If you can go hiking when fine weather permitted then you can go snowshoeing in winter. And just as you need a good pair of hiking shoes to hike through the woods or nearby mountain, you will also need a good pair of snowshoes to go snowshoeing in winter to the same destination you go to hike during summer. Fitness experts say that snowshoeing can let you burn as much as two times the amount of calories you burn while walking and that you use more of the major groups of your muscles too. It is also much more exciting and fun, even for the whole family. But in order to enjoy these benefits and more, you have to choose the right kind of snowshoes and choosing the pair for you is just about the easiest tasks involved in snowshoeing. Determining your size is very important since size affects how much you sink or float in the snow. It doesn't mean however that bigger is better since you also have to consider where you are going to use the snow shoes and how much you weigh. There are basically 4 categories of snowshoes based on usage and the terrain. There is the basic beginner's snowshoe perfect for short distances and level terrains. The next category is trail and recreational snowshoe which is best for going through a bit more difficult terrain. Then there is the all terrain snowshoe and for the really adventurous, the expedition or backcountry snowshoes. Traditional snowshoes were made of wood and they have been the material of choice for snowshoeing for centuries. They are elegant and good looking too. But modern snowshoes are made of aluminum which is more manageable and lightweight. For lacing, rawhide is the preferred material by snowshoe purists. Modern snowshoes have neoprene which doesn't require the same meticulous care as rawhide. If there are sprint and endurance races during the warmer months, there are also snowshoeing races held usually in many snow-bound countries where the inhabitants have been used to snowshoes all their lives. Snowshoeing can also be combined with other winter activities and sports such as camping and cross country skiing. Campers put on snowshoes and go to their campsites to hunt or ice fish. Some people who like to go hiking up the mountains and are not used to being cooped up at home during winter will go snowshoeing to the very same destinations where they used to hike during the seasons without snow.