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March, 2024

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Touring/AT NSers...

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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627

I've been noticing lately that there are a few people on here who are into touring and earning their turns.  Where are you from, where are you touring and whatchagot for touring setups? 

I'm from mass but tour all over the EC and also when I go west for vaca (usually UT/BCC/LCC).  Mostly in VT along the green spine though while I'm home.  Right now I'm on Whitedot Redeemers quiverkilled for Plum Guides, but my 12/13 ON3P Billy Goat Tours should be on my doorstep by tomorrow- and will be my go-to touring skis for the majority of the season.  My boots are Dalbello Virus Tours with cochise top straps grafted on as well because I hated the stock top bail. 

So what's up with you, oh rando beasts of NS?   

Nov 13 2012 11:28AM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,462
because they could break in the bc and put you up shit creek?

im returning mine and getting barons for next year
Mar 25 2014 9:35PM
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zbphoto
Posts: 7789 - Karma: 12,037
Want your old ones? They are sufficiently beat to shit!
Mar 25 2014 9:55PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Shop friends of mine have been skiing the Vipecs and say they're awful. They've needed to lock the toe float completely or there's way too much side-to-side play in the toe to ski confidently. And getting in/out looks a real pain in the ass - my friend with about 7 years experience with Dynafits constantly takes about 5 tries to get the toe of his boot into them Seriously think of cancelling your order and switching to Dynafit/Plum/G3; whichever you can get a deal on.

Converts are nice but soft, definitely a soft snow ski. Friends have reported that the carbon version skis better.
Mar 26 2014 4:21AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
Great first tour with JVanDyke, had really hoped to get out again this week but fucking jury duty got in the way...

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Mar 26 2014 5:14AM
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VD.
Posts: 4054 - Karma: 4,564
Glad you enjoyed it ... cheers for the picture too
Mar 26 2014 7:11AM
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YewTard
Posts: 619 - Karma: 196
Nice pickup. Im on Armada TSTs w/ Dukes, which I love, but I've really gotten into touring this year and started doing longer approaches... and got tired of my friends on tech set ups dropping me the whole way up. Picked up a pair of Black Diamond Convert Carbons and Dynafit Radicals, now I just have to find a tech boot that I don't hate (that's proving to be difficult). After the skis and the bindings I can't stomach dropping another $900 on the Vulcans, and every other boot I try is way too soft or too heavy (kinda defeats the purpose of the superlight skis and dynafits if I just go and put a pair of tanks on my feet). What are you guys using for tech boots??
Mar 26 2014 11:08AM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
i'm on my 4th season on dynafit zuesses
Every year the front 2nd buckle blows
i send em in and salewa warrunties em
got a pair of titen ul's i may start breakin in
fwiw aproachin 100 days on dyna radical ft 12's and a good 1/3 inbounds rippin hard
my kusala pows are amazing sticks will make about any slarve or turn you need.
still kickin my ass in zipper crusts a bit but can jump turn em and survive
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as far as the koolaid binders
very few people who poo poo them as undurable or unreliable have ever skied them let alone inbounds for any extended periods of time
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the bd fall sale when they blow out their demo fleet is were i used to get little used cheap at boots
Mar 26 2014 12:16PM
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YewTard
Posts: 619 - Karma: 196
A couple bros of mine are on the Titan ULs and seem to like em. I found a pair of Titans in Salt Lake for pretty cheap that I'm gonna go check out this afternoon, then hopefully have the new set up dialed for the weekend. One of said bros bashes his Dynafits all over Can Can scrub brush year after year and doesn't seem to have any issues, so not worried about that.
Mar 26 2014 12:23PM
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gnarles.
Posts: 2587 - Karma: 130
well i guess ill just suffer and get the guardians. has anyone ridden the exit worlds? i wanna get them but im just scared they wont hold up on bigger drops and lines
Mar 26 2014 4:06PM
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Pudge
Posts: 3718 - Karma: 3,117
Freedom SLs

Mar 26 2014 8:10PM
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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
I haven't ridden them, but I can guarantee you - they will hold up
Mar 26 2014 8:19PM
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minihef
Posts: 811 - Karma: 763
Get Adrenalins - lighter than Guardians, tour better, ski really well (I can't compare them to Guardians but I find them way better on the downhill than Dukes). Also they don't snap in half like the Guardians which is a bonus.
Mar 26 2014 10:43PM
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schism
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 389
I've had both dukes and adrenalin bindings, the duke feels more burly when skiing but the adrenalin suits my skiing a bit more but I have popped out a bit more than I did in my dukes but I found they ski better which might be due to the lower stack height. Now to be honest for touring I don't really notice a difference when touring between the two, but I do like how the adrenalin has the touring switch out side so I don't have to take the ski off. Also I found the duke system to ice up more.

Another note I broke trail for the first the other day in manning park. It was awesome knowing that where I was going was going to be freshies opposed to whitewater where there is always a fucking skin track.
Mar 26 2014 11:10PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,462
Aren't adrenalins and guardians the same binding? Correct me if I'm wrong
Mar 26 2014 11:30PM
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heFF
Posts: 5786 - Karma: 4,457
adrenalins =tyrolia guardian=salmon/atomic
Mar 26 2014 11:39PM
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Sklar
Posts: 8863 - Karma: 31,577
you're thinking tracker and guardian
adrenaline is the tyrolia binding
Mar 26 2014 11:40PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
shit i had forgotten about adrenalines. why havent i heard about them as much when asking about guardians and dukes?

i thought i had decided on guardians but can anyone compare the adrenalines to the guardians?
Mar 26 2014 11:45PM
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minihef
Posts: 811 - Karma: 763
Not sure why the Adrenalins aren't talked about more.

I had to replace Dukes this season and so did a lot of research and asked around to decide between newer Dukes, Guardians and Adrenalins. I ended up going with Adrenalins and I am really pleased I did.

I haven't skied Guardians but I have five friends who own pairs. Three of those pairs have snapped in half and had to be replaced. There's also a multi page thread on TGR about them snapping in half. I have no interest in a binding that has a decent chance of completely breaking, especially considering they're the heaviest and should, therefore, be the most durable.

I've got a few other friends on Adrenalins and they don't have any complaints.


Mar 27 2014 12:21AM
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zbphoto
Posts: 7789 - Karma: 12,037
http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/2013-2014-moment-exit-world
Mar 27 2014 12:28AM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
hmm okay. so where do they fall in general characteristics? looks like way more plastic than the guardians, huh? are they lighter than dukes? and their stack height is between that of dukes and guardians i guess?

i havent heard of them snapping like the guardians but how is the binding itself? my biggest bugaboo in skiing is pre releasing in bindings..

oh and people have said that a drawback to the guardian is that they don't have a flat tour mode, do the adrenalines?
Mar 27 2014 9:57AM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,462
I mean all these type of bindings (duke/baron/adrenalin/guardian) are all so similiar. Honestly I don't want to keep debating this haha. Seems like every 3 pages we have a question. Guardians break more and in a horrible place. Dukes break, barons, adrenalins break. All ski stuff breaks eventually. It has a lot to do with how you ski as well in terms of durability. And how big you're. Really i think it comes to preference. I'd stay away from guardians just from my personal experience. But those other three and interchangeable.
Mar 27 2014 10:12AM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
sorry man.. hadn't seen much about comparing the adrenalines to the other 2, and i certainly wasn't looking for debate or a "which one is the best" convo cause i know that's silly

i was more looking for the objective facts: which has more plastic, stack height, weight, general reputation, features..
Mar 27 2014 10:40AM
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jblaski
Posts: 5561 - Karma: 1,027
I'm just going to throw it out there that Guardiants break more than any other binding is a myth. I've worked in the returns department of a major sporting good retailer or 2 years now, and I personally have never gotten a pair if guardians back because of breaking, and I can count in one hand the total I've seen come through the department. I'm sure it's a numbers game, but Duke/Barons far outnumber others. There's a reason I sold my Barons and picked up Guardians.
Mar 27 2014 11:42AM
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Wasatchstudent
Posts: 3 - Karma: 66
Im on Soul 7's with look XT13's (exact same thing as the solomon guardian) and lange RX130's best set up I've had by far I can ski inbounds with them as much as i hike. And I skin in and around Utah.
Mar 27 2014 1:05PM
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minihef
Posts: 811 - Karma: 763
More plastic and so they're lighter than Guardians and Dukes but they seem to have metal in the spots that count and mine still feel as good as new after 40 odd days of touring, resort, dropping cliffs & pillows etc. No idea if that'll still be the case in 100/200 ski days time but I know people who are on their second season on them with no issues yet.

My biggest problem with Dukes was them pre-releasing a shitoad, as well as developing slop, and not feeling solid when locked in due to the AFD adjusting itself. No pre-release issues with the Adrenalins yet, they've stayed on my feet when I've needed them to. They also have three touring modes, flat, 7 and 13 with a super easy to use climbing bail. They can ice up but it's way easier to de-ice than Dukes plus you don't have to take them off to change modes so transitions are quick and easy in deep snow. I think stack height for Dukes and Adrenalins is similar - ie not as low as Guardians.

Sorry for carrying on the debate but shit like this is helpful for people deciding what will suit them best. To make up for it here is some Alberta touring stoke courtesy of Dan Evans Photography http://danevansphoto.smugmug.com/:

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Mar 27 2014 6:29PM
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PeterWojnar
Posts: 3937 - Karma: 678
Hmm, well they came in today and for better or for worse, I'll give 'em a go. I've heard the same about stepping into them, but a shop homie told me it's really not that bad—just put the heel on the pins to line it up and put your toe down, then click in the heel. I don't have any dynafit habits so I'll develop them to match the binding. As for the side-to-side play, I guess I'll see how bad I really think it is. Worst case I lock them out, which would be the case for some lines anyway.

As for the converts, I've heard that as well. They aren't going to be my big mountain charging ski; I'll be using them more for surfy shit, pillows, and so on. They'll be my spring/summer mountaineering ski as well, but that's less about going balls-out anyway.

I'll mount them a bit forward to give them some extra tail and that will hopefully do the trick for landing platform...
Mar 27 2014 7:09PM
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jon@wh2o
Posts: 314 - Karma: 158
Just to be that guy, I'm gonna go back to the binding discussion and say how much I love my adrenalins. My bindings are the only piece of gear that I still have functioning from last season. I have broken 2 pair of skis, and 3 boots and the adrenalins are still holding strong after hundreds of days of abuse. They did start to develop slop halfway through this season, but it took the local shop 15 minutes and 0 cost to replace a part and they stiffened right back up.
And as far as pre-releases go, I skied them at true reccomended DIN (9) forever with no issue. I ski FWQ comps on these bindings with little to no worry.
Mar 27 2014 9:31PM
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division.bell
Posts: 2762 - Karma: 1,905
This is the best touring thread on NS. It should be filled with real information and first hand experiences on the gear supposedly designed for the type of riding we do. With that said;

Fuck the haters...more binding discussion:

I've enjoyed my Guardians, but not what they've done to my skis.

Heel area after 10 days (5 tours, 5 lift accessed)


Worst damage area


Wood dust/mush on the underside of binding


Until I figure out what to do to repair or otherwise to these skis, I purchased a pair of Adrenalin's to mount on some other skis. I have yet to tour on them, let alone even ride them, but they feel pretty solid when I click in, or try to induce any play in the bindings by hand. I'm definitely looking forward to getting on them soon.

The Guardians were solid in my opinion except for the damage they are doing to my veneer topsheet Vicik Tours. Everyone I've spoken to in my area has not seen any damage like this caused by Guardians. The lack of a flat tour mode didn't bother me as most of my tours this season have been fairly short. The downhill performance exceeded my original skepticism; I didn't feel as I was on anything other than standard alpine bindings. Take my experiences as you will.
Mar 27 2014 9:44PM
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Pudge
Posts: 3718 - Karma: 3,117
Didn't the Geneva convention allow for criminal charges to be brought upon any ski company who's product results in damage of veneer topsheets from ski/binding interface?
Mar 27 2014 11:25PM
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jblaski
Posts: 5561 - Karma: 1,027
After you posted your pics the last time, I took a quick look at my skis, and I have the marks in the exact same place. Just with my more traditional laminated topsheet, it's very subtle and not going down into the ski at all.

Perhaps the clear piece of thick vinyl just under your bindings? I've seen stuff like that for applying to the bottom of skateboards to protect the graphics.
Mar 28 2014 1:00AM
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YewTard
Posts: 619 - Karma: 196
Well I finally found some boots I like (Dynafit Mercurys), so I'll have my convert carbons mounted soon and will report back. Still keeping the Armadas for hard charging/shorter approach stuff, but I'm thinking/hoping the Converts will be awesome for mountaineering and long tours.
Mar 28 2014 4:30AM
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HeathR
Posts: 4357 - Karma: 1,379
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[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/1148859_655237153935_226558366_n.jpg[\img]

Last saturdays mission.
Mar 28 2014 7:55PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
more wasanglestoke
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rolled out days fk after a stellar day of pow skiin to find a dude had walked up 150 yards from the spruces and decided to end his life w/ a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head
bout 2 hours of suck of 911 to final witness statements you can go
lifes fickle and fragile
gear up n git ya sum

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cheers
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Mar 30 2014 1:33AM
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HeathR
Posts: 4357 - Karma: 1,379
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Mar 30 2014 1:55AM
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Ghini
Posts: 2229 - Karma: 2,883
Plums are so damn solid.
I cant believe how hard I can shred on those things..
Mar 30 2014 4:40PM
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snomaster
Posts: 3336 - Karma: 5,677
I rock Plum and Adrenalin binders when touring and dig em both. I'm on Attack16's for my bootpack/sidestepper/parklapping shred schitcks.
Mar 30 2014 5:09PM
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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
Terminal cancer? If it is - I've always thought it's be sweet to hit that. Sweet couloir in an area that isn't really known for skiing.
Mar 30 2014 7:44PM
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HeathR
Posts: 4357 - Karma: 1,379
Yeah thats TC. A really cool line I have wanted to do for a while. Just a long drive to get there. Finally fit it into a trip to Utah from Tahoe. Looks like lots of good terrain in that area. Ruby Mountain Heli is based out of there.
Mar 31 2014 12:09AM
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gnarles.
Posts: 2587 - Karma: 130
killer pic and line bud!
Mar 31 2014 1:38AM
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YewTard
Posts: 619 - Karma: 196
Really, really wanna ski TC. Nicely done. Meanwhile, the Wasatch doesn't suck right now..

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Apr 2 2014 8:31PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,462
friends of mine in norway are working on some cool things, dont know too much about the bindings but their skis are awesome.

Apr 4 2014 3:48AM
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perryhunter
Posts: 721 - Karma: -185
This what I also usually pack! We're doing tours, but only for fun and traveling purposes just only here in US. We went British Columbia and Alta, just to explore their beautiful winter paradise.
Apr 4 2014 5:11AM
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heFF
Posts: 5786 - Karma: 4,457
Throughout the last 5 years i've switched setups 3 times..used trekkers first, then adrenalines, and now I am on dynafits..the amount of efficiency and weight reduction is substantial..

Some more utah stoke from the past few days

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[video]

April touring from matt heffernan on Vimeo.

[/video]
Apr 6 2014 6:30PM
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YewTard
Posts: 619 - Karma: 196
Finally got the new set up ready to go. Better late than never, I suppose. 188 Black Diamond Convert Carbons, Dynafit Radicals, Dynafit Mercurys. Can't even describe just how light these things are. Stoked to get out on them tomorrow..

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Apr 6 2014 6:38PM
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jon@wh2o
Posts: 314 - Karma: 158
ahh looks good!!!!
Feedback would be hugely appreciated, been looking at the converts myself!
Apr 7 2014 9:17PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,462
thought id post this in here. i finally got my touring skis and the skis i built back from norway. i built the skis that are visible in the picture. so stoked to ride them:) and stoked i will be able to spring tour on something other than my gahd damn caylors and guardians.

Apr 8 2014 10:17PM
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FigNewton
Posts: 2454 - Karma: 5,744
Hey guys, I am new to touring. I go marker barons and am not sure which pair of skis I should put my bindings on? Either 178 Volkl Gotamas (107 underfoot) or 182 moment jaguar sharks (116 underfoot).

Any advice would help. I will be skiing in Utah.
Apr 10 2014 4:54PM
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chuckmarty
Posts: 344 - Karma: 446
FigNewtonHey guys, I am new to touring. I go marker barons and am not sure which pair of skis I should put my bindings on? Either 178 Volkl Gotamas (107 underfoot) or 182 moment jaguar sharks (116 underfoot).

Any advice would help. I will be skiing in Utah.


It depends on what you want to get out of the touring. The Volkls weigh less so they would be better for skinning longer distances. The Moments would be more fun on the way down though.

Right now I have Barons on my 183 Bent Chetlers and that is a heavy setup. I'm relatively new to touring as well and I don't hike exceptionally long distances so my setup is good enough for me. One of these days I will get a lighter setup but since I am still new to it I'm fine with a heavy setup.

But if you're into doing multiple laps and you can handle uncut snow just fine with a 107 waist ski then go with the Volkls.
Apr 10 2014 6:59PM
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gnarles.
Posts: 2587 - Karma: 130
does anyone have any experience with these puppies

there like a half skin, im thinking about throwing them on my old park skis with trekkers to make a makeshift spring touring setup.

ah the life of broke skier student haha
Apr 10 2014 8:54PM
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srwinnsuco
Posts: 2943 - Karma: 1,472
April has been good so far in Colorado!
Apr 10 2014 11:44PM
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