Snowshoeing

[Miranda]

Well, my opinion was just based on my observation, not technical knowledge. I have a pretty hard time stomping through powder with my short legs, but I look at it as a good work out. We don't get that much fresh powder here...
I know what you mean about the skis. I bought new ones 3 years ago. I told the guy I wanted the newer, shorter ones. My first pair were bought in 1991 and were really basic. Well, both my husband and I ended up getting ones that are probably the longest new x country skis around! We really had nothing to compare them to, until our friends got new ones. I thought REI would be honest, but I guess we just didn't know enough, as opposed to when we buy bike stuff. I just don't ski enough to get another pair so soon. Some of this is weather related, of course, since the amount of snow we get is extremely variable. My husband really doesn't like skiing that much and I think the skis have something to do with it.

Crankin... I can not tell you what a tainted shopper I have become with some of my shop experiences (bikes, ski, etc.). One rep says one thing, next person something else, another visit back to rep #1 has a diff story... BLEAH!!! I spend a lot of time "geeking-it-out" here on 'da interwebz because I just don't trust the real life help. How sad is that? I have some more blab about skis I'm going to do in one of those threads, but I feel your pain about the sizing. The only way I ended up with what I'm pretty sure is the right size for me from my live shop was with the help of my TE cyber pals. The type of ski I bought, nordic vs bc, was more a use forecasting mishap on my part. The Midwest doesn't get snow like CO. Thus gear use is hit or miss... so, a gal really doesn't want her purchase to be the wrong thing PLUS used intermittently. FWIW, my Mayberry shop does take some trade ins for used stuff re-sale... maybe your DH could trade in his skis for something else? It does make it really hard to determine if you like the activitiy when you are sorting out if it's the gear that sux... or the sport itself.

EDIT: One other fleeting thought... I wonder if a cheaper route would be to just get a shorter ski and mount the bindings you already own on it? That way you don't have to invest in a whole new outfit of gear, just part of it. But, I don't really know much about ski stuff. I do know for sure that we have TE girls here on the board that have that experience.