How to make comfortable snowshoes for hunting from plastic pipes with your own hands

Requirements for snowshoes made of plastic pipes

The principle of their operation is quite simple - by increasing the area of the foot, the pressure on the snow embankment is reduced. This allows you to maintain optimal speed of movement and evens out small differences in terrain. But for manufacturing it is necessary to formulate requirements for design, technology and production at home.

Snowshoes must have the following qualities:

withstand not only the weight of an adult, but also temporary overloads on certain components - the front or rear;
have a minimum weight, since the hunt can drag on for several hours;
Possibility of prompt repairs in the field.

Until recently, sheets of plywood were used to make snowshoes. But they quickly became unusable due to constant exposure to moisture. Therefore, the design option made of plastic pipes was chosen. They do not lose their properties in extreme cold and are characterized by mechanical strength. But the most important factor is ease of manufacture.

With wooden frame

To work, you will need a beam whose thickness is in the range of 7-9 mm. This is an ideal material for future snowshoes. If you choose a thinner beam, it will burst or crack. A thick one significantly makes the overall structure heavier, which is undesirable.

It is necessary to make a frame from the timber, which does not need to be fastened at the ends. You should also make several holes for threading the rope. It is stretched crosswise. The result should be a net, which it is advisable to cover with tarpaulin.

At the end of all work, a fastening is made from belts. They are fixed in the middle of the base.

Tools and materials for manufacturing

Polypropylene pipes are considered the best option for self-production of snowshoes. They have sufficient plasticity and mechanical rigidity. The elements are connected to each other thermally. However, they are subject to gradual destruction when exposed to direct sunlight. Therefore, after making snowshoes, it is necessary to consider a way to protect the structure.

You can make snowshoes from plastic pipes at home using the following materials and tools:

two pipes with a diameter of 20 to 30 mm and a length of 1.5 m;
connecting T-shaped elements from 8 to 16 pcs.;
nylon cord or similar material for filling the frame;
foot retainer - factory (from old skis) or a simple elastic band;
scissors for cutting pipes, welding machine for polypropylene, ruler.

If the welding machine is not available, you can rent it. After this, you can begin independent production.

Read about how to make a camouflage net for hunting with your own hands here.

Manufacturing stages

The material needs to be given an oval shape. The width and height are calculated individually for the foot of the person who will wear this device. It is necessary to prepare bars specifically for the crossbars, water-repellent impregnation to treat the wood to protect it from swelling and cracking.

Expert opinion

Tarasov Dmitry Timofeevich

Master of Sports in mountaineering. Author of scientific articles on the topic of survival in the wild

We give the beam the desired shape, but do not fasten the ends separately from the frames. Holes are made in the bars in advance to fit the size of the twine or other selected material that you will be stretching.

There should be approximately 20-22 similar holes. The next step is to form a mesh from twine.

It is made by pulling elements through ready-made holes crosswise. The finished mesh should be covered with any dense fabric.

For fastening, it is necessary to use belts, the width of which is selected so that the foot can easily fit in the shoe. The straps are firmly fixed in the middle of the base.

It will be more difficult to make a plastic structure, so you will need more detailed instructions:

To make snowshoes from more modern high-quality materials, you can, for example, use polypropylene pipes as a basis. Their diameter should be 20 mm. This design ensures the strength and reliability of the product. From these pipes you need to prepare four blanks 65 cm long, eight blanks 23 cm long. Additionally, you will need four fragments of a metal-plastic pipe (50 cm long). The edges of the pipes will need to be slightly rounded.
The next step is to heat the ends of 6 tubes with a special gas burner and insert them into adapters (also called tees). If such a device is not at hand, heat it over a gas stove. The output should be tubes 23 cm long and adapters at the ends.
In the same way, the ends of metal-plastic tubes (4 of them) and the remaining polypropylene tubes are heated. Now you can start assembling the frame. Each includes three components. One end of the frame is fixed with so-called barrels. Metal-plastic tubes are bent and fastened to the resulting frame with self-tapping screws to form the nose of a snowshoe (part of a hoop).
Next, the holes necessary to stretch the mesh onto the frame frame are made. The cord is pulled in the form of diamonds.
We prepare a base for fastening from plywood (size 30x15 cm), then install the fastening itself.
The final stage is to securely fix the frame base to the plastic frame. The resulting homemade snowshoes can support the weight of a person with dimensions of about 75 kg.

This is interesting: How to catch a roe deer

Making snowshoes from plastic pipes

At the first stage, it is necessary to choose the right place for work. When connecting plastic pipes, the air in the room is saturated with harmful components. Their volume is relatively small, but in order to avoid deterioration of health, it is recommended to ensure good ventilation while maintaining normal room temperature.

The dimensions of snowshoes depend on the mass of the hunter - the larger it is, the higher the area of the structure. The shape can be chosen traditionally, based on a suitable factory model. According to its parameters, a drawing of the future design is drawn up.

Frame making

First, the pipe is cut into blanks. A standard snowshoe will consist of a front section and two sides. To reduce the resistance of the snow and create the effect of sliding along it, the frontal area should repeat the shape of a regular ski - an upward tilt of 15-20°.

The procedure for making the frame:

Cutting blanks.
To form the curved front, a length of pipe is placed in hot water and then deformed. For this, it is best to use a flexible metal rod.
Connecting elements using a soldering iron.
Checking the frame for strength and rigidity.

This stage of work is completed.

Final stage

Tying knots is necessary to evenly distribute the hunter's weight over the entire surface of the snowshoe. The closer the ropes are to each other, the more stable the structure. To prevent the sliding effect, the surface of the pipes can be treated with sandpaper to obtain roughness.

You can make a base for shoes yourself or buy a ready-made element from skis. It is attached to the snowshoe partitions using a rope. If there is a possibility of walking on ice during a hunt, you can make a removable base. These may be metal plates with small notches. They are secured using rubber bands.

The advantage of DIY snowshoes for hunting made from plastic pipes is the variability of production. Instead of welding, structural elements can be connected to each other in the traditional way - using a rope. But this will reduce their mechanical strength.

DIY snowshoes

Anyone who tries to walk through deep enough snow will immediately understand how difficult it is to do so. Your feet will constantly fall into the thickness of the snow cover, and sometimes falls are inevitable. To make movement on snow more comfortable, there is an ancient device called snowshoes. They come in different varieties, made from different materials and using unique technologies. You can buy them in a store, or you can make snowshoes with your own hands. What are snowshoes, their types? Many peoples and northern tribes had their own views on the correct version of this device. Snowshoes were made in different shapes and from different materials, due to the climate, terrain and thinking of our previous generations. They were used to move through the snow mainly during hunting and fishing. But regardless of what shape the snowshoe is and what it is made of, any variations are united by common features. Roughly speaking, snowshoes are a design that increases the size of a person's foot. After all, the larger the area covered, the less mass per unit. In other words, thanks to snowshoes, the pressure created by a person is distributed over a larger surface area of the snow, preventing a person from falling through the cover. Snowshoes and skis, especially hunting skis, have a lot in common. Both devices increase the surface area on which pressure is applied. Also, both options have common design features. Namely the base and fastening. But wide skis are not always comfortable to use. In addition, they are heavy and bulky, which significantly reduces the speed of movement, and they are inconvenient to carry. There are two main types of snowshoes. In the first, the base consists entirely of dense material without holes (wood, plywood, plastic). The latter partly or completely consist of a mesh material or a base with holes. Typically, these snowshoes have a frame that can be made of bone, wood, or, in modern versions, plastic. In ancient times, the net could be made from leather straps, ropes or woven rods. The shape of such structures could be different, but predominantly an oval frame was used. Various cartoons show the snowshoes of the indigenous people of North America; they are shaped like tennis rackets. Snowshoe Construction As already mentioned, snowshoes have a base. Another name for this part is soundboard. It is also used in many types of sports equipment. Until now, the deck is divided into two types: rigid and in the form of a frame. Modern snowshoes often use various synthetic fabrics instead of mesh. But there are also simple, more classic options. Every snowshoe also has a mount. It can be used either for special shoes with a welt or in the form of straps. Any shoe will fit with the second fastening. To move through icy areas or in mountainous areas, special claws called crampons can be installed on snowshoes. With their help, it is much easier to hold on ascents and descents without slipping. Which option is more effective? The differences in the base of the snowshoes give different results depending on the characteristics of the snow cover and the type of terrain. So, on a flat deck it is very difficult to walk normally on loose snow. But it is much more convenient on mountain slopes and in good crust. Mesh models are more effective on loose snow, they are comfortable to go up and down hills, as they do not slip. But they are more difficult to make and require more materials. How to make snowshoes yourself Despite the fact that the modern market offers a large number of different models of this device for tourism, fishing and hunting, sometimes it is more pleasant to make something yourself. Snowshoes are no exception. As for the sizes, they depend on the weight of the person for whom the snowshoes are made, as well as the shape of the foot, height, and so on. But the following parameters are considered standard: from 20 cm to 25 cm in width and from 50 cm to 100 cm in length. The most complex are the options with a frame and mesh, or completely wicker, since their design requires certain skills, more material and time. In this case, you must first make a frame. Thick twigs or branches that bend into an oval-like shape may be suitable for this. Then you need to weave a mesh from ropes, leather laces or thin rods. In the center of the base, it is necessary to strengthen the place where the foot will be placed, and also take care of a reliable fastening from the same ropes, laces or belts. Plywood snowshoes But if you need snowshoes to cover short distances, say, from a car to a lake, if you come fishing in winter, then you can make a simpler option. To do this you will need a sheet of plywood, a jigsaw (preferably an electric one), a drill and a pair of drills, old ski bindings (or straps), screws, glue and two small boards (20x50). It is better to use plywood in at least 7–10 layers. Making the simplest version will not take you much time. First of all, you need to prepare the deck. To do this, two elongated ovals or rectangles with rounded edges are marked on a sheet of plywood. Next, you need to cut them out using a jigsaw and mark the place where the foot will be located. On the underside of the base, you need to attach planks along your feet. This is necessary to strengthen the structure so as not to break the plywood by stepping on holes, etc. The length of such a block should be approximately equal to the length of the base itself. To secure the board correctly, you need to mark a line that will run right down the center of your leg. Place a board on it and mark the points for the holes for the screws. The holes need to be made wider on the block itself and slightly narrower than the screw itself in the plywood. Place glue into the small holes and screw the reinforcing fasteners to the deck. Next we need to make a mount for our snowshoe equipment. To do this, you need to drill holes next to the foot markings and thread ropes, laces or straps through them. If the belts are wide, you can enlarge the hole with a jigsaw. It’s even easier to install bindings like on hunting or old children’s skis. But they usually have a poorly secured heel, so you still have to figure out how to secure it. After all, walking with a dangling leg may not be comfortable for everyone. Of course, modifications can be made to this design. For example, you can make holes or spikes to make it easier to move on the ice. But this option is simple and fast, and it is not without its functionality.

Yukon Charlies Pro Guide V 1036

The base of this model is made of anodized aluminum, which is highly durable. Thanks to this, snowshoes can withstand weights of up to 140 kg. They themselves weigh 2.31 kg. This is one of their many advantages.

The model has a V-shape. Its fastening is made according to the “ratchet” type. Due to this, the product allows you to develop a fairly high speed when walking.

Cat fixtures are made of stainless steel. This ensures good adhesion of the product to various surfaces. The back of the snowshoes is laced. Thanks to this, the stability of the body increases while moving along snowy paths.

The upper part of the model is made of high-strength polyethylene. It has low density. All other parts that complement the snowshoes are made of stainless steel or copper.

Alternative uses

Your “snowmobiles” not only help you overcome snow debris. At a rest stop or overnight stay, they make a pretty comfortable table, you just have to find a stump or stone. A snowshoe will also come in handy for lighting a primus stove - you don’t even have to shovel the snow. It is also not bad as a replacement for a shovel. Of course, you can’t dig up the ground, but removing snow by clearing a place for a fire or a tent is the way to go.

In general, for lovers of winter hunting or fishing, fans of walking through a snowy forest, or those who have to visit a friend in a distant village, snowshoes will be very, very helpful.

Plywood is used not only in construction, but also in design.

A plywood construction set allows you to solve two important problems - self-realization, as well as the assembly of very useful and sought-after items:

from household items and hobby items;
to furniture and vehicles.

This article is devoted to the basic principles and techniques of working with materials when assembling various objects.

Trail 1036

Lightweight snowshoes are made of aluminum. The deck of the product is made from this material. The model is distinguished by a polyethylene coating, which is characterized by high density.

The snowshoes weigh 2.268 kg. They can withstand weight up to 140 kg. Therefore, the owner of such snowshoes should not be afraid to take weighty devices for hunting with him when hunting.

The model features a practical ratchet fastening system. With its help, you can quickly and easily attach snowshoes to shoes. Aluminum crampons give the product excellent adhesion to sliding surfaces.

Expert opinion

Tarasov Dmitry Timofeevich

Master of Sports in mountaineering. Author of scientific articles on the topic of survival in the wild

The upper part of the product is made of plastic, which is manufactured using modern technology and has good strength characteristics.