Touring binding?

G

Garrettchall

Member
Hey guys, I am looking for some touring bindings to mount on my Magic j's. I am brand new to touring and really want to get in to it. I was looking at the Mfd alltime plate. I will be using these pretty much every time I go skiing. So it needs to still be able to go in the resort. If I get touring bindings will that make it so I can't go off cliffs and booters without screwing up my bindings? Thanks.
 
I do t tour so I'm probably not the best source... But frame style bindings like dukes/barons, guardian/tracker, fristchi freeride, mfd alltime plates, will all be safe on cliffs, drops, jumps, and lift serve skiing. The big drawback to them is they're substantially heavier and you have to lift the heelpiece with each step causing fatigue Frame AT bindings will be best for shorter tours where having good release characteristics are critical. You can use regular boots with these and a walk mod boot helps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The other alternative is Tech bindings like dynamics or plums. You can't use conventional boots with them as they use a different way to retain the boot. They are however far lighter making for easier tours. They will also handle decent cliffs but they don't have the same elastic travel that a frame AT binding would have and they don't have the same release characteristics, potentially making those cliffs a little dicier. They also can't be used for frequent lift serve days as it has been shown that the bindings and boots tech inserts wear rapidly under the pounding loads caused by hardpack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sounds like what your looking for is a frame style binding though so maybe take a look into the Marker Dukes and Barons, or the Salomon Guardians or Atomic Trackers, or Fristchi Freerides. You could also look in to MFD all time plates but their cost, weight penalties, and performance, just seems like it would make more sense to buy a real touring binding. Hope this helps, sorry for the period segmentation. iPad won't let me post with paragraphs. Damn HTML&iOS...
 
It would be good to search this...it's been asked by people and covered by the touring crowd (me included) many times.

Basically it looks like you're looking for a framed sidecountry binder for about 80-20 resort-to-hiking ratio. It would also be helpful to get your weight and skier type though because there are multiple options for binding weights.

But yes, you'll be able to ski normally on a framed sidecountry binder.
 
Try looking in the SI&I system made by CAST. Its a new system using an fks or look pivot binding that can change out the toe piece for a tech toe piece from a dynafit system for when you are skinning up and then replace the frame toe when skiing down. They just reached their goal on Kickstarter, heres the link to find out more about them
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/299047004/siandi-alpine-ski-touring-system

These guys are doing it right and this binding will change the touring market in a few years
 
IMO, only go with the SI&I if you are going to be doing a substantial amount of touring. One option would be binding freedom inserts and swapping touring binders out with alpine ones when you go out in the backcountry, (I do this with fks and fritschi freerides) I don't suggest the mfd plates because they greatly affect the natural flex of your skis. All you really have to do is think about it....Do you really want to be skiing on stiff metal platforms? Also, the baron or f12 isn't a bad option except they do have a bit of a stack height. I know people who tour lots of vert on the barons in race boots with no problem.
 
all you need to do is purchase either the Guardian, AAAdrenalin or Duke. All three ski like a boss going down and aren't too bad going up. I prefer the AAAdrenalin because it appears to be burlier than the Guardian. Both the Guardian and AAAdrenalin can be put into tour mode without getting out of the binding, like the Duke. All three are seriously good bindings though. No need for AT boots. Just use your normal downhill boots.
 
As far as I can tell, that's the beauty of the SI&I system, is how easy it makes it to switch the bindings, having almost the system you have, but the ability to switch at a moment notice and not need to plan?Definatlely the system I'm going for as soon as they release it. I've skied on almost every other option except mfd, and all feel like compromises going neither up nor down extremely well. (excepting dynafit which is highly directional).
 
If he has the money then great and I agree with you but it's a big investment for someone who has never toured before..shouldve clarified that my bad.
 
Spoken like a true alpine skier who has never toured on Dynafiddles..haha. While they are burly on the way down, they cannot compare to a tech binding on the way up. That's why thr SI&I system is so awesome. It's the best of both worlds delivered to the skier in the best design (so far).
 
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