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Welcome!
If you do much snowshoeing at all, this snowshoe binding is a must! The XCQuickie is a neat little adaptor plate that enables you to mount XC ski bindings on your snowshoes. This system eliminates all the straps of a standard OEM harness, which means:
- fast and easy entry/exit with a positive connection that won't loosen.
- you can keep your gloves on!
- your heel is stabilized, and won't twist from side-to-side
- you can use waterproof, light and supportive Nordic ski boots
- no straps to get tangled... easier to pack in your backpack
The XCQuickie adaptor plates are great for multi-sport athletes, especially for multi-sport racing (such as in the Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon) where transition times are important.
If you enjoy backcountry adventures, the XCQuickie makes the transition between telemark backcountry skiis and snowshoes so easy, you will probably leave your skins in your pack when it's time to climb! Carrying snowshoes in the backcountry is a good idea anyway since you can use them as a shovel, or backup for broken skiis.
You'll find this system is also good for the casual snowshoer that hates dealing with all the straps, and doesn't have the "right" kind of boots. The most common complaints of cold (or sweaty) feet, cold fingers, and sloppy snowshoes falling off are solved!
Special Note to people who are thinking, "I can make those for myself!"
Yes... you can. But I'm asking you to PLEASE respect patent law, (and give me some credit for going to all the trouble of documenting the idea). I do offer a "do-it-yourself" kit with templates, with/without raw materials for very reasonable prices.
- Thanks!
FAQs - take a look to see if we've already answered your question!
- what kinds of snowshoes can I put the XCQuickies on?
- what kinds of ski bindings can I use?
- can I install the XCQuickies myself?
- what kinds of boots can I use?
- does the XCQuickie system add weight to my snowshoes?
- is there more or less tail drag with the XCQuickies?
Don't see your question? Ask us! And don't forget to use the NetMind button at the bottom of the page for automatic email notification when this page gets updated. We can't promise to post answers to every question, but will attempt to answer all questions of general interest.
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what kinds of snowshoes can I put the XCQuickies on?
We can put XCQuickie adaptor plates on just about anything! This is a new product, and we're just getting started, so there are a lot of makes and models we haven't had actual experience with yet. If you don't see your make and model of snowshoe listed, don't worry because we can probably make it work! As a matter of fact, if your snowshoes are NOT listed, contact us and we'll probably mount and ship them back to you for free...
So far we've had experience with most models of Atlas, MSR, Redfeather, and Tubbs. If you've got something different, let me know!
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what kinds of ski bindings can I use?
We can put just about any Nordic bindings on the XCQuickie adaptor plates! common models of SNS, NNN, and standard 75-mm 3-pin bindings all work fine. This is a new product, and we're just getting started, so there are a lot of makes and models we haven't had actual experience with yet. If you don't see your make and model of binding listed, don't worry because we can probably make it work!
So far we have mounted mostly Salomon SNS - automatic/classic and SNS-BC, Rottefella NNN and NNN-BC, as well as some Rottefella 75mm 3-pin. Some models of 3-pin do not work well becuase the release tab sticks too far out in front and tends to interfere with the front decking of the snowshoe. If you are considering mounting your own, look for a model with minimal protrusion in the front.
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can I install the XCQuickies myself?
Yes... Installation is not too difficult if you are comfortable with handtools. You'll need a screwdriver, small sockets or adjustable wrench, and some models of snowshoe will require a drill to remove the OEM harness if it is held on with rivets. Of course, if you'd rather not do it yourself, you can sweet-talk a friend into it, or ship us your snowshoes and have us do the installation for you.
We've started a list of which models are rivetted, (indicated with *r), and which are not. It is a bit more difficult to remove the old harness with these particular models:
Atlas 624*r, Atlas 627*r, Atlas 825*r, Atlas 833*r, Atlas 1022*r, Atlas 1033*r
MSR Denali Llama*r, MSR Little Llama*r
Redfeather Blackhawk, Redfeather Eagle, Redfeather Redtail
Tubbs 10k*r, Tubbs Aurora*r, Tubbs Eclipse, Tubbs Expedition, Tubbs Frontier*r, Tubbs Katahdan, Tubbs Quest*r, Tubbs Sasquatch*r, Tubbs Sierra
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what kinds of boots can I use?
Any boots that fit your bindings! Light cross country, backcountry, skate, or telemark boots all work fine.
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does the XCQuickie system add weight to my snowshoes?
The short answer, is "probably a little bit." Depending on the make and model of your snowshoes, the XCQuickie adaptor plate itself is about the same weight as the original harness, but then we add the ski bindings into the equation which adds a little. Depending on what kind of boots you usually snowshoe in, you may find that the new binding/ski boot combo actually lighter than the original harness used with some heavy snow boots.
What about the specifics... most OEM harness systems weigh in around 10-16 ounces (per pair), and a complete XCQuickie plate and binding system will be around 15-20 ounces depending on the type of bindings used. So, you really only add a few ounces, not counting the potential weight SAVINGS from using lighter boots.
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is there more or less tail drag with the XCQuickies?
The short answer is "it probably won't change the overall behavior much." We have made an effort to preserve the original balance points and foot position for exactly this reason. Since the adaptor plate fastens directly to the original harness support, the flex characteristics influencing whether the tail drags or follows your foot are not changed much.
An added bonus with using a SNS or NNN binding is that the rubber bumper on the binding may be modified to allow more tail "drag" to help clear the decking of snow if you spend a lot of time in deep snow.
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