One ski quiver - Touring and Pow

S

Shantzybear

Member
Hey y’all, I’ve recently been strongly considering getting a pair of touring skis and setting them up for next winter, but I am honestly super new to backcountry stuff in general and these would be my first non-park skis I own so I want to really find the best pair for myself so I don’t regret dropping well over a grand on skis. For reference I will be living in Alberta so I have access to a ton of terrain etc close by, and because of this I want skis that are primarily for chasing powder and hitting cliffs etc, so weight is not the most important factor for me. I am currently looking into the armada whitewalkers set up with a CAST system so they can be used both on resort and on touring days without worrying about durability issues etc. I’m just wondering if anyone has any kind of ideas for me or other suggestions as I don’t really know that much about backcountry set ups but would like to kind of figure that out over the summer so I can set myself up for a fun season.

disclaimer because there’s always 10+ comments about it: I will be doing my Avy courses and will have brand new safety gear (beacon etc) before I even sniff the backcountry
 
I would check out the blisterreviews. But if you like a ski near a center mount some other good options could be bentchetler 120 (really light), the k2 reckoners, on3p got some tour layups, maybe line outline? If you don’t mind being back a few cm more (which will be better for “skiing”) there’s so many good options like moment wildcat tour or regular, like vision 118, probably other ones I’m forgetting. But basically the lighter it is the worse it’ll ski in the resort but the easier it’ll be on the skin track. Don’t buy shifts in my opinion which sounds like you already figured out. Def get some sturdy boots too! I got some zero g tour pros and wouldn’t want them as my only boot for inbounds. I make it work by stuffing beefy liners in there from my in bounds boots if I know I have to use them in the resort.
 
14291278:ericforman said:
I would check out the blisterreviews. But if you like a ski near a center mount some other good options could be bentchetler 120 (really light), the k2 reckoners, on3p got some tour layups, maybe line outline? If you don’t mind being back a few cm more (which will be better for “skiing”) there’s so many good options like moment wildcat tour or regular, like vision 118, probably other ones I’m forgetting. But basically the lighter it is the worse it’ll ski in the resort but the easier it’ll be on the skin track. Don’t buy shifts in my opinion which sounds like you already figured out. Def get some sturdy boots too! I got some zero g tour pros and wouldn’t want them as my only boot for inbounds. I make it work by stuffing beefy liners in there from my in bounds boots if I know I have to use them in the resort.
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Awesome advice, thanks a bunch! I’ve been seeing a lot of good reviews of the BC120 so it may be worth checking out over the armadas.

I really wanted a shift/marker binding since it’s easy but I just can’t stomach having my binding shit the bed after one or two seasons of use, at least with the cast I can fix it individually
 
I just havnt skied anything armada but they may be dope! Hopefully more people can chime in. BC def super cool ski, crazy how light it is but flipside is it’ll get knocked around more in chop and stuff. My shifts (I have them on line vision 108s which are awesome touring skis) have held up I’m honestly just scared of popping out going fast in mediocre snow. Ill ski them in the resort if I’m going to be hiking mostly and skiing more conservatively down steeper stuff. There’s honestly just a ton of cool skis these days.

14291282:Shantzybear said:
Awesome advice, thanks a bunch! I’ve been seeing a lot of good reviews of the BC120 so it may be worth checking out over the armadas.

I really wanted a shift/marker binding since it’s easy but I just can’t stomach having my binding shit the bed after one or two seasons of use, at least with the cast I can fix it individually
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14291288:ericforman said:
I just havnt skied anything armada but they may be dope! Hopefully more people can chime in. BC def super cool ski, crazy how light it is but flipside is it’ll get knocked around more in chop and stuff. My shifts (I have them on line vision 108s which are awesome touring skis) have held up I’m honestly just scared of popping out going fast in mediocre snow. Ill ski them in the resort if I’m going to be hiking mostly and skiing more conservatively down steeper stuff. There’s honestly just a ton of cool skis these days.
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No kidding and makes choosing skis really tough. if I recall correctly The white walkers are Sammy Carlsons pro model and from the reviews I’ve read they kind of seem to be basically right alongside the BC 120s for their intended use
 
14291282:Shantzybear said:
Awesome advice, thanks a bunch! I’ve been seeing a lot of good reviews of the BC120 so it may be worth checking out over the armadas.

I really wanted a shift/marker binding since it’s easy but I just can’t stomach having my binding shit the bed after one or two seasons of use, at least with the cast I can fix it individually
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I'm huge fan of bc120, got them this season for shits and giggles and ended up skiing them as much as my park skis. Super light, super easy to turn and swerve and slash while being suprisingly stable for that low weight.

5/5, would recommend if you are looking for park-ski-like, pretty center-mounted pow smashing tool
 
The Inthayne’s look sick. Only thing is a guy told me years ago that full rocker is bad for following skin track because it slips unless you’re breaking trail. Can anyone confirm this? It’s been a hot minute since I toured so I can’t remember.

14291306:Lazylightning said:
**big disclaimer: I haven't skiied these**

depending on what your ideal weight is 4frnt inthaynes could be a good pick (about 2kg in a 188cm length). For your touring goals I wouldn't be afraid of weight, within reason of course
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14291355:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
The Inthayne’s look sick. Only thing is a guy told me years ago that full rocker is bad for following skin track because it slips unless you’re breaking trail. Can anyone confirm this? It’s been a hot minute since I toured so I can’t remember.
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I am touring on the 4frnt Hoji which is also full rocker and it works absolutely fine, I would not say that it slips unless the snow is really, really firm. If it is somewhat soft/melted it tours like any other ski. Furthermore, the full rocker makes the ski super easy to break trail with in deep pow since it kind of naturally lifts it over the snow.
 
How much time do you think you'll be touring? Slackcountry access with some inbounds laps, or full backcountry?

I find the full lightweight touring skis to be too light for anything other than pure powder, full backcountry.

Others may disagree but I have a way better time on regular weight skis, especially with a CAST set up.
 
I strongly agree with this and have a 3 ski set up (park / firm), inbounds charger, and touring. Also you gotta figure this out for yourself, but I’m personally just not comfortable skiing hard in the backcountry. If you get hurt you are kind of fucked. So a light ski is fine (for me). In the resort I ski WAY harder and like a beefy boot, binding, and ski that just lets you maniac through whatever. Just remember if something happens to Sammy C he’s got a team to help him out. A lot of us don’t have that luxury. I’m also older and more risk averse now tho...anyway not sure any of this helped do anything but create more indecision. Good luck!

14291368:jca said:
How much time do you think you'll be touring? Slackcountry access with some inbounds laps, or full backcountry?

I find the full lightweight touring skis to be too light for anything other than pure powder, full backcountry.

Others may disagree but I have a way better time on regular weight skis, especially with a CAST set up.
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14291368:jca said:
How much time do you think you'll be touring? Slackcountry access with some inbounds laps, or full backcountry?

I find the full lightweight touring skis to be too light for anything other than pure powder, full backcountry.

Others may disagree but I have a way better time on regular weight skis, especially with a CAST set up.
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I want to ideally use these as day trip backcountry skis (not really planning on doing long hauls etc, just finding some bowls and areas where I’m able to hike and do a few laps throughout the day, but still have enough width and weight to be able to handle resort powder days.

I’m currently ripping a reckoner 102 as my DD and aside from deep snow days it is a blast to shred, so these skis would be much more oriented towards snow days and some backcountry trips

My main reason the CAST appeals to me is that it offers the touring capability I want but allows me to not have to stress about imploding a $600 binding when I do something stupid either in or out bounds, so even though my initial cost would be a bit higher I would for sure be comfortable spending that if it enables me to have a bit more long term durability
 
14291364:Lazylightning said:
It would make sense because you have less ski on the snow, I tour on jeff 108s though and it's fine. I think it would matter if you were doing long skins or more technical ascents but OP sounds like he'd probably be fine (if he is mainly seeking cliffs)...honestly idk though lol
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Definitely not going to be using these skis for insanely long or super technical stuff, mostly for day trips and for days on the resort when the amount of fresh snow warrants using skis wider than my reckoner 102s. These would be my first set of touring/skis wider than 105mm so I wanted to lean on the powder ski side so even if I don’t end up getting out into the backcountry a lot they’d be way more useable for me than some featherweight pair of long distance touring skis.
 
14291418:ericforman said:
I strongly agree with this and have a 3 ski set up (park / firm), inbounds charger, and touring. Also you gotta figure this out for yourself, but I’m personally just not comfortable skiing hard in the backcountry. If you get hurt you are kind of fucked. So a light ski is fine (for me). In the resort I ski WAY harder and like a beefy boot, binding, and ski that just lets you maniac through whatever. Just remember if something happens to Sammy C he’s got a team to help him out. A lot of us don’t have that luxury. I’m also older and more risk averse now tho...anyway not sure any of this helped do anything but create more indecision. Good luck!
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The ultimate goal is to get a pair of skis to bomb resorts on that aren’t necessarily park skis (line blade etc) but for now I want a ski that can help me get my feet wet in the backcountry but that still has some dual purpose use in case I end up using them for more resort days than touring days.
 
14291306:Lazylightning said:
**big disclaimer: I haven't skiied these**

depending on what your ideal weight is 4frnt inthaynes could be a good pick (about 2kg in a 188cm length). For your touring goals I wouldn't be afraid of weight, within reason of course
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Tbh I have never heard of these before but I took a look at them and h o l y they look fuckin sick, they’ve been added to the shortlist since they are seemingly way more affordable than a lot of the other options I have in this range of skis
 
I don't ski the Inthayne's but I ski the Devastators with the cast system and they are pretty dope. I really enjoy 4frnt's fully rockered shapes when touring. Go for the Inthayne's and I don't think you'll regret it.
 
I'd like to throw the Reckoner 112 out there. Fun all around the mountain, not heavy, easy to get up a hill if walking. These may be just what you're looking for!
 
14291744:bradwalters said:
I'd like to throw the Reckoner 112 out there. Fun all around the mountain, not heavy, easy to get up a hill if walking. These may be just what you're looking for!
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I’ve been checking these out as well, I’m currently on reckoner 102s and I love love the skis, I just wish the 122s weren’t so heavy
 
14291557:little_boy_prime said:
I don't ski the Inthayne's but I ski the Devastators with the cast system and they are pretty dope. I really enjoy 4frnt's fully rockered shapes when touring. Go for the Inthayne's and I don't think you'll regret it.
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I went from not even knowing much about 4FRNT skis to wanting to own at least 3 different pairs, I think the Inthalaynes are now in the top 3 for me beside the BC120s and the white walkers. Hoping I can try and see an IRL pair before deciding on which to get
 
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