Home / Snowshoe size by load
2 brand charts · checked 2026-10-21
Snowshoe size by weight
Snowshoes are sized by load, not height: body weight plus pack and clothing. At a 200 lb load MSR's men's chart lists 25 or 30 in and Tubbs's 24, 25, 28, 30 in, so the published answer spans 24–30 in. Lighter loads and packed trails take the short end; deep powder the long end.
- 1Longest listed for 200 lb 30 in
- 2Load, men's charts 200 lb incl. pack
- 3MSR 22 in with tails up to 250 lb
- 4Dashed outline 36 in, the largest Tubbs
Size by total load
| Load | MSR men's | MSR with tails | Tubbs men's | MSR women's | Tubbs women's |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54 kg) | 22, 25 in | — | 22, 24, 25 in | 22, 25 in | 21, 22, 24, 25 in |
| 140 lb (64 kg) | 22, 25 in | — | 22, 24, 25 in | 22, 25 in | 21, 22, 24, 25 in |
| 160 lb (73 kg) | 22, 25, 30 in | — | 22, 24, 25 in | 22, 25 in | 22, 24, 25 in |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | 22, 25, 30 in | — | 24, 25, 30 in | 22, 25 in | 24, 25, 30 in |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | 25, 30 in | 22 in | 24, 25, 28, 30 in | 25 in | 24, 25, 28, 30 in |
| 220 lb (100 kg) | 25, 30 in | 22 in | 28, 30, 36 in | — | 28, 30 in |
| 240 lb (109 kg) | 30 in | 22, 25 in | 28, 30, 36 in | — | 28, 30 in |
| 260 lb (118 kg) | 30 in | 25 in | 28, 36 in | — | 28 in |
| 280 lb (127 kg) | 30 in | 25 in | 28, 36 in | — | 28 in |
| 300 lb (136 kg) | — | 30 in | 28, 36 in | — | 28 in |
Charts: MSR snowshoes size chart (published by evo); Tubbs snowshoes size chart (published by evo). Both published by evo, checked 2026-10-21. "With tails" lists MSR sizes whose plain rating is below the load but whose rating with the optional tails fitted covers it.
How the two charts differ
MSR rates each model and length on its own: its 22-inch Evo, Revo and Lightning snowshoes carry loads up to 180 lb, the 25-inch Revo and Lightning Ascent 120 to 220 lb (men's), and the 30-inch Lightning Ascent 150 to 280 lb. MSR's optional tails raise every rating: its men's chart rates a 22-inch shoe with tails up to 250 lb and a 25-inch one up to 280 lb. Above 280 lb MSR prints no plain rating at all; at 300 lb only its tail ratings still cover the load.
Tubbs prints load bands that overlap on purpose, and evo reproduces them under one heading, "Tubular Flex", with two column sets. The first set steps 21, 25, 30 and 36 inches; the second 22, 24 and 28. Because the bands overlap, a 200 lb load reads 24, 25, 28, 30 inches on Tubbs's men's rows. Its biggest men's row, 36 inches, runs 220–300 lb. The site does not guess which models each column set covers; it lists sizes.
Where the two brands overlap they agree on the general shape: at 120 lb the men's sizes run 22–25 in, at 200 lb 24–30 in, and at 300 lb 28–36 in. MSR's women's chart stops sooner: its largest women's snowshoe is 25 inches, rated 120–210 lb. At 200 lb the women's rows of both brands give 24–30 in.
Working out your load
Both charts include gear in the weight. Tubbs labels its column "User Weight (includes weight of gear)", and MSR's ratings are loads. Add a winter day pack, boots and layers to body weight before reading the table. The day-hike pack page gives typical pack volumes; weigh the loaded pack rather than guessing. Where a load fits two sizes, Atlas, a third maker, gives the deciding rule without numbers: "More weight or deeper snow = larger snowshoes", and packed snow or lighter loads, smaller ones.
Related sizes for winter trips
Poles: see trekking pole length by height. For skinny skis, cross-country ski length by weight; for downhill boots, ski boot size and mondopoint. Pack volume for winter overnights is on the backpack hub, and the base weight guide covers what the pack itself weighs and holds. Size snowshoes with your own profile
These are the brands' published load ratings, a starting point rather than a fitting; snow conditions and the specific model decide. Sources and exclusions are on the methodology page.