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MFD Alltime vs Marker Baron

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malibufishnsurf
Posts: 243 - Karma: -8
If you know anything about AT, please comment. If you don't, I'd really appreciate not receiving any anecdotal suggestions. Thanks!

Looking to put together an AT setup. I'm only doing short tours, 2 hour hikes max, never anything overnight. I'm going to ski very surfy and jibby on the way down, definitely some switch riding and some 270s out of slashes, etc. Nothing huge, no cliff drops bigger than 10 ft. Mostly riding forward and riding out of a few tricks, like 85% forward, 15% switch.

I've already done my knees before and I can't do it again because of work. I use the FKS 140 religiously with a DIN of 8.5 (I'm 5'8" 155lbs) and it's perfect for everything I do.

My question:

Is the Marker Baron legit and safe enough on my knees to use as an AT binding, or do I need to get the MFD Alltimes and another set of FKS 140s?
Dec 24 2012 7:00PM
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Sparta
Posts: 226 - Karma: 313
Or Tracker/Guardian?
Dec 24 2012 7:12PM
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chiefbroseph
Posts: 720 - Karma: 522
alpine trekkers are the shit!
Dec 24 2012 7:23PM
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InfernoHits
Posts: 4755 - Karma: 192
trekkers are too much of a headache for the roughly $100 you'd save.( i think thats what the kid who said Trackers meant?)

The mfd is a pretty substantial plate and with fks and mfd's, your hip flexors/legs in general are going to be hammered with much uphill. I personally have the duke, and while I dont love them, they do the job fine. Its a lighter set up (not by too too much) but I have the same confidence on a pair of dukes that I have on a pair of alpine bindings.

I also wasnt inlove with the pivot point on the mfd. Felt like an unnatural-ish stride compared to the duke. Might just be because I was so used to the duke while trying the mfd.

Another thing AGAINST the BCA Trekker is that you need to put them into or onto your pack for the way down. For me, having my skins, water, shovel, probe, food, med kid... AND alpine trekkers in my pack on the way down was too much. Shit was over packed and uncomfortable.
Dec 24 2012 7:23PM
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Z-PAULY.
Posts: 559 - Karma: 284
I'm lookin into mfd and thinking I'm going to buy a pair they sound great for my needs. (I also religiously use fks)
Dec 24 2012 7:27PM
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Dr.Dealgood
Posts: 2587 - Karma: 1,352
Check out Blister Gear Review's super indepth look at the MFD setup. They tested it with FKS binders.

Very good look at the mountain process, mechanical behavior, performance, etc.

This is not a short write-up by any stretch, but I think it's the best examination of the MFD from a gear review site:

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/mfd-alltime-alpine-touring-binding
Dec 24 2012 7:31PM
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Dr.Dealgood
Posts: 2587 - Karma: 1,352
*mounting process

Fuck meeee. Sorry.
Dec 24 2012 7:32PM
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malibufishnsurf
Posts: 243 - Karma: -8
Money doesn't matter. My knees do.
Dec 24 2012 7:44PM
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malibufishnsurf
Posts: 243 - Karma: -8
Thanks for your response mate!

The Blister review is what I read before asking the question here...

My impression: clearly, they work great, and I don't want dynafits. I need to know if the Baron is enough binding (and safe enough for my knees) or if I need to stick with the FKS...
Dec 24 2012 7:46PM
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malibufishnsurf
Posts: 243 - Karma: -8
Each FKS 140 binding + plate would be almost 4 pounds (3.73)
Dec 24 2012 7:47PM
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danbrown
Posts: 11932 - Karma: 21,775
i have a brand new pair of mfd's, size small for look/fks, that im selling. pm me.
Dec 24 2012 7:51PM
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PeterWojnar
Posts: 3937 - Karma: 678
MFDs are great. Super stiff, you're only lifted like 3mm off the ski, and easy to use. They're heavy.
Barons aren't as rigid, and they're a bit more difficult to operate, and they lift you almost a cm off the ski.

Sounds like MFDs, right? BUT you said you're going to be surfy, jibby, and playful. Sounds like you're going to be flexing your skis a lot—Barons barely interfere with the flex of the skis at all. MFDs, on the other hand, are a big, rigid metal plate that extends in front of and behind your bindings—it'll make the center of your skis feel stiffer.

Guardians are good too, but I've heard they aren't very torsionally rigid when they're locked down by nature of the locking system.

I'd get the Barons. (assuming you don't need to go over 12 DIN)
Dec 24 2012 8:37PM
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AMcCraw
Posts: 845 - Karma: 703
100% get barons. MFD is great, but everyone that has some has some sort of issue with them usually. Barons will hold you in, and they are a real alpine binding. I use dukes because I am a lot heavier then you, but same thing, love them. A little sacrifice on the way up for a whole lot of confidence on the way down.
Dec 24 2012 8:45PM
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CT_CREW
Posts: 655 - Karma: 3,431
i have MFDs. they are heavy but bomber, would recommend them for cliffs and big lines. they make you ski stiffer, i would not consider them at all jibby
Dec 24 2012 8:46PM
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Plankton
Posts: 3226 - Karma: 6,840
i have barons, love them so far
Dec 24 2012 10:18PM
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Randy_Marsh
Posts: 253 - Karma: 35
no experience with the MFD, but I have the baron and it has treated me well for resort riding and short sidecountry tours. Would certainly recommend.
Dec 24 2012 11:15PM
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Dirty.Harry.
Posts: 1779 - Karma: 351
I have the MFD/FKS combo and agree with this.
Dec 25 2012 1:07PM
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Dirty.Harry.
Posts: 1779 - Karma: 351
I have the MFD/FKS combo and agree with this.
Dec 25 2012 1:12PM
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VD.
Posts: 4054 - Karma: 4,564
From what you've described it sounds like you're not going to need a binding that's burlier than the Baron. So if you're not going to need to, why would you add the extra weight of an MFD setup to your skis. It is worth noting that most MFD setups weigh in excess of 3,200g per pair. If you want an overview of a ll your choices check my blog post on the various different slack country AT set ups here: - http://aslansskiblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/guardian-duke-epf-mfd-and-adrenalin.html
Dec 25 2012 1:26PM
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VD.
Posts: 4054 - Karma: 4,564
^I edited the said article since posting the above, in case the above 'clicky' doesn't work: -http://aslansskiblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/guardian-duke-epf-mfd-and-adrenalin.html
Dec 25 2012 2:35PM
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Calb3rt
Posts: 6005 - Karma: 2,202
do you leave your fks in the MFDs all the time? i have read that the MFD/FKS set up is great as long as you arnt repeatedly taking the FKS on and off..
Dec 25 2012 8:17PM
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Dirty.Harry.
Posts: 1779 - Karma: 351
Yes, the FKS are meant to stay on the MFD plate. Repeatedly removing them is bad for the threads in the aluminum.
Dec 26 2012 7:31AM
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YewTard
Posts: 619 - Karma: 196
As others have echoed, get Barons. If you'd said "weight doesnt matter at all and I want to stomp big cliffs and charge hard the whole way down" I'd say MFDs would be an ok choice, but if you want anything resembling a playful touring binding to surf/spin with then MFDs will be too much/too rigid. I faced a similar decision last year and went with Dukes (I'm bigger/heavier than you), and while they have some drawbacks I'm definitely happy with my decision.
Dec 26 2012 9:48AM
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malibufishnsurf
Posts: 243 - Karma: -8
Why are you selling?
Dec 27 2012 10:11PM
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danbrown
Posts: 11932 - Karma: 21,775
bought them last season, and it didn't snow enough in Utah and just never got around to mounting them. I also decided I don't want to tour on my current pow ski and I don't own skins at the moment so financially, it's a better idea for me to sell them
Dec 28 2012 8:38AM
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