Carbon Fiber Snowshoes

Carbon Fiber Snowshoe Project

Myles Wittman (myleswittman@gmail.com)

Robert Schairer

Ryan Vytlacil

CalPoly State University

San Luis Obsipo, CA

Project started September, 2011
Prototype completed June 2012

Figure 1  Above we have the general shape and layout of our snowshoe design.  The outside shape, colored  black, is known as the platform and will be made completely of carbon fiber. It should also be noted that this picture is old, and that the component in the middle of the hole in the platform will ultimately contain a beer bottle opener.  See below.

Figure 2  This part will serve as a brew opener on the trails!  What crazy snowshoer doesn't bring beer when they hit the trails?  This part will be laser cut from a piece of stainless sheet steel.  It will be corrosion resistant while is supports and stabilizes the foot with the downward pointing claws.

Figure 3  This is what our spikes will look like before they are attached to the snowshoe.  This part will also be machined from stainless sheet steel and will rivet directly to the carbon fiber deck.

Figure 4 Binding design is the last part of the snowshoe design we have yet to completely refine. Since the bindings on a snowshoe are one of the first components a person sees when observing a pair of snowshoes, we need them to be functional and aesthetically appealing.  We won't have binding design finalized until we an get our hands on some materials and see what works and what does not.  Finalization of binding design has been set approximately for February 15, 2012.  See below for a basic idea of what we expect our binding to look like.

Figure 5 Our team expects the binding on our snowshoe to turn out something like these.  Photo courtesy of Crescent Moon Snowshoes.

Figure 6 Above is a photo of our machined mold which will be used to make the basic shape of the snowshoes.  Production of the carbon fiber deck is the trickiest part of our project.  We have the knowledge of how to conduct the processes,  and some of the basic materials required to conduct Resin transfer Molding (the process used to make carbon fiber parts like ours), but not enough money to cover iterations to our mold and more carbon fiber weave.

UPDATE:  In the end, the project prototype was ´completed´(open to further interations and largescale production) on May 19, 2012.  The snowshoes were tested on snow, the carbon fiber tensile and flex tested following specific standards using the Instron tensile test machine, and a report drafted shortly thereafter.  

For more information, or for a look at the team's Final Report, do not hesitate to contact me (Myles) at the email address at the top of this post.  Still interested in continuing the project with the right team and support.