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Trekkers and touring help

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Drew_ski.
Posts: 1310 - Karma: 1,858

so i am most likely going to br getting into some touring for new year and the years to come and have a pair of armada JJ's with griffons. my first question is dop trekkers work with the high heal peice of the griffons?

i have heard alot of bad things about trekkers but im not going to be doing extremly aggresive climbs and i only weigh about 150 so will trekkers work good for me or should i splerge for dukes? i really just want trekkers cause there cheap and i wont have to get my skis remounted but if there really that bad i could get dukes.

Thanks for your help!

May 10 2010 12:25AM
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jca
Posts: 4162 - Karma: 6,261

I'm not sure about Griffons, but with FKS I have to use trekkers with the low climbing bar up, I assume this is the same for Griffons.  It's not a big deal at all for me, because I don't do any long flats or traverses while touring but if you're going farther than a 1000 ft on flats then it might get annoying, or you could get used to it.

I think most people who break trekkers have them adjusted too tight for their boot and put too much unneeded stress on weak parts or fall with them on.  They don't have to be super tight, just tight enough so your boot doesn't fall out.  I find that the downfalls of trekkers are:

-the size - they actually take up a deceiving amount of room because of their shape which means you can't really take super small packs for sidecountry laps or whatever when you already need to fit skins, shovel, probe, extra layer, lunch etc...

-they are high off the ski and theres quite a bit of lateral play - this is fine if you're skis are laterally level like on a cat track, straight up a run, or on a traverse or side hill that was made in softer snow.  but it sucks on a steep, firm slope (i assume you wont be seeing this in the backcountry).

Personally, I use trekkers because I'm scared shitless of using touring bindings on my everyday charging ski that I rail super hard in crud and big mountain comps, and I can't really afford to put another set of skis and expensive bindings in my quiver when I dont tour very much.  Eventually I plan on putting a pair of dukes on a pair of skis, but trekkers work well enough for me for the time being.

I think you will be fine with trekkers if you're not doing long trips/expeditions, don't mind a little extra weight, and only tour a couple times a year.

May 10 2010 1:10AM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Trekkers work with my FKS fine - there's a few mm gap at the heel. I have a friend who used his with PX bindings and built a little wooden block (about 8mm) to raise the heel a little. So Jesters should be fine, modify them if you need to.

I've been told not to have them too loose though. I have another friend who had his pretty loose and his boot fell out of the Trekker. His ski went a long way down the hill. So I say nice and tight without stressing them too much.
May 10 2010 6:20AM
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Drew_ski.
Posts: 1310 - Karma: 1,858
Thanks for the help guys.
May 10 2010 9:52AM
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benk
Posts: 1342 - Karma: 988
I use Fritschi Freeride on Moment Comi's. I'm 6'5'' 215lbs and not afraid to drop 25-30' footers in the right conditions with them. granted I dont do big mountain comps or anything of the like but I feel very secure in my touring bindings.  

I've never used trekkers but I just wanted to give my praise for fritschi freerides and the confidence I have in them. I do a lot of longer multi-day tours so trekkers are out of the question for me
May 10 2010 1:49PM
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smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,373
trekkers are ok. if you dont own them its a waste of 150 dollars to buy them, because you could have put that money into decent touring bindings to begin with like barons or freerides. touring is 100 percent more enjoyable with the proper gear. anyone who hates on hiking for their turns has the wrong shit.
May 10 2010 2:50PM
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Drew_ski.
Posts: 1310 - Karma: 1,858
bump
May 10 2010 9:39PM
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backwardsrider
Posts: 543 - Karma: 70
I'm fine with trekkers, they work well for what I use em for. dont have them too tight!! thats how they break.
May 10 2010 9:45PM
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Leafman
Posts: 2178 - Karma: 251
Im in the same situation as this guy except i haven't mounted my skis yet, are dukes really that much better then bindings and trekkers?
May 10 2010 10:20PM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 360
i was gunna get some trekers for some slackcountry

but i just picked up some old fritschi freerides for 100 dollars which is like 40 more than you can get trekkers for and 70 less than they retail for

now i need some skins for my strictly sidecounrty ski
May 10 2010 10:38PM
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sam.gillin
Posts: 905 - Karma: 316
bump same question as drew_ski
May 11 2010 9:17PM
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heFF
Posts: 5786 - Karma: 4,457
I have a pair that worked great with my jesters!
Jun 3 2010 7:15PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
JAMROCK has it right - just put the low climbing bar up and you'll be fine. Shouldn't even cause a problem. I have a pair but haven't taken them out yet, unfortunately. Have skins and everything, all set up for my bacons.
Jun 4 2010 12:59AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
i got a pair of unmounted EP pros, i've never skinned before, but i have some friends who do.

now my problem; jester + trekkers or dukes ?

Most time i'll be doing regular freeride on these planks, not so much skinning, but i want to be able to skin when my friend calls me up and asks if i want to go touring for a long weekend or something....

also i think the jester is gonna take a lot more abuse then the duke....

and jester + trekker = duke +50$

what would you guys recommend?
Jun 4 2010 9:15AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,270
.
Jun 4 2010 7:34PM
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NOSNOWJUSTICE
Posts: 1176 - Karma: 83
Yay! More Washington BC buddies!


Jun 7 2010 1:26AM
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Jarle
Posts: 278 - Karma: 321
Unlike many others I go with Trekkers and here is why.

- If your touringbinding breaks (which it will, sooner or later) you will have to bootpack out and miss a lot of skiing. If you have trekkers and they break you have the oppurtunity to either bootpack up, ski down and at least have something to stand on or skate with on your way out.

- I can't really trust any touringbinding out there, dukes prereleased on me way to many times and exploded far to many. You don't want that.

- A lot of people complain about the hardpack performance and that is very true but in those conditions I rather bootpack straight up because its faster anyway.

Trekkers is a pain in the ass, heavy and takes a lot of space in your backpack, has uneven quality, develop slop and break but you have your old reliable alpine binding for when you really need it, want it and the only time it really matters IMHO and that is on the way down.

Do I long for a good, reliable touringbinding....


Jun 7 2010 10:12AM
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salomonskiier12
Posts: 2862 - Karma: 19
Seriously....
Not necessarily true.  First off, he's only 150 lbs, and bindings, if treated properly, wont just decentigrate..
Trust me. I've had experience with these, and I'm in the same situation.

btw, go w/ the binders. 
Jun 14 2010 8:50PM
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hollygrove
Posts: 7845 - Karma: 93
With trekkers make sure you bring several extra toe screws with you and a screw driver to tighten them as they wiggle loose quite easily. and like mentioned sidehill is a miserable time on trekkers, but they work.
Jun 14 2010 9:02PM
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Myfirstname.
Posts: 1581 - Karma: 312
I'm going to be buying trekkers next year as well.

As Jamrock said, there is no way i would put an AT binding on my charging skis, and with the miniscule amount of touring i have planned, i think trekkers will work just fine.
Jun 15 2010 12:54AM
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Jarle
Posts: 278 - Karma: 321
I'm 140, needed spareparts more times than I can remember for my dukes and two pairs exploded (half the binding were missing) on me in one season.
Tried Fritschis once, first drop, they went instant telemode on me.
Would like to try a pair of dynafits with something like a DIN-scale of 16, I know dyna does'nt use DIN but something similar with the force needed of a 16 DIN.

Just bring a screwdriver and you're fine with trekkers
Jun 15 2010 6:11AM
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