Composite snowshoes by Mark Minter

Composite Snowshoes

By Mark Minter, Maker of Composite Snowshoes

Looking for an entry-level composite project? One that needs a minimum amount of materials and construction space, costs less than a boat, but still lets you travel on water? If you live in snow country, why not build a pair of composite snowshoes?

These snowshoes are made from a rigid foam core between two layers of carbon-fiber cloth, edged with 1″ Kevlar tape. A carbon-fiber wrapped wood spar runs across each snowshoe under the ball of your foot. This provides a solid mounting point for a couple of stainless steel eye-bolts to attach a simple toe-and-heel strap for a binding. Fiberglass tape reinforces the top and bottom edges, and the upper surface of the snowshoes where your winter boots contact them.

Composite snowshoes by Mark Minter

Composite snowshoes by Mark Minter

A light Kevlar scrim helps protect the bottom of the snowshoes from rocks, roots, ice, and other insults. This makes for a slick surface, so a piece of plastic netting glued to the bottom helps with traction on hard-packed snow. (For greater grip on icy trails, bolt an aluminum cleat to the bottom of the spar.) Two coats of marine topside paint give the snowshoes a durable finish.

Editor’s note: Though it is not likely to cause an issue for this project, galvanic corrosion does occur between carbon-fiber and metals. Insulating the materials from each other with epoxy will prevent corrosion.