I used the tails in a Memorial Day weekend mountain climb of a 14teener in Colorado. The tails performed as expected. They added about 30% more surface area, distributed the same weight over a larger surface area and the lower pressure resulted in less sinking into the snow. I was able to skim over most snow fields with minimal sinking. They were a detriment on very steep terrain where I had to kick step my way up in soft snow because I did not kick deep enough for the tails to add support. They just added drag in that situation. They were a little hard to attach in the field while wearing the snow shoes. Since the snowshoes are easy to remove and put on the middle of a climb, it is probably better to remove the snow shoe, put on the tail and then put the snow shoe back on, rather than go through the contortions of attaching the tails while wearing the snow shoes. Bottom line - a good addition and worth the added weight and bulk for soft and deep snow conditions.