Just got back from a raid on the Nottingham branch of Decathlon. As usual they have a range of bargains and we took advantage in order to kit-out the kids for the winter. I'd been keeping my hands in my pockets pretty well - up until the final minutes all I'd put in the basket was a pair of fleece gloves for a quid, a couple of dehydrated packet-meals at £4.99 a shot and a pair of socks for about the same.
But then I found these:
TSL 225 Rando snooshows
Yep, that's £69.00 reduced to £44.99
Bargain!
Sold!
FWIW, they had one pair left when we departed.
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Additional pics:
THE SMALL(ish) PRINT... (updated 23/07/2016)
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Interesting, I've just posted on this very subject. I wasn't looking at TSL, but know Cameron McNeish used some last winter. They seem to be a good bit cheaper than some of the other brands. How do they feel quality-wise? Does the binding articulate?
Yes, Fraser, I had read your post - it's remarkable how many folk almost bought Lightning Ascents last season - I almost bought some from the sale at The Outdoor Shop earlier this year. In the end I figured that I couldn't justify the expense, even though they were heavily-discounted.
Price-wise, I reckon these are reasonable enough for a starter like me. They have plenty of "flop" so the tails don't lift during a stride, and a bit of lateral articulation. They can be locked-down for transit and they have sturdy heel-lift bars for uppy bits. The toe-points are scooped and quite aggressive. I like the binding and fitting arrangement - it's easy to adjust and fits well (it reminds me of the foot-sizing gadgets at Clarks shoe-shops). TSL sell auxiliary teeth that can be fitted underneath for when there's a lot of ice to be negotiated.
Can't wait to use them in anger!
Sounds good, I'll need to investigate these further...
I've added a few more pics for you, Fraser. FWIW, the boot is a size 8 (Aku Croda).
Excellent. I found Cameron's video. I'm now having a look at Decathon and TSL websites, as these seem to be much cheaper than the MSR alternatives. Does the construction feel fairly solid?
Just been on the Decathlon website and had a good look at their snowshoe pics. What they are now calling the "Evasion Man" is actually the 225 in different colours, according to the pic at http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/.....136096347/ but I suppose that they could just be using the wrong pic.
Yup, they feel solid enough, but bear in mind that I've not snow-tested them yet. So far, I've found out that they tear up carpet quite well, and they leave nice dents and scratches in laminate flooring 😳
As far as I can tell, mine are the same as the ones that Cameron was using, aside from the colour.
Hi BG,
They look nice pieces of kit. I hadn’t seen Cameron’s video so this was the first time i had come across these. They are going to be so much fun this winter if the weather man is to be believed. If you could fit longer spikes they could also be used for aerating the lawn in summer. Double usage and all that.
Good plan. It's about time the kids did some gardening 😈