EMERGENCY SNOWSHOES

Founder of Roots School, a wilderness survival centre in Bradford, Vermont

MATERIALS

• 10 saplings, approximately 25 mm thick at their base and 1.5 to 1.8 m long • Six sticks, 25 mm thick and

150 to 200 mm long • 7.5 m cordage: parachute cord, animal hide cut into strips, or a ripped-up Def Leppard T-shirt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bundle and tie together the skinny ends of the five saplings. 2. 90 cm down from the tie, spread the saplings apart so that they span 150 to 200 mm. Place one of the sticks across the spread-out saplings as a crossbar, then tie each sapling to the crossbar using a transom knot ( Figs A–D). The toe of your boot will eventually be lashed to this crossbar. 3. The tip of the snowshoe needs to curl up like an elf’s shoe. To achieve this, tie a piece of cord to the cord bundling the skinny ends of the saplings. Tie the other end of the cord to the crossbar you just installed, pulling it tight until the tip of the shoe is lifted about 75 mm in the air. 4. Set another crossbar 200 mm back from the first one and tie it to the saplings with transom knots. 5. At the unbound, thicker ends of the saplings, spread them so they span 150 to 200 mm and attach a third crossbar 150 mm from the thick ends. 6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 to construct the second snowshoe. Then tie the toes of your boots securely to the first crossbars using extra fabric or laces. 7. Walk as though you’re wearing cross-country skis.