I want to purchase a high quality pair of snowshoes that will last me at least five years, and am wondering if you recommend this product. I'm 30 years old, but am really tiny. I wear a size 3 in kids, or 4 in womens, and am around 90 pounds. I'm toying with the idea of buying a kids snowshoe, but don't know if it will be as high quality as this product is supposed to be. Any thoughts on the matter? Thanks for your help!

If you want a high quality pair of snowshoes, this is the right thing. One of my friend of 100 pounds weigh & 5 feet tall use this snowshoe of 22" and she is so much satisfied with it.

Hi Jenna, First off, this is a great product. They're definitely high quality. I love mine to bits, and with the exception of some scratched paint from rocks mine still look brand new after over a year of use (not every day, but fairly frequent use). At 90 lbs (+pack/gear), you'd be below the recommended upper weight limit of most kids snowshoes (double check before you buy), which is frequently ~125 lbs. Kids snowshoes would definitely be cheaper, and the quality won't necessarily be lower. Most kids snowshoes use the same materials as the adult counterparts (I'm generalizing, but MSR and Atlas are 2 companies that do). Having said that, I would make a different recommendation based on the terrain and snow conditions you're planning on using the shoes in. For flat or rolling terrain and fairly packed or not too deep snow, you'd probably be just fine on a kids snowshoe. For steeper and more technical terrain, I'd recommend an adult shoe for the extra features that it would give you, such as the heel lift. Since you're looking at the Lightning Ascent, which is definitely a shoe that's designed for technical terrain (but also works great on rolling), I'm going to assume that you're looking for the features and traction. An adult shoe will also be longer, in general (eg. Lightning Ascent is 22" or more long, and the MSR Shift is less than 20"), which will help with flotation. If you're planning on being in deep fluffy powder, I'd go with an adult shoe. So, in summary: For flat/rolling, fairly packed terrain: a youth snowshoe would be fine For steep, technical, or deep terrain: go with an adult shoe. Good luck with your choice, and have fun outside! Andrea