Revo's (mine are Lighting Ascent) are better in every way, lighter, better traction, improved bindings, quieter, etc. I would say to with these except the Evos are so good.
Also, I'd buy the shorter shoes
and the tails for when the going gets deep. For packed/semi-packed trails shorter shoes are easy to handle and have adequate floatation. I use my shortest shoes when I'm trail hiking and carry the tails for off-trail jaunts. However, if floatation is the priority you need the longest shoes rated for your loaded weight. When the going is deep, I switch to large old-fashioned wood-framed/gut shoes.
So back to your original question, the Evos will meet easily your needs. In my opinion, it comes down to budget.
