New Gear - Limited Budget - Long Term Plans

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I offered to trade him these for the bump skis. He didn't bite. :lol:

he's may be a troll but he's not dumb..

 

[snowmonster]

I got a pair of Rossi B Squads last year and mounted them up with Dukes. It's a heavy set-up but good enough for sidecountry. I used this combo in the bowl at Tucks, Sugarloaf (last day) and in Magic.

I was looking at getting a pair of the Barons this year but the price spread between the Dukes and Barons was less than 60 bucks or so and the weight saving on the Baron was not so significant that, if I had the chance, I'd still go for the Dukes. I'm never going to crank that thing to din 16 but it's good to know that the binding has a lot to spare. The Dukes are really great for the down -- burly, solid and can drive a stiff ski like the Squads. On the up, it has its limitations -- heavy, low climbing bar, you have to lock the binding down which is difficult when it ices up. However, for someone who will spend more time inbounds and occasionaly go out of bounds, this is a great binding.

My boots are Lange WC 120s. Needless to say, these are terrible boots to skin in -- very stiff, very high cuff, forward lean. Last year, I tried on a pair of Endorphins but I found them too soft to drive a stiff ski like the Squad. I recently got a great deal on a pair of Black Diamond Factors. Though they have the walk mode that I want, they are heavy too but stiffer than the Endorphins. I've been on them once only and I skied a race ski in Wachusett. They were stiff enough to do fast GS turns on groomers -- though they were definitely not as stiff as my Langes. I was hoping to skin in them last Saturday at Magic but the conditions in the glades were not good and I didn't think it was worth the drive. If you're interested, I'll let you know what I think of them after a skin up. Bottom line: I think if you're looking for a boot with backcountry capabilities which you may be using more inbounds than out, I think you should also consider the Factors. Same goes with the bindings, as an resort binding with touring capability, the Dukes/Barons are a great buy. Hope that helps.

 

[Grassi21]

I got a pair of Rossi B Squads last year and mounted them up with Dukes. It's a heavy set-up but good enough for sidecountry. I used this combo in the bowl at Tucks, Sugarloaf (last day) and in Magic.

I was looking at getting a pair of the Barons this year but the price spread between the Dukes and Barons was less than 60 bucks or so and the weight saving on the Baron was not so significant that, if I had the chance, I'd still go for the Dukes. I'm never going to crank that thing to din 16 but it's good to know that the binding has a lot to spare. The Dukes are really great for the down -- burly, solid and can drive a stiff ski like the Squads. On the up, it has its limitations -- heavy, low climbing bar, you have to lock the binding down which is difficult when it ices up. However, for someone who will spend more time inbounds and occasionaly go out of bounds, this is a great binding.

My boots are Lange WC 120s. Needless to say, these are terrible boots to skin in -- very stiff, very high cuff, forward lean. Last year, I tried on a pair of Endorphins but I found them too soft to drive a stiff ski like the Squad. I recently got a great deal on a pair of Black Diamond Factors. Though they have the walk mode that I want, they are heavy too but stiffer than the Endorphins. I've been on them once only and I skied a race ski in Wachusett. They were stiff enough to do fast GS turns on groomers -- though they were definitely not as stiff as my Langes. I was hoping to skin in them last Saturday at Magic but the conditions in the glades were not good and I didn't think it was worth the drive. If you're interested, I'll let you know what I think of them after a skin up. Bottom line: I think if you're looking for a boot with backcountry capabilities which you may be using more inbounds than out, I think you should also consider the Factors. Same goes with the bindings, as an resort binding with touring capability, the Dukes/Barons are a great buy. Hope that helps.

Thanks. Good info to process.

 

[Grassi21]

First of all, 60 days is not that long of a life span for boots. If you want touring boots, fine, get a touring boot. But you can't justify it by saying your current boots have 60 days. You can always just buy a new liner if you feel that is the issue. My alpine boots (and liners) have over 300 days on them at this point and I am just now thinking it is new boot time.

I was just reading through everyone's comments again. The lifetime people are reporting on boots makes a new liner sound more attractive. It also allows me to focus on boards.bindings and skins in the near future.

Can anyone point out a good source for shopping replacement liners?

 

[o3jeff]

Can anyone point out a good source for shopping replacement liners?

http://www.intuitionliners.com/

 

[riverc0il]

Intuitions are reported to be one of the best replacement liners. That is the word on the street, I have no personal experience but continue to hear good things and I would consider them first.

 

[bigbog]

...

Just my $.01 Grassi21...
FWIW...
Intuitions are nice...not as thick & bulky as once were... Very warm...if/when heating and climbing into...extend toebox with toecaps and pull heel down into pocket as much as possible.
Dynafit's Zzero TF High liner is a nice one too...thin but burly. Dealers are sparse..
*You should be able to get original manuf's liner with any dealer ordering...
Snowmonster's info is right on... The Dukes work well if you're not doing Rocky Mtn tours and measuring every tenth of an ounce...granted in deeper snow the conversion is a pain...but they seem to be solid for the majority of users. Have to admit..I've heard only great stuff about Dynafit's TLT(and later named) bindings...but you need Dynafit compat boots in toe and heel sections. They are constantly tweaking it's sister bindings seemingly for the alpiners..and the newer ones look more rigid by the model...there's another brand as well...**Check out Wildsnow. Lou & members keep abreast of new bindings..
Endorphins ski well, but then I'm ~175, 5'8". Forward flex data is all over the place...the Endos seem to be ~Salomon 9.5 with my Intuitions in...they stiffen the flex just a little...way not as much as older/thicker versions used to...but fit is what it's all about..
$.01
STeveD

 

[Grassi21]

Just my $.01 Grassi21...
FWIW...
Intuitions are nice...not as thick & bulky as once were... Very warm...if/when heating and climbing into...extend toebox with toecaps and pull heel down into pocket as much as possible.
Dynafit's Zzero TF High liner is a nice one too...thin but burly. Dealers are sparse..
*You should be able to get original manuf's liner with any dealer ordering...
Snowmonster's info is right on... The Dukes work well if you're not doing Rocky Mtn tours and measuring every tenth of an ounce...granted in deeper snow the conversion is a pain...but they seem to be solid for the majority of users. Have to admit..I've heard only great stuff about Dynafit's TLT(and later named) bindings...but you need Dynafit compat boots in toe and heel sections. They are constantly tweaking it's sister bindings seemingly for the alpiners..and the newer ones look more rigid by the model...there's another brand as well...**Check out Wildsnow. Lou & members keep abreast of new bindings..
Endorphins ski well, but then I'm ~175, 5'8". Forward flex data is all over the place...the Endos seem to be ~Salomon 9.5 with my Intuitions in...they stiffen the flex just a little...way not as much as older/thicker versions used to...but fit is what it's all about..
$.01
STeveD

Thanks Steve. Reading about the price and weight difference I have been spending more time drooling over the Dukes than the Barons the last day or so...

Any thoughts on a ski? Looking for 90+ underfoot. This set up would be for inbounds powder and slack/backcountry touring. I don't charge hard but I like the bumps and trees.
Those Icelantic Pilgrims look interesting. I'm 5'7" and around 200 lbs these days. I heard due to the design of the Icelantics I would need a shorter length compared to other makers.

 

[bvibert]

If I was a clit ... i would say go for either the krypton, full tilt or a modify lange.

Or he could wait for the Krypton-esque AT boot that Dalbello is supposed to be coming out with next year.

 

[bvibert]

Some skins on Tramdock right now:

I don't know anything about them, but they're half off.

 

[riverc0il]

Half off skins would suggest they are not worth buying. They don't look familiar. That Dalbello looks scary without a buckle or two up high. They are really brave to be bucking the trend of beef boots in the AT market place. They sure aren't going to win away many of the light weight/low flex crowd from the established players.

 

[mondeo]

That Dalbello looks scary without a buckle or two up high.

?

It's the same three buckle design as they have on their Kryptons. Maybe you missed the one right under the power strap? With it being sorta the same buckle type as the Full Tilt, it's kinda easy to miss.

 

[bvibert]

?

It's the same three buckle design as they have on their Kryptons. Maybe you missed the one right under the power strap? With it being sorta the same buckle type as the Full Tilt, it's kinda easy to miss.

Yeah, it's very similar to the Krypton buckle layout, it just makes more use of cables, presumably to keep the weight down. I'd stop short of comparing the buckles to the Full Tilt though.

Steve, as far as the skins go, like I said; I know nothing about them, just that they're half off and come from Black Diamond:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/49147-black-diamond-glidelite-mohair-nylon-mix-sts-skin.html

 

[snowmonster]

Grassi21 -- The Factor also has swappable AT and alpine soles like the Endorphins but you have to buy the AT soles separately. My original plan was to get the AT sole but I would probably have to adjust the forward pressure on my binding's toepiece. My old boot (the Langes) have a 308 bsl while the Factor has a 307 bsl. Right now, I can switch between the Langes and Factors without having to mess around with the bindings.

I skied the whole AT set-up (Squads, Dukes and Factors) at Loon yesterday just to get a feel for it. Good to see that these boots can really drive a stiff ski especially in hard conditions. Except for some minute forward movement in the upper cuff, these boots are pretty solid.

 

[tjf67]

So I dropped my Nordica Hot Rods off to get the brake repaired. I also left one of my boots because I figured they would have to check the bindings once the brake is repaired. As I handed him my boot I said that they were getting up there. He said how many days. I said 53. By the end of the season the boots will be in the mid 60s. So I started thinking I am going to need new boots at the beginning of or at some point next season. I already feel the liner packing out a bit.

I have a couple of gift certs for my local shop and I might be able to generate some more cash from the sale of other gear. Backcountry has some good deals at the moment as well. My question is which piece of gear should I focus on first? Boots, bindings, or fatter boards? My long term plan is to have a fatter set of boards that I can tour with but also use on inbounds powder days. I can use my Nordicas for hard pack/groomer days for 2-3 more seasons.

I'm thinking boots. I was really interested in the Garmont Endorphin. Its obviously an AT boot but seems like it would be stiff enough to be a good choice for inbounds skiing. As for the binding I was thinking Marker Barrons. Doesn't have the super high DIN but I don't think I need it. It also seems a good mix of inbounds/touring. As for skis, 90+ underfoot. No idea which ones to focus on yet. But I figure the skis will be the last item on my list.

What should I buy first?

Thoughts on my choice of boot? Any others I should consider?

What about the Barrons? Any others to consider?

How about a powder board?

NOTE TO ALL MY CLIT BRETHREN: Please hold off on the trash talk about getting a bump ski next. ;-) :lol:

If the boots are comfortable then i would leave that alone for another 100days. Boots suck. A friend of mine bought the endorphins and wrecked them using them lift serviced. He is a charger so i dont know if that is normal.
I have the Dukes and have had no problem with them. They do exactly as advertised.

I would look for the fat ski right now. They are getting cheaper and there are tons of deals being thorwn around. Just be ready to pull the trigger when it comes up.

Then I would shop around for the binding. I dont think you are going to get any crazy deals on them. I would say b
etween the ski and the binding you should ba able to keep it under 700 bucks without much trouble.

 

[Grassi21]

If the boots are comfortable then i would leave that alone for another 100days. Boots suck. A friend of mine bought the endorphins and wrecked them using them lift serviced. He is a charger so i dont know if that is normal.
I have the Dukes and have had no problem with them. They do exactly as advertised.

I would look for the fat ski right now. They are getting cheaper and there are tons of deals being thorwn around. Just be ready to pull the trigger when it comes up.

Then I would shop around for the binding. I dont think you are going to get any crazy deals on them. I would say b
etween the ski and the binding you should ba able to keep it under 700 bucks without much trouble.

sounds about right. i am looking at the barons. i am also hoping the volkl gotama comes back up on tramdock today. i wussed out a few hours ago and missed them...

 

[tjf67]

sounds about right. i am looking at the barons. i am also hoping the volkl gotama comes back up on tramdock today. i wussed out a few hours ago and missed them...

For what its worth i love my Dukes. They are bad ass looking. It has a bigger spring on the back than many small cars. HA I keep the DIN at 11 and could never imagine going to 16. Dont have any ejection problems. Lots of people say they are heavy and i guess they are correct. because I have been on nothing else i dont know and cant tell when we are climbing. When i lock and load they know who the boss is. i will carry the extra weight and catch up on the way down.
If they throw any deal out on the Nordica Enforcers don't be hesitant to grab them they are a great ski.

We need snow

 

[snowmonster]

Goats are up again. Go get 'em!

 

[Grassi21]

Goats are up again. Go get 'em!

Trigger pulled. I just walked in from my 50 minute commute. How is that for timing?

 

[bvibert]

Did you get the 176's? Or did you wuss out on the 168's?