My winter exploration trip was great fun and as we returned to the Yukon the conversation turned to how much the clients 
liked being on the “old fashioned” snowshoes. That got me to thinking about how long things that work well can last. I do use wood framed snowshoes; most are laced with leather. The snowshoes that the kids were on that afternoon are around thirty five years old!
Until the last few years most of my bindings were leather as well. Over the years though the leather bindings dried out and split or simply stretched past being useable and have been replaced with a plastic substitute but in the old H pattern. My own bindings had been made out of an old truck inner tube from a pattern I brought back from Minnesota a long time ago. They were simple to put on and take off. Quite serviceable but were very stiff if it was really cold. Earlier this winter one of them finally gave out on an afternoon trip.
I stopped in at Husseys General Store in Windsor to see what was available to replace them. To my delight I found that someone is actually making bindings out of rubber that work exactly like my old ones, with a more flexible rubber that makes on and off even easier! I bought myself a pair and two more for the snowshoes most often used by kids. The simple on and off is perfect for kids who always want to just get going!
I will be interested to see how much longer these last than those that I carved out of an old truck inner tube so long ago.
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