Go high or go low?  Here are the numbers behind heel risers and efficient skinning.

Anyone who ski tours is familiar with the risers on binding heel pieces. From your first days on the skin track, people explain that they’re intended to make walking uphill easier. In theory—and in a few specific ways—they do, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should go find the bindings with the highest heel risers. As is always the case in backcountry skiing decisions, the devil’s in the details. (But so is the energy-saving strategy.)

It’s complicated: how to crunch the numbers.

When we calculate your uphill efforts, we factor the weight of your skis, boots, skins, and even your pack into the calculation. On top of that, your skinning technique makes a big difference in deciding how much lift is best.

Let’s break it down. The reason you’d want a riser is to minimize leg strain—it reduces the need to flex your ankle all the way for each and every step. This adds up when you’re skinning—especially if the walk mode on your boots has significant resistance. Because when you have to use a lot of muscle power in your calves and shins to bend your ankle, you’ll have to take a shorter stride. This usually leads to cutting a steeper skin track to try to counter-balance your shorter reach with every step. You now get caught in a cycle—using higher heel lifters because you’re taking short steps on a steep skin track.

Things get worse from there: when you’re using high risers, it can lead to constant back-sliding, which just doesn’t help you land a second date with a new touring partner. Since high risers on a steep slope will shift your weight forward, you’ll feel like you’re walking on your tippy toes. Unfortunately, this means you lose a lot of the grip you would have had if the force of your weight were properly distributed behind your heels instead of your toes.

Most people compound the problem even more by then investing in the grippiest skins available—because they add even more friction beneath the ski. But this makes you want to lift your ski with every step, which is far less efficient than sliding it forward on the surface of the snow.

A better way: the sweet gospel of efficiency.

Even if you haven’t taken physics recently, it makes sense that sliding a weight up a hill is easier than lifting it to move it forward. (It’s called the ol’ mechanical advantage, which we wrote about in the context of slope angle.) But for this to be true, you need a low enough amount of friction between the surface you’re sliding on and the thing you’re sliding across it. To keep that friction sweet ‘n low, you probably need mohair or mixed mohair-synthetic skins, preferably with a glide treatment.

Now, it can all come together: if you have skins with a smooth glide, you cut them to less than full ski-base coverage, then pair them with boots that bend easily in walk mode. Add low heel risers, tech bindings, and a low-angled skin track, and you suddenly become an efficiency machine.

The difference is astounding—truly night and day. Master efficient skinning and pair that with the right gear, and you’re going to gain enough speed advantage to completely counteract the nacho platter you ate for après last week.

Riser heights, deltas, and what it means to you.

As incurable numbers people, we dug in and made a table to help you compare riser heights across alpine touring bindings. Below, in the first column, you’ll first see the riser heights above the surface of the ski, in millimeters. In the second column, you’ll see the approximate riser deltas—which is the distance of the riser above the toe pins. This is a key number to determine how much help you’ll be getting with every step.

Note, the first number in each column is a “flat” mode, if there is one. The lowest numbers come in handy on long, flat approaches.  Negatives are best for downhill skinning.

It’s worth noting that we subtracted 21mm from each delta to account for the average height of tech-heel sockets above the ground. (The rubber sole of your boot is what actually contacts the risers, but your actual foot sits a bit above that inside your boot.) Your boot might be a bit different, and your toe pin height is yet another variable—but the table gives you a good starting-point to visualize.  The delta can be thought of as how much higher you heels are above your toes as compared to standing on flat ground.  This is the skinning equivalent of the skiing pin-heights which we previously documented.

The takeaway?

Now that you’ve wrapped your head around your heel risers’ role, keep in mind that there are several other things you can do to make skinning much easier and more efficient.

First, always set a low-angled skin track. The guy who sets the steep one isn’t tougher—he’s just blissfully unaware of physics. But before you judge, it's also possible he has limited range of motion in his ankles due to injury, in which case being stuck with high-pegs is a sad reality.

Then, pick the right skins and cut ‘em to the right width for efficiency. This is especially critical for skiers with heavier gear, who would benefit most from sliding their gear weight uphill rather than lifting it. But sadly, those people often carpet their planks with a wide, thick shag that nixes the benefits of an inclined plane. For wide skis on powder days, you don’t need wall-to-wall carpeting. And on firm days, you don’t need wide skis. So cut those skins a little narrower than you might think, and you’ll get the right amount of grip with the least amount of drag.

And, any day of the year, you’ll only achieve skinning nirvana with boots that articulate freely. So do yourself a favor and choose boots with an excellent range so you’re not straining against the shell with every step.  

Get all that right, and the high-heel-riser vs low-heel-riser question will probably fade from prominence. You’ll be moving too swiftly to care.

Photo courtesy of Hagan.

Some parents start their kids on a journey of ski touring at an extremely young age.  They may carry their kids in a backpack on an easy tour, or even pull their kids uphill with a rope tied to themselves as they skin.  Those tactics get harder and harder as your kids grow, however.  Eventually it’s time to get the little ones their very own touring gear!  More and more kids are skinning uphill by themselves, and the equipment is finally starting to catch up to the trend.  In this article, we’ll investigate the gear options available for kids touring.

Junior Touring Boots

Finding an alpine touring ski boot for kids is the biggest challenge for parents.  Obviously fit is important, but also the boots you end up with will determine what binding system you need.  The smallest boot available with tech fittings is the SCARPA F1 Women’s boot, which goes down to size 21.5 mondo (approximately 3.5 in men’s shoe sizing, or 4.5 in women’s).  The price isn’t particularly friendly for growing feet, but the the F1s provide a high-performance option for good skiers.

Movement recently introduced a Junior touring boot with a very friendly price.  The Explorer Jr is a great option with good range of motion while skinning and decent ski performance.  Sizing starts at 22.5 mondo which is approximately a men’s size 4.5 shoe.  The Explorer boots are very simple to use and fit a lot of feet.

For feet smaller than size 21.5 mondo, juniors need to look for an alpine boot and a compatible binding system.  Unfortunately, this means a heavier system that doesn’t walk as well.  You could look at it as a way to toughen-up your kids - they may end up with gear even heavier than yours.  If you start your kids on this route, they will really appreciate the touring-specific gear as they grow into it.

Backcountry Bindings for Kids

As mentioned above, the boot you choose will determine what binding options are available.  For the smaller kids in alpine boots, you essentially have two options.  First, you can buy a frame touring-binding such as the Hagan Z02 Jr made for kids.  This offers alpine-style release with values as low as 2 on the DIN scale.  Note the Z02 binding is only compatible with junior boots that have adult-size toe and heel welts that meet the ISO norm for alpine ski boots.  In other words, equipment labeled as “kids boots” won’t work.

The second option for small feet is the Contour Kids Touring Adapter.  This adapter essentially changes an alpine binding into a touring binding.  After adjusting for size, it snaps into an alpine binding and offers touring motion for uphill travel.  Simply take the adapter out of the binding for downhill skiing.  This means the downhill skiing is using traditional alpine bindings that you know already work.  Your kids can thus use the same skis in the resort and for touring.

For kids that are big enough to start fitting into alpine-touring boots, you can start looking at tech bindings.  The benefit of tech bindings is that they are much more efficient when skinning uphill so kids will be able to enjoy longer days before tiring.   The drawback is that the release values for tech bindings have historically been limited to 4 or higher on the DIN scale.  This is too high for smaller kids.  For 2018/19, Dynafit introduced a Rotation 7 binding that can be adjusted down to 2.5 on the release scale, opening up the tech-binding option to a wider range of juniors.  Please note that in practice the binding may not actually test below a 3 on the scale, even with the indicator bottomed out.

Junior Backcountry Skis

If you end up using the Contour kids adapter mentioned above, your choice of ski is already made as it will be the same ski your kids are using in the resort.  Many parents choose to use alpine skis for their kids in the backcountry since they are widely available in many lengths.  As with adults, it’s okay to go a little shorter on skis for backcountry use, which makes uphill travel easier.  A good rule of thumb is chin-height for backcountry skis, measured with the tails on the ground up to your child’s chin.

If you’re looking for lighter weight specialty skis, several companies are now making backcountry skis targeting the junior market.  Hagan, for example, has made kids backcountry skis for years.  Their latest edition is their lightest one yet, the Ride Jr, available in 125, 135, and 145 centimeter lengths.  Movement has a First Apple ski for taller kids, available in a 146cm length.  Our favorite kid’s skis, however, are the Dynafit SL 80s.  While focusing on easy skiing performance, they also feature the Dynafit-style skin system which is super easy to use.  The SL 80 comes in 129, 139, 149, or 158cm lengths.

Kids Climbing Skins

If you end up with the Dynafit SL 80 skis, getting the matching skins is a no-brainer.   The race-style tip-rip system means kids can learn efficient skin management from an early age.  For most skis, however, you will need a more standard tip and tail attachment system.  Most standard skin kits with tips and tails pre-attached are too long for junior skis, however.  Contour recently came to the rescue, making a great kit for shorter skis that is appropriately priced for kids at under a hundred bucks.  The last option for short skins is to build your own, with various skin materials available off the roll and priced per centimeter.  There are plentiful options for tip and tail attachments available as well.  Browse all the options here.  If you’d like us to attach the tips and tails for you, add our skin services to your cart.

Junior Skimo Racing

In the Wasatch range in Utah, there are multiple junior skimo racing teams that compete head to head in the Junior division of the Wasatch Powder Keg Race.  This is great training for World level junior competition, which targets young adults aged 18-20.  There is a friendly Cadet competition for kids under 18, but there are no official world cup races for that category.  The next step above junior is the Espoir category for ages 21-23.  At age 24, racers must enter the senior level competition against the world’s best.  Racing-age is determined by age at the end of the calendar year after a particular ski season.  For example, for the 2018/19 ski season, your age on December 31st, 2019 is what counts.

While there isn’t racing-specific gear for kids, some will use a women’s length race ski which are around 150cm in length.  This is good practice as kids are moving towards formal competitions.  Note many race skis are fairly stiff and unforgiving, which may cause trouble for lighter youth.  A particularly friendly model in terms of flex and ease of steering is the Wasatch Speed Girl from Voile.  Please note that if you plan on racing internationally, boys still need to meet the 160cm minimum length requirement for races sanctioned by the ISMF.

Options for juniors are limited in the race-boot category.  The smallest shell you’ll find is the Atomic Backland Ultimate, which starts at size 23.0 mondo (5 US men, 6 women).  Dynafit makes size 22.5 in the PDG 2, but in reality that is just a size 23 shell as well.  Most other brands start with a 23.5/24 shell in their race models.  You should also note that for cadet and junior levels, competitors are not allowed to use stiff, full-carbon boots for their safety.

Since the junior bindings mentioned above are heavy, competitive kids will start to eye the various race bindings.  Please note that race bindings are typically not adjustable for release value and may not release properly for lighter weight youth.  The softest race bindings are around 6 on the DIN scale, such as the Race 99 and the Helio 145 R6.  The best option for juniors is often the Kreuzspitze GT, which is race-weight but can be adjusted in release value to accommodate growth.

Summary

We recommend that your kids learn how to ski at a resort on groomed runs since skiing power and crusts in the backcountry can be difficult.  However, when they are ready, skiing the first turns that were earned is a special experience.  We hope this brief summary of available options help narrow down your choices when it comes to selecting backcountry ski gear for your kids.  Gear is always evolving and as more parents bring their kids into the wild, more options will come available.  Ski touring can indeed be whole-family fun!

Greetings from the Skimo Co family, and welcome to the 2019/20 season preview! After a bountiful 2018/19 season followed by a valiant stand from the fallen snow, the summer heat won again. And so the cycle begins anew! As new gear floods in the door daily, the arrival of winter is inching closer. As always, we’ve been busy working to ensure that your season will be smooth and rewarding. Joined by a cadre of smiling new faces, we are prepared (as always) to answer your overly nerdy questions when the time comes for your next purchase. Until then, maybe put your credit card in the other room, lest you be tempted by the shiny new widgets before your bike is officially sold. Now, on to the trends.

There’s a Boa constricting your foot! It's officially a trend. For 2019/20, Atomic joins the party started by SCARPA and interrupted by Fischer: the Boa bonanza! Long enjoyed by snowboarders for its comfortably snug fit, the Boa closure system is a ratcheting knob and cable that takes the place of laces and now ski-boot buckles. The twisting knob on the Boa allows skiers to precisely set the tension of boots over the instep with a quick turn of the wrist. The strange-looking contraptions offer a smooth and even clamp around your lower feet by simultaneously pulling in several directions. This is accomplished with thoughtful weaving of a cable, sometimes made especially smooth by brass rollers. Since fit can influence your foot’s happiness via comfort, temperature, ski control, and blister-resistance, an easy-yet-secure-fit option is certainly welcome. But beware: you won’t have success if you’re foot is too low volume for a specific model as you’ll likely over-tension the system and cause premature failure. Make sure to visit our online boot fitter before pulling the trigger!

Tagged Products:Fischer Travers CC, SCARPA Alien, Atomic Backland Carbon

Light bindings for small skiers. For many years, a paradox of the skimo binding market was that bindings consistently trended smaller and lighter, but release values stayed the same. Skiers who wanted fixed release values under 8 bravely chose from an array of zero options. Fortunately, we’re now seeing that segment of the market filled by the same overwhelming number of choices that befuddle heavier skiers. Plum adds the Oazo 6, Ski Trab the Vario.2 5-7, and Kreuzspitze the Lady SCTT in an effort to catch the always-out-front Dynafit and their Superlite 2 Women’s edition. And let’s not forget that BD jumped into the light-binding fray last season with Helio 145 R6. As always, we’re here to sort out the confusion for you with our annually updated binding finder.

Tagged Products:Plum Oazo 6, Kreuzspitze SCTTT Lady, Ski Trab Titan Vario.2, Dynafit Superlite 2, BD Helio 145 R6

Getting excessive with excess-fat skis. Due to the excessively snowy winter we just enjoyed, we felt compelled to bring in a few more excess-fat ski models. From our local ski-maker Voile comes the Hyper Drifter, a 120-ish waisted powder ski that brings back the hilariously popular Drifter of yesteryear, albeit in a much lighter package. Also in the unnecessarily fat category, the Black Diamond Helio 116 has been demanding to be noticed by skiers who love to support the Salt Lake City ski industry and the low density snow that inevitably surrounds it. Both of these skis are guaranteed to float, pop, and gracefully slarve through even the deepest of powder days. Just make sure and hit that pre-season training regimen especially hard this fall-- fat skis with fat skins don’t go uphill nearly as nicely as your skinny skis do. And be warned: if you buy one of these skis, we’re virtually guaranteed to have a skimpy winter, since that’s just your luck.

Tagged Products:Voile Hyper Drifter, Black Diamond Helio 116

Ski boots are made for skiing, and that’s just what they’ll do. Back in the early 2010s, the range of motion and walkability of boots such as the Dynafit TLT5 and SCARPA Alien opened many an eye. This type of boot was revolutionary because it allowed skiers to access terrain in a fast-and-light style that wasn't previously possible. Now as we approach 2020, boots with a wide range of motion are becoming more commonplace. As a result, the focus of innovation is shifting towards finding ways to further improve downhill performance without losing the now-required walkability. A high standard has been set, and brands seem eager to innovate and push boundaries forward. Fischer added a carbon-cuff option to the carbon-soled Travers, La Sportiva improved the mix of materials in the new Skorpius, and Dynafit increased the skiability of the TLT series by a factor approximately indicated by the increase in number (8/7-1=14%). Here at Skimo Co, we fully approve of this trend.

Tagged Products:Dynafit TLT8 Carbonio, Fischer Travers CC,  La Sportiva Skorpius

DP$ Powderworks reigns again. While backcountry skiers save some dollars each season by avoiding lift ticket purchases, we typically make up for those savings by buying one (or three) too many pairs of skis each season. Thanks to DPS, who is always pushing the boundaries of innovation and price, it just got significantly easier to spend all your ski money in one go, and spend it well.  The Powderworks Wailer 100RP Tour ski has a construction unlike any ski we’ve seen, with a flex and shaping that promises extremely high performance while still being functionally light. With a unique layup built around an aerospace-form core, DPS promises Alchemist level performance with a Tour1 weight. We hesitate to promise anything, but if their history is anything to go by, the new Powderworks Wailer ski is bound to be a fun ride. The flex test says it's ready to go, fast.

Tagged Products:DPS Powderworks Wailer 100RP Tour

Old dogs, new tricks. No, we’re not talking about your Grandpa learning how to use Facebook—we’re talking about skis! A handful of older skis were subject to updates not significant enough to warrant a totally new name, but we wanted to highlight a few of these exciting product updates anyways. The Blizzard Zero G 95 was often accused by the unsuspecting of being too demanding, so the Austrian’s cooked up a friendlier version. All the reliability of the old 95 with easier turn initiation and completion. Not to be left behind, Movement released the Vertex 94, a successor to the Apex with an updated construction and a serious candidacy for this year's best quiver-of-one-ski. Another minor-yet-welcome update came to the Atomic Backland UL 85, which sees new lengths and the popular spoon-shaped HRZN tech tip added to an already great design. This spoon-shaped tip idea was originally featured on the freestyle Bent Chetler ski, proving the technology trickle-down effect doesn’t only start with skimo race skis.

Tagged Products:Atomic Backland UL 85, Blizzard Zero G 95, Movement Vertex 94

Helmets are foaming at the side. Just about all of the major helmet manufacturers are following Petzl's lead and taking a new approach to the shells found on their lightest climbing helmets. It’s the same theory that millennials are taking when it comes to home buying--less is more. Much like the bearded and bespectacled 30-year olds living the #vanlife with student loans and ‘Influencer’ as their job title, helmets like the Petzl Sirocco and Mammut Wall Rider are going minimalist. The idea behind this trend is that most neck-risking blows occur to the top of the head, so therefore having a slick polypropylene shell covering the sides of the helmet is unnecessary. Using EPP (expanded polypropylene, a low-density rigid foam) for the majority of the helmet’s construction, you can forgo most of the clunky hard-shell and shed weight while not sacrificing safety. In fact, some of these helmets, such as the Sirocco, passed the side-impact tests for ski helmets with flying colors. We are happy to see lightweight helmet options that offer great protection for ski touring-- lacking the downhill ski certification simply due to the fact that the tip of a ski pole can pass through the vents and stab your brain. While because of that rule they aren't certified for skiing or skimo racing, they are well-ventilated enough to be worn both up and down hill.

Tagged Products:Mammut Wall Rider MIPS, Petzl Sirocco, BD Vision (coming spring)

Women's boot-topia! The skimo gals have plenty to be excited about this season, especially those who are in the market for a new pair of boots. In our previous season preview, we highlighted the expanding field of ski options for ladies, and now it's time for boots! Although the Dynafit boot line has been around since you learned to say TLT, the women’s "eight" might just be your favorite yet. The Atomic Backland Pro Women is a great hiker with a Boa for easy fitting. The Tecnica Zero G Tour Scout is a crossover resort boot that will let you down exactly Zero percent of the time in ski mode. La Sportiva’s Stellar is the women’s version of the Skorpius, so rest assured that it is indeed stellar. Fischer added the suffix GR to the My Travers boot, which can only further signify its GReatness. With all of these new and updated models, women have more options than ever when it comes to lightweight ski touring boots. For more details on each individual boot, click the links below.

Tagged Products:Dynafit TLT8 Expedition, Atomic Backland Pro, Tecnica Zero G Tour Scout, La Sportiva Stellar, Fischer My Travers GR

Everyone loves the 80s! The 80s were a great time to be alive if you were into Walkman’s, VCRs, and tall bangs. For folks like us who love skis in the 80-89mm wide range, the present day is even better! Skis like the aforementioned Backland UL 85, the Ski Trab Magico.2, and the Movement Race Pro 85 (another weight option for the amazing AT85 shape) saw significant and successful redesigns this season. The 2018 Ski-of-the-Year K2 Wayback 88, the always-popular Voile Objective, and the won’t-go-away Salomon MTN Explore 88 round out a category of skis that has never seen so many high-caliber options. Could it be that we are seeing an 80s renaissance? Might this be the return to sanity as the ski industry deals with an excess-fat ski hangover? For the sake of those skiers who have been indoctrinated from the beginning by the fat-ski propaganda, we surely hope so.

Tagged Products: K2 Wayback 88, Atomic Backland UL 85, Ski Trab Magico.2, Movement Race Pro 85, Salmon MTN Explore 88, Voile Objective

Upping your comfort level. Here on the Wasatch home front, we spent the summer making improvements as usual. Aside from moving racks around, putting a new outfit on the mannequin, and reorganizing the walls, we cleared a space in the corner for our new boot-fitting benches. After quickly dismissing the off-the-shelf options as too easy, we opened our paper-based CAD system and designed some benches that optimize space and comfort (your and ours). Boot-fitting has been an integral part of Skimo Co from the day we opened our doors, and we’re excited to finally give it a proper build out. Come on in and grab a seat!

Winter is coming! No, that’s not an outdated GOT reference-- winter really is coming! As the first substantial snowfall draws nearer, take some time to review your kit of backcountry tools. Maybe it’s time to splurge on a new lightweight shovel or probe, or re-glue those old skins you were thinking about retiring. Looking at some new bindings? Here’s a reminder that we recycle used (and even semi-broken) bindings for store credit (click here for a recap on how that program works). Of course, we’ll be doing arcane snow dances in old Powderkeg T-shirts to stack the weather odds in our favor. Our team is ready for another season of providing our customers top-notch service and the most comprehensive selection of lightweight ski mountaineering gear available, and we hope to see or hear from you soon.

With the arrival of the TLT5 in 2010, Dynafit officially entered the lightweight backcountry touring boot market and established their now-famous line of TLT ('tour lite tech') backcountry touring boots in the US. Unofficially, the concept of a truly walkable, light, and skiable boot has been in development ever since Fritz Barthel decided his alpine gear was too heavy to carry any farther up the side of the Matterhorn in 1983. Modern converts to the 'light is right' gospel will be able to empathize with Mr. Barthel’s conclusion, and today, the TLT lineup has taken its place at the top of the backcountry food chain. These boots are considered by many to be the Gold Standard in their category, and with the release of the latest edition to the line, the TLT8, Dynafit has extended that sterling TLT legacy even farther. Whether you’re an experienced skimo racer or are totally new to the backcountry world, these Goldilocks boots (“juuuust right!”) are a great place to start when shopping for new boots. They have just about everything a backcountry skier could want and fit a range of foot shapes rather nicely (which our boot fitters certainly appreciate). We’ve received a flood of questions from our customers concerning the TLT8, and these questions have run the gamut from fit continuity between past and current TLT’s to the updated closure system on the new boots. Well, you know we can't resist a chance to nerd out, so we got our scales and measuring tapes out and got to work. Read on for a short history of the TLT line and to find out what the new TLT8 is all about!!

The TLT5 changed the game.

The TLT boots from Dynafit have set the standard for what a lean backcountry touring boot ought to be able to do. The TLT5 was the first widely available boot to meet the trifecta of boot requirements (low weight, wide range of motion, and the subjective quality known as ‘skiability’), and this combination allowed recreational skiers to access distant soft snow and mountaineering objectives under their own power. With the following TLT’s (6, 7, and 8), Dynafit has continued to experiment with different materials and technologies (e.g. Ultra Lock, Speed Nose, Pomoca Soles, etc.) in their quest to make the perfect ‘do everything’ backcountry boot. 

From the beginning, these boots have been chock full of unique designs that signaled a leap forward for the world of lightweight backcountry touring boots. Today, most of the popular race-plus and light touring boots take some inspiration from the TLT5. With its 60° range of motion and easy to use Ultra Lock ski/walk mechanism, the boot tied the lightweight construction and walkability of a skimo race boot to the skiability of much beefier boots for the first time. Prior to its arrival, no boot existed that would allow a skier to compete on the skimo racecourse in the morning and to steer 115mm powder skis in the afternoon. Set firmly between two wildly different forms of skiing, the TLT5 signaled a true paradigm shift for the skiing world.

Need to Retire Your TLT6’s?

Fans of the TLT6 have something to celebrate this holiday season, and we aren't talking about the ISMF decision to allow jetpacks for the 2020/21 season (fuel canisters must be UIAA 106 and EN 1077 certified). We're talking about the new boots from Dynafit, the Speedfit Pro. Dynafit has used several different molds throughout the TLT line (the TLT6 and TLT7 were both wider than their predecessors), but these changes haven't always been well received. Many skiers love the fit and functionality of the narrower TLT6, and they felt somewhat betrayed when Dynafit switched to a wider last for the TLT7. Fortunately for those folks, the Italian designers chose to use the old TLT6 molds while designing the Speedfit Pro. This new boot has flown somewhat under the radar due to the giant shadow cast by the release of the TLT8, and is a fantastic option for skiers not quite ready to give up their ole' reliable TLT6's.

Sitting somewhere between the original Speedfit and the new TLT8 Carbonio, the Speedfit Pro is a cousin to the TLT line and will appeal to many of the same skiers. With a Grilamid lower and Titanex fiberglass cuff, this boot uses the simple Ultra Lock 2.0 ski/walk closure system and feels almost as stiff as the TLT8. This boot has an appealing spec sheet to match its appealing price and is an identical lower shell fit to the TLT6. If you fit well into the TLT6 but are keen to get your hands on some new boots, the Speedfit Pro is likely to be just the boot for you.

Tagged Products: Dynafit Speedfit Pro Boot, Dynafit Speedfit Boot, Dynafit TLT6 Performance CR Boot

Too many flavors of TLT to pick. 

Historically, TLT boots have been available in three versions: the Performance (which is equivalent to today’s Carbonio) the Mountain (equivalent to today’s Expedition), and a women’s specific boot. The Carbonio/Performance boots typically feature a carbon cuff and a thinner CL (Custom Light) liner, while the Expedition/Mountain boots have shipped with a thicker liner (in the US) and a Grilamid/Pebax cuff. The women's specific TLT’s have evolved right alongside the rest of the line, and will typically feature a CR liner with calf cutouts and a non-carbon cuff that looks awfully similar to the Expedition/Mountain boots. 

From the original inception of the TLT line, the Carbonio/Performance boots have been stiffer and roomier with their carbon cuff and thinner liner, whereas the Expedition/Mountain boots have been slightly softer flexing and lower volume due to a thicker CR (Custom Ready) liner. Looking back, more advanced skiers have preferred the Carbonio for its stiffer flex and lighter weight, while lighter and less experienced skiers have preferred the Expedition and its more forgiving flex pattern and friendlier price. These differences in stiffness have become less pronounced throughout the years as Dynafit has moved away from their removable tongue design, but the Carbonio version remains laterally stiffer than the Expedition.

Tagged Products: Dynafit TLT8 Expedition Boot - Women, Dynafit TLT8 Expedition CR Boot

Dynafit TLT Weight Chart

A Skimo Co article about TLTs is not complete without a weight chart:

Two is better than one. 

When comparing the TLT7 and TLT8 side by side, anyone familiar with backcountry touring boots would be hard-pressed to mistake either boot for anything other than a TLT. The Ultra Lock ski/walk closure systems and stride-improving Speed Nose are unique features that no other boot on the market comes close to replicating. While both boots look like a classic TLT boot, the Eight has seen some surefire improvements to its skiability and closure systems that tilt the scales in its favor when compared to the Seven. 

The Ultra Lock 3.0 ski/walk closure system employed on the TLT7 tensioned the entire boot using a single internally routed cable. This system simplified the transition process, but it turned out to be problematic for some skiers. This single-buckle system saved significant weight and time in transition, but it created a problem spot on the boot for skiers with low insteps. The routed cable design saved time in transition but didn’t allow for adequate instep pressure, leading some skiers to break the cable while trying to get the boot to feel tight over their instep. The TLT8 remedies this problem by using two ratcheting buckles in place of the routed cable system used on the TLT7. The use of two buckles makes the TLT8 more adjustable (great for folks with lower insteps) and removes a potential weak spot (the routed cable) without losing much of the efficiency of the Ultra Lock 3.0.

Tagged Products:Dynafit TLT8 Carbonio Boot, Dynafit TLT7 Performance Boot

Speaking of (not in) tongues.

A big contributor to the success of the TLT line lies in the construction of its tongue. After experimenting with removable tongues of varying stiffness in the early TLT models, Dynafit opted for a permanent tongue for the TLT7 and 8. The permanent tongue is a no-brainer when it comes to ease of use, as it saves time in transition and doesn’t force skiers to choose between “stiff” and “soft” boot mode. The TLT8 uses the same tongue shape as the TLT7, but employs thicker (and stiffer) plastic to construct its tongue. Dynafit also made some changes to the lateral curve of the tongue over the instep, opting for a more angular and flat shape over the top of the foot rather than the even and smoothly rounded tongue found on the TLT7. With this new tongue construction, we noticed less shell deformation and flex than the TLT7 (see photos). This thicker tongue means that the TLT8 is stiffer and more responsive than its predecessor, yet it remains nearly as walkable, which sounds to us like a win-win just about any way you spin it.

Tagged Product: Dynafit Tongues & Spoilers

Cool Carbonio Cuff Conversation.

Last but not least, the TLT8 features a taller cuff, but just how much taller that cuff is depends on the size of your boot. We measured the cuff of a TLT7 Carbonio and a TLT8 Carbonio (both in size 27) and recorded a difference of 2.75cm for the front of the TLT8 cuff, while the backs of both cuffs measured the same. We also measured a TLT8 Carbonio and a TLT7 Performance (both in size 30) and measured a difference of 3.1cm for the back of the TLT8 cuff, with no difference measured for the rear. A taller cuff means that the TLT8 feels more responsive and supportive on the descent, but we also noticed slightly more resistance while skinning. Will skiers notice this slight uptick in resistance while skinning?? Only time will tell, but we predict that as skiers become accustomed to the improved skiing of the TLT8, most (if not all) of this resistance will dissipate from their memories rather quickly.

Tagged Products: Dynafit TLT8 Carbonio Boot, Dynafit TLT7 Carbonio Boot

Nothing left to do but ski 'em, Chuck.

At the end of the day, despite all our measuring and weighing and bending these boots nine ways from Sunday, there's no way to know how they'll perform until you get them out on the snow and see for yourself. So, get out there and make some turns! The way the weather's been trending in the Wasatch, it's looking like winter isn't too far away.

If you have any questions about any of the gear we've talked about, feel free to email help@skimo.co or give us a call and one of our bubbling staff members will help you find some answers (please, save questions of an existential nature for a priest or deity of your choice). As always, thanks for reading, and happy skiing!!

We all know about the basic gear it takes to access the backcountry in safety and style -- you've got to have boots, bindings, skis, and skins. Those are the basics we chat about with any customer who comes through our doors, and that set of four products is a big investment of time and decision-making. But once you've got your setup dialed in, what else do you need to keep yourself warm, dry, safe, and happy during those predawn starts and long powder-lapping days? Each member of our staff at Skimo Co has thought about this question quite a bit and picked out a suite of accessories that suits the kind of skiing and ski mountaineering that they love the best. Below, our staff’s picks for the best of "everything else" for the 2019/20 season:

Skier: Cole Panter // Sales staff, telemark/AT shapeshifter, aspiring La Grave resident
Essential Kit: Karpos Mountain Pant

Cole enjoying a typically deep midwinter Wasatch day with the help of a good pair of pants.

“Different than most of the slim-fitting, Euro-style touring pants we stock, the Karpos Mountain Pant is perfect for those with larger thighs or for those who prefer a looser fit. The material choice -- Karpos’ proprietary K-Shell and K-Dry, along with Cordura panels for durability -- balances breathability and strength perfectly. More breathable fabrics sit in strategic spots to keep you well-vented, and the water-resistant, windproof front keeps you dry and warm. Pockets on the front on the upper thighs are easily accessible and waterproof, which makes them great for stowing your AIARE booklet or a map. The thigh vents are well thought out with a meshed liner that doesn't allow snow to flow in as easily like other pants with open vents. This is especially nice when skinning in deep snow on steep slopes or boot-packing in snow-filled couloirs.  I can wear them for a high-output morning of powder skiing in Days Fork, or an all-day mountaineering assault on the Pfeifferhorn, and either way the Mountain pant is the perfect choice.”
 

Skier: Teddy Young // Online customer service, lover of knots, mountaineering tech nerd/expert
Essential Kit: Julbo AeroSpeed Glasses

Teddy using the Aerospeed glasses to manage the summer sun/shade transitions on Pipeline Chute.

“Julbo Aerospeed glasses are quite a look, and can offer major versatility in the mountains if you are willing to commit to the aesthetic! With huge lenses, you get protection from sun, snow, and impact, all while retaining the ventilation needed to wear them on the up. Because these frames give you most of what you get from goggles, you can get away with leaving those at home on most days. That means you save weight and volume in your pack, and time during transitions. Coming from more of a climbing and mountaineering background, I want great performance out of my gear under all conditions that the mountains can throw at me, and I don’t ever want to have to tote around extra kit. The AeroSpeed glasses are the perfect minimalist eyewear for winter in the mountains.”

Skier: Julieana Rusnak // Sales staff, Freeride World Tour competitor, resident small person
Essential Kit: Mammut Ultralight Airbag and Petzl Irvis Hybrid Crampon

"Selecting an airbag pack is a little tricky, and every skier comes to the process with different demands. For me, skiing in Freeride World Tour qualifiers, I look to the competition rules to see what’s required. Most European competitions require athletes to wear airbags, but airbags are often heavy and bulky, which can make jumping, spinning, and flipping -- all things you might need to do in an FWT comp -- a little harder. For my usage, the best airbag pack on the market is the Mammut Ultralight, which comes in at a svelte 1940 grams ready to deploy -- not only will it save you some weight on the tour up to your intended line, but it also won’t be a distraction or throw off your balance when descending. A lightweight airbag pack is useful for more than just the FWT, however. If you're a frequent chairlift user accessing high-consequence terrain through resort gates -- say, at Jackson Hole, Alta/Snowbird, or in Canada and Europe -- the Ultralight will make it easy for you to have an airbag at the ready without hauling around a full backcountry pack for inbounds runs. In technical terrain that requires mountaineering skills and equipment, the Mammut Ultralight has several options to attach gear, such as ropes, harnesses, quickdraws, and ice screws. For those that are consistently pushing into terrain where an extra margin of safety is needed, but don’t want to sacrifice speed on the up or maneuverability on the down, this pack is absolutely perfect."

Smiling because carrying an airbag doesn't have to mean slowing down.

"Speaking of technical terrain, the Petzl Irvis Hybrid crampon is the perfect mix of packable, light, and aggressive. It has a steel toe to help with confidence in steep terrain and front-pointing situations, but an aluminum heel to save some weight. I personally love the cord attachment -- it makes the Irvis Hybrid really easy to adjust sizes, and if you have to do it on the fly, it isn’t an issue. Plus, the cordage makes them extremely packable compared with a traditional metal bar as well. For worst-case scenarios, I always carry extra cord lengths with me, so if it were to break, it would be a simple fix in the field. I love having a sub-300-gram, yet extremely user-friendly crampon in my pack just in case I need to use it."

The Irvis Hybrid is ideal for use on ski boots as well as approach shoes -- as demonstrated here in the Apollo Couloir on Mt. Olympus.

Skier: Jason Borro // SkimoCo bossman, Chuting Gallerist, Light 'n Fast devotee
Essential Kit: Mammut Wall Rider MIPS Helmet
 

JBo appreciates quality head protection and making kickturns in couloirs.

"Last spring, while on a ski mountaineering trip to Colorado, I watched a grapefruit-sized rock whizz past my head while descending a couloir. It’s reflecting on scary moments like this that I like the idea of the new safety technology in the Mammut Wall Rider MIPS helmet for the spring season, when the mountains start to open up and rocks start to fall. I put “technology” in quotes because it’s really just a sheet of plastic, but placed strategically in order to reduce the rotational force on your head/neck in the event of a crash or collision with a falling object. The fact that it borrowed the Petzl Sirocco’s half-cap design is a bonus for weight, durability, and ventilation. The neutral colors and a snug, non-bulbous fit (on my head, anyway) are a bonus to those who have to look at me."

Skier: Scott Berkley // Online customer service, third-string skimo racer
Essential Kit: Ski Trab Gara Evo, CAMP G Comp Race/Warm gloves

When it's 40 degrees at the base of the Y Couloir and 15 degrees at the top, the CAMP G Comp Race is the perfect glove.

“With races like the Wasatch Powder Keg and Big Sky, Montana’s Shedhorn on the horizon, I focused on getting my race-day accessories dialed in during the early season this year. One of the toughest things for me has been finding a pair of gloves that  has enough dexterity for powerful poling and fast transitions, but also can warm my hands up on windy ridges. My two favorite pairs are the CAMP G Comp Race and Ski Trab Gara Evo gloves. The super-light, warm-condition-specific G Comps have an extra-sticky palm to make the contact between your gloves and your pole handles stronger, and they’ve never given me sweaty palms, even during a marathon late-spring tour at Snoqualmie Pass. No more “on-again, off-again” with ski gloves! The Gara Evos provide more warmth and a thicker insulating layer, making them perfect for high-wind days and colder midwinter tours. During the Shedhorn race, not even 50mph wind gusts and slow progress down the Three Forks Couloir could numb my hands in the Gara Evos. Both the CAMP and Ski Trab gloves have stowable "over-mitts" that are windproof and hold in plenty of heat during long ridge scrambles and descents without adding weight or adding time to your transitions. I also bring a pair of CAMP G Comp Warm gloves for backup during training days -- a glove I’d happily take out for a dawn patrol on a day when it’s -10 at the trailhead."

by Trace Williams

If you have had your ear to the ground in the running world over the past two or three years, you have probably noticed that more and more elite level, as well as local athletes, are using human-powered skiing during the winter months to access otherwise off-limits terrain. Conversely, if you have had your ear to the skin track, you will have probably noticed that most skiers make a natural transition to mountain runners. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the strikingly similar body position and muscle engagement give runners a leg up among the light ‘n fast backcountry skiing crowd.

Using ski mountaineering as cross-training for running, or vice versa is becoming the norm among both local and elite mountain athletes. Here are a few reasons why: 

Foot Cadence: With the advancement in lightweight ski boots that walk like high-top running shoes, maintaining the same foot cadence of a summer power hike is easy while skinning. In fact, the boots are so light and walk so well that running atop a snowy ridgeline or taking the singletrack shortcut between snow patches is hardly any different than wearing running shoes. 

Vertical Gain: A casual mid-week dawn patrol will generally feature at least 3,000ft of climbing. While your knees don’t have to suffer a single second of abuse on the descent, you are still able to log obscene amounts of vertical in a single week. By the time a half marathon with 5,000ft of climbing rolls around, rather than shying away or holding back on the hills, they will become your strength. In fact, steep races might even become your strength.

Extended Exposure to Altitude: Because of the low snow line during the winter months, every dedicated runner is either forced to run roads, packed hiking trails, or the “dreadmill.” Snowshoes don’t count enough to be viable. If a trail is packed enough to actually run on, you don’t need snowshoes. If it’s deep enough that you need snowshoes, it’s almost impossible to run on. One way or another, snowshoe season is ski season! Ski mountaineering transforms snowy ridgelines, precarious peaks, and tight chutes into potential adventures and training grounds all while staying at high elevations. Because of the amazing 2016/17 ski season, our snowpack in the high mountains didn’t even start to thin out until mid-June, which left any high-altitude exposure for most runners off the table until the running season was halfway over. Those with skis were able to train for ultramarathons above 8,000ft without ever setting foot to dirt. Go figure.  

The overload principle still applies to endurance athletes: Even though the boots, skis, bindings, and skins are jaw-droppingly light these days, they are still heavier than running shoes. Taking advantage of the similarities between running and skiing is why the natural transition between the two works, while taking advantage of the differences encourages growth as a well-rounded athlete. The extra weight of a ski system on your feet will transform your fuel-efficient body into a powerful diesel engine. 

Core Strength: While this isn’t universally true, runners are notoriously weak when it comes to the daily fast-twitch activities like wrestling bears, felling trees, or God forbid the occasional pushup or two. Skiing without ever involving your core is nearly impossible. It’s taxing at first, but as funny as it sounds, running becomes easy after a winter of carrying poles, layers, and extra gear. And because skinning is much lower impact than running, you will get a chance to rebuild your joints and bones while still enjoying the benefits of weight-bearing exercise that swimming and cycling don’t offer.

Building Comfort with Exposure: As the term “trail running” has evolved, runners have become some of the most versatile athletes in the mountain community. Depending on the day, a typical “run” can involve miles of rolling singletrack or vertical scrambling in dangerous terrain. Often times, these dangerous scrambles are done in nothing more than running shoes, which greatly increases the risk factor, especially for the adventurous runners that have never climbed before. Gaining confidence with exposure is a slow and methodic process that shouldn’t be rushed. With crampons and ice axes, gaining that confidence in a controlled environment is easily accessible and encouraged if you wish to proceed as a mountaineer. 

It’s Fun: No, seriously. This might be the best reason to start exploring ski mountaineering. Winter, the off-season, and base-mileage workouts don’t have to suck. If all of this talk about cross-training, workouts, and acclimatization hasn’t swayed your opinion yet, maybe this will: You get to ski. Not only do you get to ski, but while everybody else is paying $100+/day per person, per day for crowded and tracked out skiing, you get to ski the freshest high-quality snow that you have been dreaming of for years every single day. 

One way or another, skiing is fun and running is fun, but mountains are the playground that we all cherish. It doesn’t matter how you play, just make sure to get out and be a good ambassador.  

UPDATE 2020 -- While this article is a few years old, we see many runners dipping a toe in the skimo-race world and ski touring community every season. Whether they plan to race, bag peaks, or simply stay fit during the cold months, we're happy to see 'em! After all, many of us are converts as well. 

Trace Williams managed Skimo Co's web customer-service department from 2016 to 2018 and is responsible for the sale of many, many La Sportiva Syborgs and Voile Objectives. As one of the OG Skimo Co team members his spirit lives on!

It's October! The 10th calendar month has historically marked the beginning of the season for us at Skimo Co as new gear pours in, bootfitting appointments ramp up, and we grow increasingly impatient for the snow to arrive. Needless to say, 2020 has been quite the doozy but this gear preview should help refocus your mind on the important things in life. Yes, skiing. We expect the pandemic to encourage more skiers to venture into the backcountry this winter as they avoid pass reservations, socially distanced lift lines, and other resort frustrations. Now might be the time to shave a few grams on your setup to help get you further out there and away from the crowds. Thankfully, that shouldn’t be too hard as we’re convinced that the ski engineers made good use of their time in quarantine.

New constructions. A host of ski manufacturers dusted off their drawing boards and released skis with brand new touring-specific constructions. Almost without exception, the changes have worked, resulting in noticeably better performing skis. We picked up new lines from alpine-stalwarts Volkl and Scott as they finally met our high standards for the backcountry. Dynafit is in a higher class this year with the Blacklight series - their best yet. Movement continues trending upwards with another tweak to the Alp Tracks platform. And then there’s DPS, whose Pagoda Tour line has exceeded all expectations in lightweight performance, albeit at an unfriendly price. It’s getting harder to find truly bad skis, but as usual, we separate the wheat from the chaff for you (yes, we test them all).

Tagged Products: Dynafit Blacklight Series, Movement Alp Tracks, DPS Pagoda, 

Dude, what’s up with that pole? Ski poles have never been a particularly sexy topic and many skiers give very little thought to what they carry in their hands. Some even consider a tree branch an adequate substitute in a pinch. However, this season’s poles look to abruptly change that notion as they transform boring sticks into both fashion statements and better functioning tools. Last season we started working with French mountain guide Alain Desez who makes unique batons in fun colors that are turning heads across the US. The poles feature unusually long handles which means you can grip them anywhere as you’re flowing through the mountains. Similarly, famed pole-maker Scott joins the fray with their own twist on pole length usability. The new RC Pro has a strap that can easily slide up and down the handle, allowing you to quickly find the perfect position for whatever slope or sidehill you find yourself climbing. Not to be outdone, Ski Trab put together the first custom-length adjustable pole. This oxymoronic descriptor means that you cut the lower shaft to your ideal ski length while keeping the ability to extend it higher for skinning. A quick flick at the top will knock it back to the perfect downhill length quicker than you can say “dropping!”

Tagged Products: Les Batons d'Alain, Scott RC Pro, Ski Trab Ortles Pole

Fat skis for short folk.  We’re here for you! Long neglected, this group of skiers now finally has a multitude of options to choose from. Historically, it’s been hard to find short skis in wide widths, however, Voile recently took a crack at solving the problem with the 154cm Hyper Vector, Hyper Charger, and Hyper Drifter. Atomic has also jumped in to service these vertically-challenged powder-slayers with the 156cm Backland 98 Women’s and 159cm Backland 107. What’s that you say, Volkl, a 156cm Rise Beyond 98? Now we’re talking. And it just might be DPS who gets the last laugh, simultaneously releasing the 153cm Pagoda Tour 100, the 155cm Pagoda Tour 106, and the 158cm Pagoda Tour 112. From this selection, you can now choose by weight, performance, price, and all the other attributes that average-height skiers have long enjoyed.

Tagged Products: Voile 154 Hyper Vector,Voile 154 Hyper Charger,Voile 154 Hyper Drifter,Atomic 156 Backland 98 Women's,Atomic 159 Backland 107,Volkl 156 Rise Beyond 98,DPS 153cm Pagoda Tour 100,DPS 155cm Pagoda Tour 106,DPS 158cm Pagoda Tour 112 

Hands-free risers. Backcountry skiers have accumulated a plethora of tricks to manage their climbing risers without the need to bend down. From convoluted pole-twists to specially designed handles and baskets that help flip flaps, it’s clear that there’s a desire to avoid constantly bending over in rolling terrain. Atomic decided to go for a moonshot attempt at alleviating this minor problem once and for all: the Autoclimb binding. Using a hydraulic piston, the binding will sense a change in the terrain and after a few steps auto-magically adjust to support your heel in the new position. Is the weight trade-off worth it? To be determined but we think some customers will see ease-of-riser-flippage as the main selling point. Kudos to Atomic for rolling the dice and attempting to measure this demand.

Tagged Products: Atomic Backland Autoclimb Binding

Sniffing Smart Glue. Cheers to Pomoca for opening the eyes of North Americans to the joys of “manageable” glue while day touring. That is, easy to peel apart from itself and to pull off your skis in one rip. Kohla now comes to market with a related but different “smart” glue that’s amazing to handle. The key change was to switch the backing material from cloth to rubber, thus altering the requirements of the adhesive. Together, this makes the new Alpinist and Freeride skins waterproof, super packable, and a pleasure to manage. We’re offering these as kits and off the roll.

Tagged Products: Pomoca Skins, Kohla Alpinist Skins,Kohla Freeride Skins

Adjustable race-weight bindings. Perhaps a touch over podium weight, some bindings this year are offering a good amount of release adjustability for practically nothing. Okay, before you get too excited, that “nothing” is measured in grams - not dollars. The Dynafit Superlite 150 weighs nearly that little in grams but offers a rather impressive release adjustment range of 4-13, laterally. The BD 200 LT weighs only 20ish grams more while adding fully adjustable vertical release to the mix. Many skiers will argue this category is the perfect blend of weight and safety. All skiers, however, will agree that brands should stop naming their bindings after a weight-in-grams when they don’t actually weigh that amount. As always, you can check out our “Specs Verified” listings for the true story.

Tagged Products: Dynafit Superlite 150 Binding, Black Diamond Helio 200 LT Binding

Pre-mounted skis. Dynafit is attempting to change the marketplace by selling backcountry ski kits with bindings and skins already attached. These kits are more straightforward to buy and are also convenient for folks migrating to online shopping due to Covid-19. Dynafit debuted the kits with beginner tourers in mind. The Youngstar ski set caters to the kiddos while the revamped Seven Summits ski set offers older folks a quick and affordable way to begin exploring out of bounds. Admittedly, these packages may sacrifice standing in the perfect position on your skis, but it’s a tradeoff many are willing to take, especially parents whose kids are changing boot lengths so fast anyhow.

Tagged Products: Dynafit Seven Summits Youngstar Ski Set, Dynafit Seven Summits+ Ski Set

Knocking down walls. At our physical retail store, we’re literally knocking down a wall and expanding into the neighboring space. This will enable us to social distance better while we bootfit and will also make storing the world’s largest skimo gear collection a little less comical. Our tech team is especially psyched to get a larger space with, gasp, natural light! 

Swing on by to say hello and check out the new space as you make your way back down from the Wasatch mountains. We are open to the public with Covid-19 precautions in place so please wear a mask, use the supplied hand sanitizer, and call ahead or make an appointment online for a social distanced bootfitting session. It may look a little different this year, but we’re more excited than ever to help you gear up for an amazing winter. 

Regardless of where your home mountains are, we wish you a deep and stable snowpack. See you out there! 

Skins are a crucial part of your kit - after all, they get you to the top! Without skins, skiers would be relegated to post holing in deep snow, or, worse, snowshoeing! Originally made out of seal fur (hence the name), skins have come a long way but still provide the same essential function - one-way forward progress uphill while providing enough grip to fending off gravity’s pull. No matter your skill level, it’s important to consider which ones will best match your backcountry goals.

Step one is to decide the type of plush. The actual heavy-duty worker when it comes to the skins, the plush is the grip-and-glide material along the bottom of the skin. There are three types of plush you’ll find on the market, mohair, nylon, and a mix of the two. The main difference between these materials is whether you want maximum gliding or climbing capabilities, or a compromise somewhere in the middle. 

Mohair is a great option for those who are looking for skins with superior gliding capabilities. As a naturally light material made from goat hair, mohair skins are highly packable and provide little resistance when moving over snow. This is especially beneficial for lines with long approaches, like in the Tetons. Generally speaking, smoother glide means less uphill grip which may make some skiers feel less secure on challenging skin tracks. 

On the other side of the spectrum are high-grip nylon skins. Durable and water repellant, these burly skins are known for their grit and reliability when climbing. Unfortunately this also means that they are heavier, less packable, and don’t glide as easily. As a result, they are rarely the best option for backcountry skiers who prioritize fast, light, and efficient...which should be everyone!

For those having a hard time deciding between the two, there is thankfully option C. By combining mohair with nylon construction, mix skins aim to find a compromise between the extremes of glide, traction, durability, weight, and packability. For most skiers in most conditions, mix skins are a great choice.

Once you have decided on a plush, it’s time to fit them to your particular skis. 

The easiest option is to find pre-cut skins for your skis. Remove the guesswork and actual work with climbing skins already cut for the length and shape of your sticks. Since they don’t require trimming and come with attachments already installed, you can slap them on and get going right away. 

If the ideal plush is not available for your specific skins, the next option is Trim-to-Fit Skins. These are more or less the bread and butter of skin shopping. While most of these skins will cover a specific width, (and then you only need to select a range for length), these skins will often run past your ski’s edges. Don’t be alarmed, that’s on purpose! These are designed for the customer to tailor the skin to the ski. Therefore, they will often come with their own trimming tool. You’ll want to cut the skin fairly close to the edge of your ski, but leave the actual metal edges exposed. We recommend to really take your time trimming rather than make one quick go at it and accidentally create a jagged edge. It can initially be intimidating to cut your own skins but gets easier with practice. If you prefer, we’re happy to do it for you as we offer skin cutting as service. Once your skins are properly trimmed, you’re ready to earn your turns! 

For the total custom experience, you can build your own skins to exact specifications. This means you pick the material off the roll and choose the best tip and tail attachments. The parts are then assembled and cut to the perfect size. With a wide selection to choose from, we offer full skin builds for our customers. We can even notch your ski tips to make them compatible with different attachments!

Finally, there are race skins. As you might guess, these skins are designed to toe the line between weight and efficiency. They are cut straight to have the same width the entire length of the skin, which reduces the amount of skin surface on snow. Anyone coming from a background with larger skis might think this is problematic, but less material means lighter skis and less friction. With good technique, race skins are a great choice for technical and experienced skiers. No need to worry about trimming these guys, since they’re ready to go straight from the box.

As for glues, companies are constantly working to improve their secret sauce formula for best performance. Feel free to get in touch with our team to talk about the latest glue technologies, we’ve tested them all! No matter the skins you end up with, it’s important to keep the glue side snow free as much as possible and dry them out after each day of skiing. 

Enjoy and remember, as far as skintracks go, steeper isn’t always better!

Since diverging from our ape cousins 5-7 million years ago, we hominids have unfortunately lost the luscious full-body mane that kept our ancestors warm and cozy whenever the elements turned hostile. Thankfully though, brain size has been trending upwards. The smartest among us have harnessed the power of plants, animals, and synthetic materials to make clothes that allow us to thrive in improbable environments. 

At Skimo Co, we divide this innovative drapery into three categories; Race, Speed, and Touring, with some overlap in between. Each category does it differently, but they all aim to facilitate unencumbered active movement and regulate temperature. Keep in mind that some humans tend to run hot or cold so insulation levels can be highly dependent upon the skier.  

Race Clothing

As the name suggests, this category comprises the lightest and most breathable clothing we carry to help you move quickly in the mountains. It’s oriented towards serious racers or the person who brings their racing spirit to the backcountry. Similar to road cyclists wearing Lycra, the fit of apparel found within this category can aptly be described as “form-fitting,” and will kindly let you know if your diet deviates from your usual kale, spinach, and protein powder shake breakfast. Unrestricted motion isn’t a new idea amongst clothing manufactures, however, every garment within the racing category truly exemplifies this principle. The saying “time waits for no one” isn’t more apparent than in a race/speed touring environment, where time spent rooting around in a pack for water, snacks, or skins is unnecessary time lost. With this in mind, race tops are built with enough storage pockets to accommodate the aforementioned items, and even the local guidebook if you want. Because backpacks provide a lot of insulation against your back, race tops commonly feature mesh back panels to facilitate increased ventilation.   

Race garments are also designed to integrate well with other speed-minded gear. For instance, pant bottom cut outs allow the user to quickly toggle with buckles and ski-walk mechanisms. Similarly, to keep snow at bay, stirrups loop around the underside of your boot while tops and bottoms will connect to make a seal. This last feature also has the added benefit of preventing “plumber’s crack.”

Because it is assumed that the wearer will be constantly moving, there are some inevitabilities with this category of clothing. First, the use of thinner fabrics inherently means a colder garment that won’t reward standing around for extended periods of time, nor will it prove to be as durable during “brushy exits.”  Second, since race garments are optimized to be used with race boots, they may not be the most appropriate if you wish to use them with anything from the touring or beef boot families. If you exclusively use race boots, and value speed and efficiency above all else, this category will serve you well.

Compare: Mens Race Suits,Womens Race Suits

Speed Touring Clothing

A Skimo Co staff favorite, the speed touring category is a skosh more accommodating than race garments, yet still aims for efficiency. Stirrups are gone but high-ventilation mesh backs and dedicated jacket pockets for skins stay. They feature slightly thicker materials - like burly kick patches on pant legs, hoods, and windproof patches - and can be used with a wider range of gear, including touring boots. That said, this category is still snug-fitting, intended for high aerobic output, provides little insulation, and enables you to ski all day without taking your pack off. Unless it’s bitterly cold or you’re moving slow, speed touring clothing is the sweet spot between hauling ass and resistance to the elements. Overall, this category is ideal for racers seeking more protection, fast ski mountaineers, or the general tourer looking to pare down.  

Compare: Mens Speed Jackets,Mens Speed Pants,Womens Speed Jackets,Womens Speed Pants

Ski Touring Clothing

Not to be confused with heavy, bulky, and significantly less breathable “freeride” clothing, this category is still designed with efficiency and big days in mind. However, the focus is more on “enjoying the journey” and less on being in the “pain cave.” This apparel uses similar construction methods found in the first two categories - such as articulated knees - albeit with heavier fabrics and a roomier fit. The inherent warmth found in thicker fabrics makes for a much warmer garment than in the two previous categories, however, zippered vents are usually present to help regulate temperature. This warmth also makes this category attractive to some for cold weather touring. Tops also tend to become more general, losing some features specific to ski touring (bye bye mesh back panels). The looser-fitting nature and demeanor of this category pairs well with touring and beef boots. Folks that take a more “casual” approach to a big day in the mountains will appreciate the breathability, excellent range of motion, and functionality these garments provide.

Compare: Mens Touring Jackets,Mens Touring Pants,Womens Touring Jackets,Womens Touring Pants

Bonus Layers (for the pack)

Because softshell fabrics are so darn good at simultaneously managing breathability and weather protection, other layers often stay smushed in the pack. However, when the weather turns especially nasty - that shaded north-facing couloir starts to freeze your sweat or the wind howls on the summit - it’s time to call in the reinforcements. Layers, such as superlight puffies, wind pants, or hard shells, can really save your butt when needed and some are light enough to justify bringing along. And since they’re not sport-specific, they can remain in your pack for summer adventures as well. Simply put, these layers are critical to have on hand for ski mountaineering missions with a questionable forecast. But they mostly belong in your pack.

Compare: Mens Layers,Mens Overpants,Womens Layers,Womens Overpants

Base Layers

Underneath it all and next to skin, base layers pull double duty as both sweat sponge and insulator. The main deciding factors are the ambient temperature (dead of winter or toasty spring skiing?) and the amount of heat output by the individual (are you racing or sauntering up the skintrack?). Nonetheless, all baselayers aim to pull moisture off and away from the skin to keep skiers warm and dry. Unlike our resort skiing brethren enduring cold lift rides, base layers for ski tourers are usually thin due to constant movement. Bonus points - you can even impress your partners with your progressive style choices. 

All in all, this guide is a rough overview of options for ski tourers. Don’t feel boxed into one specific category. You’re welcome to mix and match clothing categories if it makes sense for you. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be. Remember, early mountaineers summited monster peaks in oversized itchy wool coats.

As the elder statesman at Skimo Co (age, not tenure), I am writing this article specifically for my fellow boomers who started skiing in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Certainly a fun and exciting time, but the gear was very lacking compared to what we have now. So for those of us who have stuck with skiing, our skills have been honed with not just time but also by compensating for inadequate gear. Ski choices back then were quite limited - it was either wooden skis or Head skis with metal… a lot of metal. Either way, a whopping 64mm underfoot was the norm. You may have even started on leather boots (laced or buckle) and safety bindings that weren’t actually so safe. Ski brakes weren’t invented yet, so leashes it was. These could be terrifying when connected to a 205 Head 360.  

Whether you’ve been riding cable a long time or have gotten back into skiing after a busy career and raising kids, you may have noticed that the resort experience is no longer quite the same. The traffic getting to your local hill is frustrating, the slopes are crowded, and you’re left wondering “where’s the powder?” after every storm. Or maybe you’re like me and can’t stand the idea of skiing the same groomers day after day. Regardless, those are just a few of the many reasons to start checking out the backcountry. A single day in the backcountry can renew your passion for skiing as you experience different scenic terrain, untracked powder as far as you can see, and peaceful silence. 

Skiing Just Got Fun Again       

Once you decide to earn your turns, the first thing you need to do is consider your options. Ski touring opens up a lot of new ways to have fun on skis! 

If you are lucky enough to live in a resort town, an increasingly popular activity is to tour on groomers at the resort. Known as “fitness laps,” it sure beats the heck out of exercising on a treadmill or stair stepper. Why do those when you can get some fresh air and have fun ripping your favorite freshly corduroyed groomer? Another option, and my personal favorite, is to simply ski untracked powder until your legs can’t hold you up anymore. Ski touring also enables you to ski as long as there’s still snow on the ground. The season isn’t over when Vail says so!  

Before we go any further, it is important to address the elephant in the room: avalanche danger. Aside from avy gear, you will need to invest some time to learn about snow safety as well. This can be done through dedicated avalanche courses, mentorship, or a few days with a guide. The latter option will simultaneously help with learning how to use your gear and develop proper technique. It is also imperative that you learn how to read your local avalanche report (if there is one) as this will keep you out of trouble. Finally, we strongly encourage tourers of all abilities to read and reread “Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain” by Bruce Tremper. The former avalanche forecaster’s writing style makes the critical information digestible and easy to understand. 

While I acknowledge the term “backcountry” might be intimidating, it doesn’t have to be! Backcountry is an all encompassing word that spans the extremes of a mellow backyard hike to the steeps of Alaska. You can explore the backcountry at your own comfort level. Easygoing outings include adventuring beyond the ropes of the resort, touring through the hills of Vermont, skinning the Midwest woods, enjoying an overnight hut trip in Colorado, or simply lapping a powder glade in the Wasatch. 

When you are ready to gear up, it’s important that you evaluate ski touring gear differently than you would resort gear. The two setups are not interchangeable. This is because you’ll be spending most of your time going uphill where weight and efficiency become very important factors. This article will help guide you through this process so that you can maximize your enjoyment out there. 

Things Have Changed...

For folks who have already seen the light but are using old AT gear (looking at you frame bindings and heavy boots), we need to talk! And to the early adopters of Dynafit bindings, you were forward-thinking and we applaud you. Unfortunately though, those early TLT Comforts, Tri Steps, and others, are now decades old and potentially unsafe. Today’s bindings are lighter, have improved release characteristics, and offer greater functional variety for your specific needs. 

And good news for the tele crowd! If you are on NTN boots and bindings, you can drop four pounds on those alone before you even get to skis and skins! I have witnessed the full evolution from leather boots to NTN bindings on big skis. We used to joke that they were reinventing alpine gear. Many that followed this path were eventually forced to hang it up and hop back on the lifts due to age and bad knees. If you’re still holding out, allow me to emphatically inform you that your gear is unnecessarily heavy! Trust me, I should know. I have spent most of my backcountry years on telemark gear but switched to lighter AT gear a few years back. Since then, I only occasionally miss dipping my knee. With this setup though, I can now hike more vert in a day and have much less hip and IT-band pain. If you are itching to get back out where the real untracked powder is, rest assured that the current tech bindings and boots really are that much better than tele gear and make for longer, easier days. 

For boots, the light end of the touring boot category is most ideal, even if you ski 130 Flex Lange boots in the resort and think nothing short of that will do. But ask yourself, do you need a boot that stiff to ski powder in the backcountry? For many years I skied resorts on my stiff Tecnicas and tele’d in the backcountry on leather boots and later Scarpa T2’s. I went from Tele to mostly parallel turns (even on leather) and could dance in powder. When in the resorts on those vice-like Tecnicas, it just didn’t feel right as I didn’t have the finesse like I did in my softer boots. 

The current crop of light touring models have been able to figure out enough stiffness and skiability that should satisfy anyone. When people try on a pair of light, new boots for the first time in the shop, many exclaim that they feel like hiking shoes rather than ski boots. If nothing else, your feet, knees, and hips will love a new pair of boots. For bigger folks who need some power, Dalbello, the king of 130 flex touring boots, is coming out with the Quantum series that are really stiff and will hike with the best of them. No matter which direction you go, comfort is extremely important for touring, so visit our Boot Fitter to narrow it down.

Tagged Products:Alien RS,Travers CS,Dynafit TLT 8, Dalbello Quantum

Finally, we get to skis. The latest backcountry skis generally have the sidecut, rocker and flex patterns so dialed, that they simply do not need much power to turn. Skis from Ski Trab, Atomic, Movement, Voile and others can turn with little input. Of course matching up the right ski, binding and boot for the skiing you intend to do is where Skimo Co is eager to assist. 

For most ski touring situations though - such as fitness laps or just general skiing - ski widths are typically within a pretty narrow band of 71-85 mm. These are light enough, yet will be stable and fun for making beautiful, carved turns. If you don’t want to spend much money or time putting a package together, Dynafit has done it for you with the first ski/binding/skin package that ships already mounted, known around here as the Dynafit Seven Summits Ski Package.

Tagged Products: Movement Race Pro 77,Atomic Backland UL 78, Dynafit's Blacklight 74, Dynafit Seven Summits Ski Package

For a touch more powder performance, skis from makers Atomic, Ski Trab, and Movement offer wider waists that are still fast, light, and ski well in any conditions. Speaking of powder, now might be a good time to go over powder shapes with you. Balancing the desire to stay light yet float well in powder is an understandably common dilemma for customers. With powder skis there is a huge variety of widths, shapes, and rockers, so it can get a bit confusing. Having skied in the Wasatch’s famous powder-filled mountains for over 40 years, I have experienced the evolution of powder skis firsthand. Allow me to digress for a moment... 

Narrow skis were the norm until the arrival of wider skis in the late 90’s. In fact, the Couloir 1995 Gear issue, the widest ski was the Voile Mtn Surf at 88mm with the next closest at 73mm. These are shockingly narrow when compared to what you’ll see beneath some skiers these days. As I mentioned earlier, those of us who have been around have had to ski a long time on narrow skis with no other choice (unless you mounted ski bindings on water skis). So for all those decades that we were on 64mm-waisted skis, how did we ski powder?

Turns out, it’s not the depth of the snow, but rather the snow density. Average snow density is 7-11% water and is quite easily skied on narrower skis. It is also the most common snow type, so why do so many people ski on such fat skis nowadays? My guess is marketing and too many ski movies. But even on those sweet 4-6% density “blower” days, a powder ski with a svelte 100-106mm waist will do just fine for most. So, unless you are pretty big or regularly ski in bottomless Hokkaido snow, it isn’t really worth lugging around super wide heavy planks as your everyday ski. In order to determine your best bet, I suggest factoring in your weight and the typical snow you ski (Sierra cement vs Colorado champagne). Although, if you can have a quiver of skis, Voile and DPS make some fatties that are specialized and really fun in the fluffiest of snow.

Tagged Products: Ski Trab Magico.2, Atomic Backland UL 85,Movement Women's Alp Tracks 85, Voile Hyper V8, DPS Wailer 106

Age Is Just A Number

In the end, I’d like to remind my fellow elder skiers that our age itself is not a limit - only our health or desire can hold us back! Uphill skiing or backcountry touring can be the most fun way to get exercise you will ever find. As you gain more fitness and confidence in the backcountry, you will start to expand your range. Soon you will surprise yourself at what you can do. The satisfaction of climbing a peak or arriving at an untracked powder field under your own power at 65-years-young is quite powerful. And truth be told, ever since I switched to ultralight AT gear, I’ve been able to delight in the guilty pleasure of passing 20-somethings on the skintrack. Take that young bucks!

Author Bio: A 1968 family ski trip to Michigan piqued my skiing interest but it was a 1979 trip to Utah that sold me. The mountains were bigger, the powder deeper, and the skiers more dedicated. My growing addiction for truly untracked powder led me to the backcountry in 1983 and I’ve been breaking trail in the Wasatch ever since. This will be my third season at Skimo Co. 

For those of us who live for knee deep powder, winding skin tracks, and steep couloirs, the heat of summer feels like it drags on forever. Sure, mountain bikes and trad racks help fill the void. But when it comes down to it, brown pow and finger crimps will never be an adequate replacement for cold face shots and fast carves. So as soon as the leaves start to change and the nights get colder, you bet we’re getting antsy over here at Skimo Co. While January’s deep snowpack may feel far away, winter will be here in full force before you know it. And just as bears must fatten themselves for hibernation, us skiers also have late fall rituals we need to complete for a successful winter.

Honey, where is my skimo suit??

Step one is to pull winter gear out of storage and make sure it’s all there. Pack as if you’re heading out for a tour now and that will help you see what’s missing, needs maintenance, or is due for a replacement. Scrape off the storage wax and put on a cold weather wax. Or, better yet, get DPS Phantom installed and be done with waxing for the season. If you’re anything like me, the headlamp batteries are dead and you probably need to get back that hard shell you left in your buddy’s car. Trust us, you don’t want to leave these tasks until the first ski day. And if you do, don’t say we didn’t warn you when you’re dawn patrolling with your iphone’s light or getting grief from your buddies for showing up late! 

Now that everything is accounted for, take the time to do a closer inspection.

Your partners thank you in advance

Your beacon is quite literally a lifeline so give it some love! Treat it to a fresh set of batteries to start the season - pay attention to battery type though since not all beacons play nice with lithium! While you’re at it, look over the beacon for corrosion, cracks, broken parts and - an especially hot topic this year - the slider’s resistance to switching into a different mode without pressing the unlock button. An accidental slide to “off” position could be a fatal problem. If there is any damage or questionable wear and tear, don’t chance it! Retire it and keep it for beacon drills. A rule of thumb also suggests replacing a beacon every five years, but check with your manufacturer’s guidelines for more clarity. 

May your turns be wigglier than your bindings  

Bindings are magical creations that are perhaps second in line for most critical gear. Break one when you’re far out, and you’ll be begging your partners for their Voile straps out of fear of having to post hole back to the trailhead. Tim, our lead tech, recommends checking your bindings for full functionality and any loose parts. Make sure all of the bolts are tight, secure, and haven’t shifted. Strange things happen in the gear closet over the summer so snug everything up. Anything loose can also be a sign of bigger problems with your ski. Step in, step out, switch to ski mode, back to tour mode, try different riser heights, and since you’re already skiing your living room, practice the double skin rip - just don’t blame us if your skins get covered in dog hair. 

Speaking of skins, check the glue for any other debris - think dirt, pine needles, bits of smashed Clif Bars, or whatever else might’ve gotten stuck to them when you hastily threw them in your pack. Also, if the glue makes your hands sticky or peeling them apart creates strings like bubble gum, you’re due for an upgrade or reglue. 

The longer you wait, the longer the wait.   

If you've pulled the trigger on new boots this season or your feet changed shape over the summer (it happens!), get started on that boofitting process ASAP. Like clockwork, the first snow of the season brings in hoards of skiers who’ve been putting off a bootfitting session. This year, without an appointment, you’re at risk of having your season delayed. Take care of it now and you can get back to hitting the refresh button on the weather forecast.

Stay in school

Lastly, brush up on your avalanche and snow science skills. No matter how many years you’ve been at it, there is always something new to learn. Reread Tremper’s book, attend an avalanche workshop, spend time on Avalanche.org, and practice rescue drills with buddies. Pop Quiz! Which type of new snow is more likely to cause loose snow avalanches - spatial dendrites or needle crystals? That's what I thought, get studying!

Lastly, fix it up!

Although it may not be the latest and greatest, gear these days is built to last. Take care of it and it’ll take care of you. A blown out buckle or busted zipper doesn’t need to spell the end of the road for your trusty ski pants - simply seek out a tailor, or hit the ole Youtube and learn how to throw a few stitches yourself. Is your pack looking tired? A trip through the washing machine and a handful of zipper pull tabs can work wonders. Don’t just spend the preseason waiting impatiently - save yourself a few bucks by breathing life into your old gear! And hey, if your efforts to resuscitate your skins, pack, or boots fail, that’s ok! Take some time to mourn your loss, then head over to skimo.co or give us a call and we’ll help you find some shiny new toys that are guaranteed to help you forget the pain. 

Hopefully by the time you get through this list, it’ll be snowing in earnest. However, if there’s not any snow in sight, keep procrastinating. That will ensure a big storm comes ASAP.

Ski touring involves many hazards - including, but not limited to - avalanches, tree wells, collapsing cornices, rock fall, frozen snowshoe tracks, and icy parking lots. While having fun is the obvious goal of each tour, so is returning to the trailhead unscathed. What this means is that your backcountry kit doesn’t just end with skis, boots, poles, and skins. There are three general types of backcountry safety gear: helmets, avalanche, and mountaineering. 

Protect your dome!

Let’s start with the most obvious one: helmets. Do you remember when your parents warned you about the dangers of riding your bike without a helmet? Well, I’m not your mom, but I will say it’s very unwise to go into the backcountry without a helmet. For ski touring there are two distinct types of helmets to choose from that are designed for specific uses: climbing/mountaineering helmets and dual certified helmets for ski and mountaineering helmets. So no, your bike helmet won’t suffice (unless it’s the Movement 3tech Alpi helmet). The main differences are weight, ventilation, and level of certified protection.

Climbing/mountaineering helmets are single certified (EN 12492), meaning they are certified to primarily protect your head from things falling straight down onto your big, gooey brain - think rockfall while climbing a couloir. Because of this, the majority of their construction is reinforced along the top of the helmet and isn’t as protective on the sides. The trade-off, however, is that they are much lighter and better ventilated than ski-mountaineering helmets. 

Ski and mountaineering helmets are dual-certified (EN 12492 and EN 1077), so they provide the same amount of protection that the aforementioned mountaineering and climbing helmets offer, while also being certified for skiing. There’s protection all around the interior of the helmet to help minimize concussive force to the sides of your head and temples, in the unfortunate case you headbutt a rock during a fall. All this extra protection comes with some disadvantages though - they are heavier and don’t ventilate as well. 

So, generally speaking, skiers that opt for climbing-only helmets will argue that the ventilation allows them to wear their helmet all day long, including while skinning uphill, even if it means less protection from ski crashes. On the flip side, proponents of dual-certified helmets choose the greatest level of protection for the downhill when they are going fastest and have the highest chance of head trauma. Manufacturers, especially Petzl, are working hard to find a middle ground unicorn in this helmet connundrum. In the meantime, which option you choose depends on your ski terrain, heat output, and risk assessment. For racers, it’s worth noting that the International Ski Mountaineering Federation requires competitors to wear dual-certified helmets.

Beep, poke, scoop

When it comes to avalanche safety gear, the holy trinity - beacon, probe, and shovel - are mandatory at all times. Okay, maybe not when you’re eating celebratory burritos but everywhere past the parking lot! 

As an overview, beacons emit a signal that can be detected by any other beacon nearby. This allows rescuers to quickly and accurately locate a buried avalanche victim since time is of the essence in these situations. Once you zero in on the victim, it is time to use a collapsible pole, known as a probe, to locate their depth. Once straightened, push the probe vertically through the snow until you strike the victim, which will feel solid, yet forgiving. Leave the probe in place and start using your shovel to move snow away in a fury to unbury the victim. You can see how all three are critical and work in tandem to save lives - much like stop, drop, and roll.

When it comes down to it, modern beacons are all very capable now that triple antennas and 50m+ search ranges are the norm. What makes the biggest difference is your familiarity with your new beacon’s interface. You don’t want to be scratching your head in confusion when using it in a real life situation. At Skimo Co, many of our staff use the Arva Neo series. 

Compare Beacons

Similarly, probes’ biggest variant is its length. Longer probes allow rescuers to penetrate deeper in an avalanche debris pile which is advantageous in large slides or terrain traps. Of course, longer means slightly more weight and more pack volume. Somewhere between 240cm and 300cm in length is the sweet spot, like the Mammut Speed Lock Pro 280.

Compare Probes

Shovels are a bit trickier to shop for as there are more design variables, schools of thought, and personal preferences. Size of the blade determines how much snow can be displaced in one scoop. It’s understandable to think that bigger is always better, but keep in mind that larger loads of snow on each shovel scoop can be exhausting and inefficient. Smaller shovels, of course, move less snow at a time but are lighter and fit easier in a pack. Like I said, personal preferences are huge. To add to the confusion, some shovels are designed to meet race specifications (Arva Ultra and CAMP Crest) but are generally not suitable for everyday touring. A few great options that straddle the line between weight and efficiency are the Ortovox Pro Light Shovel and Mammut Alugator Light. 

Compare Shovels

Learn and practice, practice, and then practice some more                                                

No matter which pieces of gear you choose, the most important part is understanding how to use them. Familiarize yourself with the gear in a non-emergency situation. Beacon parks are an excellent resource to cement your skills. Avalanche safety is imperative knowledge for anyone in the backcountry. If you’re new to backcountry skiing or avalanche safety in general, I highly recommend attending an avalanche safety course. 'Know-Before-You-Go' is a great resource for brushing up on skills. Once you’ve got a solid base knowledge, put it to use with some snow study tools such as saws, loupes, thermometers, and rulers. These enable skiers to better understand what’s going on above and below the surface of the snowpack. The more information you have, the better decisions you're able to make. 

And since you can never fully eliminate the chance of an avalanche, airbag backpacks have become quite popular. They have been proven to save lives in certain avalanche situations. When deployed, a big airbag rapidly inflates which decreases your chances of being buried (known as the “Brazil Nut” effect.) Unfortunately, airbags do add a substantial amount of weight to your kit. With that in mind, the Mammut Ultralight Airbag Pack is our lightest option. 

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A few extra grams worth the weight

First aid kits are often forgotten as an essential part of a ski kit, and if you’re one of the ultralight-everything spandex wearing folks that frequents our shop, then the odds are good that your first aid kit is simply an extra neck buff and a voile strap. I suggest that everyone think through their first aid kit and consider what you’ll need in the event of an emergency. For some, that means going to the store to buy an entire kit while others simply need to add items like aspirin, benadryl, and bandages. Including extra screws, tailclips, zip ties, rescue blanket, and small tools is a good idea too. Personally, I toss in some candy as a morale booster for those real long slogs. 

Pointy things

Lastly, there’s mountaineering gear. The gear in this category is only necessary for certain conditions, namely firm, steep, and technical. For example, ice axes are rarely required on a powder day but can make or break your outing during a day of skiing spring corn. In other words, you don’t need them until you really need them. The most common mountaineering items are crampons,ice axes, and harnesses.

Attached to your ski boots, the sharp points of crampons give you traction by penetrating firm snow and ice like a dart in a bullseye. There are two different metal types used when it comes to boot crampons: steel and aluminum. Each has its own pros and cons since they are designed to hold up to different techniques for different terrain.

Steel is naturally strong so it makes sense that steel crampons are the durable option - they will not be very susceptible to breaking or wear down easily. As a result, steel crampons can withstand harsher uses, such as trampling over rock and firm ice. With this durability comes a weight penalty though since they’re heavier than aluminum. 

Aluminum is the yin to steel’s yang. It is a very lightweight material, proving to make aluminum crampons an excellent choice when conditions are all snow and don’t involve vertical climbing or strolling on rocks. 

Some brands split the difference with a hybrid of the two materials, such as the Petzl Irvis Hybrid. The end result is a lightweight crampon that features steel parts where needed. 

The quintessential mountaineering tool, ice axes provide support and security for steep climbing - kind of like a portable handrail. Similar to their feet brethren, they are also entwined in the aluminum/steel debate and again, the choice boils down to intended uses. Most utilize aluminum for the shafts to shave weight, but the picks and spikes vary. Looking for lightweight stability when climbing snow? Aluminum all around. CAMP Corsa Ice Axe is reliable and lightweight. Looking to be able to set a pick when the climbing goes real steep and icy? Aluminum with steel picks will give you weight and strength. Petzl Sum'Tec is legendary. And if you’re the type of person who drools over frozen waterfalls and puts more emphasis on the “Mo” than the “Ski,” you’re going to want to look at specialty ice tools. Those are outside the purvey of most ski mountaineers since vertical ice rarely makes for good turns. Memorable? Yes. Good? Nope.

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Harnesses are imperative when your ski line involves cracked glaciers, ends in a cliff rappel, or IS a rappel like the above photo. Ski mountaineering specific harnesses are designed to prioritize packability and avoid unnecessary weight. They are, however, less comfortable to wear than traditional climbing harnesses since they are not meant to be weighted for long periods of time. Keep in mind that ski clothes help cushion so less padding is necessary. Some feature loops that allow skiers to have ice screws, carabiners, and other tools easily accessible. The Petzl Fly is an exciting new option that is fully featured and has removable padding that allows it to shave even more weight! 

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In the backcountry, you are ski patrol

If you’ve made it this far, good work! Afterall, I get it. Considering what you need in emergency situations isn’t nearly as fun as shopping for skis. One conjures up daydreams of powder turns, big days in the mountains, and skin track conversations with friends. The other evokes dreadful scenarios of scary conditions, injuries, and worse. However, when ski patrol isn’t nearby to rope off dangerous runs or kindly transport you to the hospital, a full consideration of safety is a must. That’s the kind of skier most people, myself included, want to tour with. And I share candy with my ski partners...

Tech Binding Release – Part 1: Introduction
While nearly all alpine and alpine-touring ski bindings have release mechanisms, skiers today can still be injured when bindings fail to release. For various reasons, there is silence and confusion within the industry and consumer public regarding the level of injury protection bindings actually provide. I decided to investigate, with focus on tech (pintech) bindings.

Quickly reaching the limit of standard ski shop release check tools, I reached out to Rick Howell of Howell Ski Bindings. Rick is an independent binding engineer and maintains a suite of research equipment designed to test ski binding release. His equipment simulates various standard release tests as well as investigate loads pertaining to the knee. The latter goes above and beyond the requirements of existing international standards.

We tested a variety of tech bindings using a Scarpa Rush boot with a BSL of 314 mm. Using one boot for all the tests eliminated the variance that can be seen across tech fittings due to manufacturing differences. SCARPA boots are equipped with Dynafit Quick-Step-In fittings which are thought to operate well with most tech bindings. In-person inspection of the fittings and observation of their release behavior verified this to be true.

Results of Howell’s testing are best displayed as graphs. Above, you are looking at a sample two-dimensional “release envelope,” generated by pulling laterally along a ski at increments of 10 centimeters. The boot is held fixed by a metallic rod that represents your tibia (main lower leg bone). Depending on the scenario, a lateral force can be applied at various points along a ski, simulating torques applied to your leg.

The perfect binding would have a flat line in the graph, meaning it releases at the same tibia torque regardless of where the lateral force is applied. That line would be adjustable up or down based on an indicator setting. But as you can see, in the real world there are peaks and valleys in the envelopes. These peaks and valleys can lead to injury due to non-release. Bindings with lateral release at the toe (most alpine) and lateral release at the heel assisted by the toe (most tech) have different release envelope shapes which result in different injury profiles.

We tested both ski touring and skimo race bindings, with special emphasis on the latter (one pictured above). This is because race bindings without adjustable release have undisclosed permanently set release values that may or may not be appropriate for a given skier’s size and skiing style. We found these values varied greatly.

Tech Binding Release – Part 2: Lateral Release & Tibias
The tibia is the primary weight-bearing bone in your lower leg (between knee and ankle). The tibia can break in two primary ways that are of concern to ski binding designers. One is a levered forward fall, or “bending” (covered in a later section), and the other is a twisting fall. (There is also a large combination matrix of twisting-bending falls, but for the sake of simplicity we won’t get into that here).

The lateral toe release mechanism on most alpine ski bindings is designed to mitigate bone injury when twisting is involved. However, the function operates quite differently depending on whether the binding releases laterally at the toe versus laterally at the heel. The chart above shows the forces required to initiate a release for an ordinary alpine binding and a sample tech binding (a race binding in this case). As you can see with the lateral heel-release binding (most tech bindings), the force required to generate a release can be greater than the approximate force required to fracture a tibia, labeled “Tibia Fx.” This is because, as could be expected, there is a lateral blind spot for such bindings centered on the toe piece, where the binding will not release. (In real life, you can feel this when doing a release “carpet test” of a tech binding while twisting your leg with emphasis on feeling resistance in the toe.)

The graph was similar in shape for all the tech bindings we tested. The data was generated by pulling on a ski at 5 to 10 centimeter increments, which profiles the possible locations that forces could be centered upon. The data above proves that it is possible for some of these locations to simulate injury. (The data does NOT predict injury rates, since we cannot say how often things will end up in the red zone. This is left to epidemiology, more on that later.)

Note: forces required to break a tibia near the toe piece are quite high and may not be easily achievable during normal skiing. This is because the distance between the applied lateral force and the axis of the tibia is relatively short. Shorter distances result in lower torques. Also, this laboratory result was generated on a weightless ski: it was not flexed as if in soft snow or loaded as if it was being skied. (Generating the above data at various degrees of ski flex and pre-loads results in a three-dimensional envelope, a more revealing and costly study.)

Tech Binding Release – Part 3: Knees
For our purposes, Howell employed specialized test devices to measure the valgus torques that are associated with ACL strain. Valgus is the biomechanical term for torque about the femur (bone between knee and hip), which is generated by sideways load on a ski. In lay terms, something like “twisted knee,” without lower leg twisting.

The test setup involved a metallic test knee bent at 90 degrees with the upper end of the femur fixed to a test frame. Attached was a metallic tibia and foot, sized for an average U.S. male, which was inserted into our test boot. The boot was clicked into a mounted test binding and the ski was pulled laterally while peak torques were measured during release. These loads were converted to ACL-strain utilizing a special algorithm and then compared to a theoretical ACL rupture limit of an average US male.

Sample result below. As you can see, we were unable to generate the strains necessary to rupture the ACL of an average US male using the Kreuzspitze SCTT race tech binding. This graph shows data within the “sour spot,” the region just behind the axis of the tibia (from -5 to -20 cm) which can produce large valgus torque as well as a small amount of internal rotation and torque about the tibia (think pigeon toes). The test results were similar to the other tech bindings we tested, with a couple of exceptions for bindings that have non-adjustable release values that are too high for the average US male.

Even in the exceptional cases, the force required to release the binding “poked through” the ACL rupture limit in only a small range of applied force locations within the sour-spot on the ski.

In contrast, ordinary alpine bindings release far over the ACL rupture limit using this setup. This is because basic lateral-toe release design has a lateral blind spot at the heel (opposite situation compared to heel-release tech bindings, with blind-spot at the toe), preventing the ski from releasing in these types of simulated injuries. (Some alpine bindings in development that attempt to correct for this by releasing laterally at both the toe and heel. For full disclosure, two of these bindings were designed by Howell.)

To visualize the complete difference between a tech and alpine binding, see the graph below. The grey lines are a full 2D lateral release envelope of a popular touring tech binding. It includes both tibia release torques and valgus release torques. Overlaid on the graph in reddish is data from an ordinary alpine binding. Each black dot shows the peak release torque for a given applied-force along the length of the ski. The dots are connected to form a release envelope. Each binding design produces a unique signature. Both lateral-toe and lateral-heel release designs earn an “OOPS”, the former for knees, and the latter for tibias. You can pick your poison to some degree, but neither binding design will fully protect you from injury.

Tech Binding Release – Part 4: Vertical (Forward/Upward) Heel Release
This mechanism on most tech bindings relies on the force required to separate two heel pins the required distance to slip through escape channels in the boot fitting. For non-adjustable race bindings, the force required to actuate a forward release is determined by the kinematics of the binding design and by metallurgy.

We found that race bindings we tested had forward release values running the gamut of possibilities. The values were often different than their lateral counterparts. The lightest binding we tested actually had the highest forward release value. It would probably have an indicator value near 15 if it were adjustable.

The chart below, based on a sample adjustable touring tech binding (not a race binding), compares indicator values to standardized release values. The indicator progression is nicely linear when it comes to forward release, but it consistently tests higher than the ISO standards would expect.

This is consistent with values we see in shop tests. So before you jack up the vertical release on your tech binding on a whim, consider for a moment that it could already be higher than you are led to believe by the numbers printed on the binding.

Tech Binding Release – Part 5: Epidemiology and Conclusions
After scary injury discussions such as those above, it’s important to get some perspective on the frequency of injuries. Below is a table from a 2012 edition of the American Journal for Sports Medicine, containing the latest data from the well-known Johnson and Shealy study at Sugarbush. (For more information regarding Johnson and Shealy, try this link, and this.)

These are injuries that occurred to adults at a resort, primarily on alpine bindings. As you can see, knee injuries are still a problem with ordinary alpine bindings. Tibia fractures, now at around 1.3% prevalence, did not make the top 10 list. Years of biomechanical research and corresponding binding design drastically improved the incidence of that type of injury. That engineering work has since been integrated into various national and international standards.

If lateral-heel release tech bindings became the in-bounds standard, I would predict a tick up in tibia injuries and a tick down in ACL injuries (assuming bindings are adjusted to appropriate levels). Thankfully, the mean time between all types of injuries is luckily large enough to enjoy a lot of turns between them.

For now, I am happy to report that we accomplished our original goal of this biomechanical testing, which was to help skiers find a binding that may be most appropriate for them. With over 1000 release tests performed on a half-dozen models, we are more confident in guiding folks into bindings based on their size, skier type, and intended use.

I also programmed a release calculator with this notion. Reliable information about the release of tech binding models is especially useful in the skimo world, since many endurance athletes are taking up racing without a strong skiing background — but to compete near the top, they need a foreign binding with undisclosed release mechanics.

Thanks for reading,

Jason Borro, Skimo Co Owner

P.S.  Please note this discussion is about release and not retention. Retention is equally if not more important when evaluating ski binding safety, as pre-release can lead to head and upper body injuries, versus the leg injuries discussed above. Skiers are still better off locking their toes in "no fall" terrain. If judged by the groans produced by the testing equipment, the locking mechanisms work admirably when it comes to preventing lateral (twisting) release. Forward heel-release values are unchanged by locking, but you can recover and stomp back in if your toes are locked and the release is not complete.

This article was originally published on WildSnow.com and received 333 comments before being locked.

By James Roh, Skimo Co Marketing and Content Manager

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always been a day dreamer. The type of person you see staring off in the distance, thinking about god-knows-what. A space cadet, if you will. So naturally, combined with my love for ski touring and travel, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that my bookshelf is stuffed with dozens of guidebooks. Each one is a portal to a new place, a glimpse into what could be, a skills refresher, and, every once in a while, a reminder of past adventures. Ten years in, I’ve become somewhat of a guidebook snob. The way I see it, a well done guidebook is a piece of art and a half-assed guidebook is a waste of everyone’s time. 

Simply put, a good guidebook needs to meet two requirements: useful and enticing. The former, of course, means readable maps, directions, ratings, and all critical beta. Enticing? Now that’s what really separates mediocrity from greatness. This is high quality photos, creative writing, history on the area, and anything else that makes it feel less like an Excel spreadsheet. 

With that in mind, I browsed Skimo Co’s guidebook library to nominate the best of the best. No one asked, but here are my top picks anyways. 

Gold Standard - Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes - Washington by Martin Volken

Really, the whole state series by Mountaineers is great but for some reason the Washington one really gets me. Maybe it’s the excitement glaciers add to a lot of the routes, the insane amount of snow the PNW gets, or the fact that Liberty Ridge is actually listed as a ski line. Whatever it is, Volken did a great job and keeps Washington at the top of my road trip list. 

Most Worn Out - The Chuting Gallery by Andrew McLean. 

There have been numerous guides to the Wasatch but this one is THE classic. Which, in a way, is actually ironic considering its maps are minimal at best, the photos aren’t especially helpful, and it was published over two decades ago. But if you like skiing lines steeper than 35 degrees and are a glutton for spicy adventure, this is a must have for Wasatch skiers. Actually, even if you’re not planning to ski here, McLean’s writing makes it a worthwhile read anyways. Who knew laughing at deadly, uncontrolled falls could be the norm in a guidebook?

Most Drool Worthy -  50 Classic Ski Descents of North America by Chris Davenport, Art Burrows, and Penn Newhard

This big boy deserves permanent status on every backcountry skier’s coffee table. It features gorgeous photos of incredible lines from around the continent that make the mind wander. Some lines are skied frequently while others have only seen a few descents ever. Heads up though, unless you’re Noah Howell or Cody Townsend, this isn't actually a guidebook per se.  

Most Excellent - Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierras by Nate Greenberg and Dan Mingori

Full transparency, I haven't ridden any of the steep and long couloirs that the Sierras are known for and this book painfully reminds me of that frequently. But that’s the point. Everytime I walk past the bookshelf of workplace distraction, I have to resist reaching for this one. It has it all - well designed layout, great beta, and glossy, high quality images. Even the reference photos are postcard worthy. Three thumbs up. 

Most Likely To Up Your Game - Mountaineering The Freedom Of The Hills by Mountaineers Books

It’s referred to as the “Bible of Mountaineering” for good reason - it covers just about every mountain skill out there from ice climbing to avalanche safety to glacier navigation to mountainside cooking (no beans at high altitudes!) Its legacy spans decades and involves input from countless athletes, guides, and practitioners. Sure, you can have some bonehead on Youtube answer your questions, but referencing this book will ensure you get you the right answer… and probably comes with a hand drawn illustration.

Most Desired: Japan by TBD

I’ve been waiting years for a guidebook to backcountry skiing Japan. If you’ve had the pleasure of drowning in Hokkaido Powder, then you know that the relatively small country has unlimited potential. You also know that logistics aren’t so straightforward (it doesn’t help that the maps are in Japanese.) An English guidebook would be immensely helpful. Hell, I’d be willing to team up with someone to make it happen. I promise to work extra hard researching the best onsens and ramen shops.

People often associate lightweight ski mountaineering gear with superhuman athletes wearing skin suits. While such equipment is indeed required to ascend the podium at your local skimo race, it turns out that the same approach to ski gear selection benefits normal humans even more. In other words, the heavier your gear, the slower you’ll be. Certainly, spandex doesn’t make sense for most tourers, but shaving a few grams here and there definitely does. The result? Bigger days or less time required to ski big lines. To prove it, let's take a look at the numbers.

It has been shown that 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of increased foot weight roughly translates into a 1% increase in V02, a measure of the oxygen volume your body consumes. To put this in practical terms, this means that you end up working approximately 14% harder if you ski with a Marker Baron (2450 grams) versus a Dynafit Radical ST (1062 grams) binding. The 1388 gram (3 lbs 1oz) difference in weight, divided by 100 grams, equates to a 13.88% increase in oxygen uptake. And remember, the V02 figure is measured with running shoes on flat ground; an even higher increase could be expected if the same weight were raised significantly in elevation.

Now, working harder doesn't sound so bad at first thought. Heck, getting exercise is a great reason to be in the mountains by itself. However, consider for a moment that people tend to travel in the mountains at a comfortable pace; usually one that puts their heart rate somewhere between 65% and 85% of maximum. In reality, we don't end up working harder per hour.

This means that something else must give. That something would be either distance or time. In other words, with heavier gear options, you either end up traveling a shorter distance than you otherwise could, or, it takes you longer to travel a fixed distance. Using our figures at hand, either you stop ~14% short of the peak (unlikely!) or you take 14% longer to get to the top.

Let's go back to our thesis about who benefits from light gear. If Luke Nelson took 14% longer to win the 2012 US National Championship, he would have been suffering for an extra 22 minutes and 15 seconds. In contrast, the median racer that day (congrats Nate Brown!) would have needed an extra 28 minutes and 50 seconds to finish if he were 14% slower. And since the average skier is well below the athletic level of the median racer in Jackson Hole, he or she could expect an even bigger difference in time. In other words, the more human you are, the more time you save by using lightweight gear.

Of course, time savings is only one aspect of the equation. For all we know, you, the reader of this article, would just go and waste any newfound time by not skiing. But maybe you don't have kids or a job and want to invest this bonus time back into your passion. In the latter case, you just might have enough time to bag another peak on the way home. A peak on which conditions may change for the worse if it were put off until tomorrow.

Speaking of conditions, any experienced mountain traveler will know that extra time in the mountains can lead to extra danger in certain scenarios. If you are chasing the spring corn cycle and are delayed by 14% of your planned time, you could be heading for trouble. You either risk skiing some sloppy avalanche-prone snow, or hopefully more likely, end up cutting your day short. Either is clearly suboptimal. (Another option is to wake up even earlier to accommodate the time suck of heavy gear. Also undesirable.)

Now we can hear some readers saying “Can lightweight tech bindings handle aggressive freeriding?!” Fair-ish point. Sure, if you weigh 220lbs, then we definitely don't recommend you huck 50-foot cliffs on the Plum Race 99 binding, especially since Plum only recommends it for skiers under 198lbs. Actually, come to think of it, if you’re skiing at that level of aggressiveness, it’s doubtful any tech binding will work for you. You're simply going to need a burlier kit for your rowdy ways. So, congratulations, you are the exception to the rule! Your prize is a few extra pounds. But for the vast majority of backcountry skiers, tech bindings serve us well. In all our years of selling lightweight ski gear, it’s rare to find someone who regrets their decision to lighten up. More often skiers are left to wonder why they used to explore the mountains with such a handicap.

We think we've made our point. While the 14% number is just an example and will vary from skier to skier, the basic equation is fixed. Lighter gear equals faster travel which equals less time or more distance. To translate distance into skier-speak, you can take more runs. Do yourself a favor and shave a few ounces or pounds today. Thankfully though, that is easy to do with today’s quality, lightweight options - whether it’s via bindings, skis, boots, packs, or a combo of everything! You will thank yourself during your bonus lap on a bluebird powder day.

Editor’s Note: Skimo Co owner and founder, Jason, wrote this blog post at the launch of the business in 2013 as part of his crusade to preach the light-is-right gospel. Back then, the Europeans had already proven that tech bindings were the future and so it was just a matter of importing the products to make them available stateside. Fast forward to today and frame bindings are nearly obsolete, tech setups are the norm, and many companies are churning out gear aimed for effortless uphill travel. Clearly, the message of “light is right, for most” still rings true and has gained an unstoppable momentum. Perhaps in the not-so-distant future, this article’s title will be “Light Is Right, For Everyone.”

By Tim Chappell, Lead Tech at Skimo Co

As binding technology evolves and new gear hits the shelves each fall, we at Skimo Co get excited about exploring all the new features and designs in the pipeline - just ask the reps who get battered with our nerdy technical questions! Of those innovations, the progression of the gapless heel piece (aka kiss-gap or zero-gap) has been one of the most significant. A notoriously mysterious feature, the gapless binding is catching on as many brands now offer at least one binding using this design concept. 

As an overview for those unfamiliar, the gapless system features springs along the base plate that allows the heel tower to float forward and backward with the boot as the ski flexes. This results in a smoother ride with a more consistent release. To truly understand its benefits though, it helps to take a deeper dive. Let’s start with traditional tech bindings and their idiosyncracies. 

In their ideal form, traditional tech bindings are simple, low-weight, and durable which has understandably led to skintrack ubiquity. There are, however, two main quirks. The first is that the release mechanism may not be as consistent when compared to a DIN-certified alpine binding. This stems from the fact that the size of the gap between boot and heel tower is correlated to the force needed to release out of the system. During a turn or dip, the boot slides back on the pins and closes the gap. Afterwards, as the ski re-cambers between turns, the gap then increases. As the size of the gap expands and contracts while skiing, the force needed to release out of the binding can fluctuate. If the gap closes completely, for example in a hard landing, it's possible the release is altogether disabled. Secondly, the overall feel of these bindings tend to be less poppy than alpine bindings and possibly less smooth in firm conditions - it's up to the ski what you feel. 

​The impetus leading to gapless bindings was the desire to join the simple technology of a touring binding with the smooth, shock-absorption performance and consistency of an alpine heel piece. Engineers achieved this marriage by mounting the heel piece on an adjustable track with a calibrated spring. No gap between the boot heel insert and binding housing adds that spring's resistance to the flex of the ski. The boot heel insert does not move nearly as much on the binding pins which results in a more consistent release value, throughout the flex of the ski. The added benefit is that the spring in the track also acts as a shock absorber of sorts, helping to iron out the rough edges. All-in-all, the zero-gap binding provides a smoother ride with a more consistent release.

However, today’s offering of gapless bindings didn’t just happen overnight. Its design journey is one of heavy-awesomeness tweaked to a lightweight engineering feat. Early forays into the realm of gapless bindings were introduced in full-featured tech bindings such as the G3 ION and the Radical 2 from Dynafit. These bindings were (and still are) a fantastic option for skiers looking for the performance and feel offered by alpine bindings while providing the ability to tour efficiently. When these bindings first hit the shelves, many skiers were quick to get on the bandwagon. Not just experienced tourers looking for added performance, but also newcomers excited about the versatility that these bindings offered. Skiers who wanted to get a bit further out of the gates or test the waters in the backcountry finally had a binding option that could hold its own on any type of tour, in any terrain.  

Although the bindings were proven to work, a problem remained. It quickly became evident to many early adopters that there always seemed to be someone else going faster, farther, and with less effort. “How is that possible? I have the newest gear, the floatiest skis, the most Instagram likes, and I skin 4,000 feet a day on a diet of only avocado and muesli!”

The 600-gram elephant in the room for skiers on gapless bindings was the realization that in order to go further out there in less time, they had to go lighter. These gapless bindings weighed around 600 grams per ski. While significantly lighter than the 1000g frame bindings they surpassed, 600 grams was still a heavyweight in the touring binding world, where other options dipped below the 150 gram range.

For years gapless bindings were only offered as fully featured without an option to pick and choose features. The reality is that going lighter requires sacrificing some features and only keeping the essentials. In essence, if the binding choices were like shoes, there were only flip-flops or logging boots available. Where were the running shoes?

With this in mind, skiers began contemplating the worthiness of each binding feature. 

“Do I need a brake? No, and if I drop it, I’ll save 150 grams. What about an adjustable release? No again, and this time I’ll shave 100 grams. Do I need an adjustment plate? Nope. There goes 80 grams. Do I need multiple risers? Bye bye 80 grams. Do I need a shock absorbing gap-less heel? Hmm, debatable. I’d be happy to take the 100 gram weight penalty if only I could keep just that and lose all the other junk…” 

In recent years, binding manufacturers have put their engineering teams to task, developing technologies in an effort to close the metaphorical gap between full featured and ultralight touring bindings. And, oh man, did they get this one right! There are now gapless options in the sub-300 gram range, with more surely to come. Bindings such as the Fritschi Xenic, Marker Alpinist, and the Skimo Co staff favorite, the Ski Trab Vario 2.0, are all fantastic bindings that bail on unnecessary features. These bad boys offer outstanding performance while keeping the weight down like Richard Simmons during a high-intensity infomercial. What is not to love about a sub-300 gram binding with consistent, reliable release and a plush, suspension-like feel? You even have the option to add brakes back on (if you want something to slow you down..)

Gapless bindings are becoming more prevalent on the shelves and have added to the ever-growing list of available binding options. But what does that boil down to when it comes to finding the right binding for you? Start with determining what you are intending to do with the ski you are mounting them on and then what weight range you would like to be in. Finally, you’ll need to differentiate the features that you need from the ones you want, and, of course, the features you are okay losing. These considerations will point you in the right direction.

Having a gapless feature is quickly becoming a requirement for customers and manufacturers are working hard to ensure that they provide this as an option across the board from the ultra-light to the beefy. We are getting close to having a binding for just about skier and when that happens, we all win. The dedicated “it’s all about the downhill” skier can drop half the weight and maintain the performance they require and the “I need to go fast and light” skier can add additional performance and consistency for just a few extra grams. 

Clearly this demand is spurring new innovations and we can’t wait to see what next season brings. Sub 300 gram gapless bindings has set a new benchmark that will only get better from here. Who knows, maybe someday soon we’ll see gapless race bindings or even fully-featured bindings in the 200-gram ballpark!

Dear first season ski tourers, welcome to the backcountry!

Let us guess, you spent one too many seasons drooling over fresh out-of-bounds lines from the (dis)comfort of a chairlift before deciding to do something about it. Us too. We applaud you for finally committing and getting the gear (and avy education) that’ll allow you to access the goods. 

Now that chairlifts are in the rearview mirror, recognize that your uphill to downhill time ratio just got a big overhaul. Unless you have the uphill skills of Kilian Jornet and the downhill speed of a snowshoer in waist deep powder, you’ll most likely be spending around 90% of your ski day on uptracks. With that in mind, it’s important to take care of our ascending pathways of skiing bliss, especially since they’ll be shared with so many others. 

And because it’s not part of the Avy 1 curriculum (yet?), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to compile a list of loose guidelines that will help you kickstart (kickturn?) your skinning career with good habits.

1. Trailbreaking is an art form. A beautiful track navigates micro terrain features, stays as safe as possible, minimizes excessive switchbacks, preserves the ski line, and avoids unnecessary obstacles. It takes many years to master but start your apprenticeship on day one by learning from others, analyzing skintracks, and envisioning where you’d put a skintrack in various scenarios. 

2. Bootpacks and skin tracks are never the same thing. In other words, no booting in the skintrack! A swiss-cheesed skinner is annoying at best and terrifying at worst. If you must boot where others have skinned, do it adjacent to the track. For those tempted to break this rule, it’s worth noting that a skin track rarely provides better footing than the snow next to it. While booting, if the goal is to ascend, it’s best to go straight up!

3. Keep the uptrack pristine. It’s not always possible to avoid skiing on top of the booter or skinner (i.e. couloir skiing), but try! It may be your last run of the day, but that’s no reason to mess up the skinner for others.

4. If trailbreaking, aim for the Goldilocks approach. Not too steep, not too mellow - juuuuuust right. 

5. Share the workload. The difference in effort between making a trail and following a trail is huge when the snow is deeper than a few inches. Within your group, this means trading off the task (unless someone wants to be superhero of the day.) 

6. Trailbreaker’s rights. If your group catches up to the trailbreaking party near the top of a line you both are planning to ski, offer to concede fresh tracks and let them drop first.

7. Cool it on the Phish. Due to the inherent danger of backcountry travel, playing music out loud can limit the ability of everyone to communicate safely and hear warning sounds, such as whoomphs. Safety aside, it might be very annoying for others who seek the backcountry for solitude and to commune with nature. Best bet is to save the tunes for post tour libations.

8. Be conscientious of other parties in the area. Communicate with them whenever you’re within earshot so you can have an idea of where they’re headed and could potentially be at all times. Performing ski cuts, dropping cornices, and just skiing above people is both dangerous and rude. 

9. If others behind you are faster than you, step aside and let them pass.

10. No peeing on the skintrack. You’d think this one would be obvious, but it’s disappointing how often folks desecrate the sacred skintrack. Either that or someone in the Wasatch has a leaky lemon lime Gatorade bottle. No matter where you end up peeing, cover it up with snow, AKA “flushing.”

Bonus tip: If you dig a snow pit on the way up, please fill it back in. 

Seasoned tourers and beginners alike, what do you think - anything we should add or clarify?

Dear first season ski tourers, welcome to the backcountry!

Let us guess, you spent one too many seasons drooling over fresh out-of-bounds lines from the (dis)comfort of a chairlift before deciding to do something about it. Us too. We applaud you for finally committing and getting the gear (and avy education) that’ll allow you to access the goods. 

Now that chairlifts are in the rearview mirror, recognize that your uphill to downhill time ratio just got a big overhaul. Unless you have the uphill skills of Kilian Jornet and the downhill speed of a snowshoer in waist deep powder, you’ll most likely be spending around 90% of your ski day on uptracks. With that in mind, it’s important to take care of our ascending pathways of skiing bliss, especially since they’ll be shared with so many others. 

And because it’s not part of the Avy 1 curriculum (yet?), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to compile a list of loose guidelines that will help you kickstart (kickturn?) your skinning career with good habits.

1. Trailbreaking is an art form. A beautiful track navigates micro terrain features, stays as safe as possible, minimizes excessive switchbacks, preserves the ski line, and avoids unnecessary obstacles. It takes many years to master but start your apprenticeship on day one by learning from others, analyzing skintracks, and envisioning where you’d put a skintrack in various scenarios. 

2. Bootpacks and skin tracks are never the same thing. In other words, no booting in the skintrack! A swiss-cheesed skinner is annoying at best and terrifying at worst. If you must boot where others have skinned, do it adjacent to the track. For those tempted to break this rule, it’s worth noting that a skin track rarely provides better footing than the snow next to it. While booting, if the goal is to ascend, it’s best to go straight up!

3. Keep the uptrack pristine. It’s not always possible to avoid skiing on top of the booter or skinner (i.e. couloir skiing), but try! It may be your last run of the day, but that’s no reason to mess up the skinner for others.

4. If trailbreaking, aim for the Goldilocks approach. Not too steep, not too mellow - juuuuuust right. 

5. Share the workload. The difference in effort between making a trail and following a trail is huge when the snow is deeper than a few inches. Within your group, this means trading off the task (unless someone wants to be superhero of the day.) 

6. Trailbreaker’s rights. If your group catches up to the trailbreaking party near the top of a line you both are planning to ski, offer to concede fresh tracks and let them drop first.

7. Cool it on the Phish. Due to the inherent danger of backcountry travel, playing music out loud can limit the ability of everyone to communicate safely and hear warning sounds, such as whoomphs. Safety aside, it might be very annoying for others who seek the backcountry for solitude and to commune with nature. Best bet is to save the tunes for post tour libations.

8. Be conscientious of other parties in the area. Communicate with them whenever you’re within earshot so you can have an idea of where they’re headed and could potentially be at all times. Performing ski cuts, dropping cornices, and just skiing above people is both dangerous and rude. 

9. If others behind you are faster than you, step aside and let them pass.

10. No peeing on the skintrack. You’d think this one would be obvious, but it’s disappointing how often folks desecrate the sacred skintrack. Either that or someone in the Wasatch has a leaky lemon lime Gatorade bottle. No matter where you end up peeing, cover it up with snow, AKA “flushing.”

Bonus tip: If you dig a snow pit on the way up, please fill it back in. 

Seasoned tourers and beginners alike, what do you think - anything we should add or clarify?

Choosing a glove for a day at the resort is easy - simply check the weather and pick the right one for that temperature. However, in the backcountry, it’s much more variable! In a single tour, you can be forced to deal with cold digits at the beginning of a dawn patrol, sweaty paws on the uphill, numb popsicles on a windy ridgeline, soaked claws when the sun pops out from behind a cloud, and then frozen appendages once again as you ski down! 

The solution? Layering for your hands, just like we’d suggest layering for your top and bottom. 

Conventional wisdom suggests a light glove for the up and a heavier glove for the down. That’s generally the right idea, but at Skimo Co, we believe it’s a little more nuanced than that.

Let’s start with the base glove. Much like the jacket you’re wearing, breathability is the key to dumping the excess heat your hands build up while moving. The base glove can feature some insulation if you want, but no need to go crazy warm. And since you’ll also be using it to rip skins, adjust bindings, and tweak boots - you’ll want it to be dextrous as well!

Of course, these lightweight, breathable gloves aren’t always a great match for windy ridgelines or shady north faces. So instead of having to stop, open your pack, and fish out a different pair of gloves when things suddenly change, several manufacturers are now including a retractable overmitt built into the cuffs. These are easily deployed on the move to add an additional level of protection and warmth.

Oftentimes, folks will use a simple, leather glove or an ice climbing glove as their base. These constructions work well for grip and durability when using ropes or ice tools. However, these gloves are also typically waterproof, which is great… until they’re not. You see, if your hands get too hot and sweaty, the inside will get moist. And since those gloves feature a waterproof membrane barrier, similar to Gore-Tex shells, they don't transport moisture quite fast enough to work well for general ski touring. Once the glove is wet on the inside, it’s wet for the day! 

Highly breathable (aka not waterproof) gloves are less prone to getting wet from sweat in the first place. On the flipside, not being waterproof means they’re slightly more susceptible to getting wet from snow melt. Water resistant materials attempt to shed moisture but if they do soak, you’ll need to find a way to dry them. Oftentimes, simply continuing to exercise and put off heat will be enough to dry them as vapor escapes through material. If they’re especially soaked through, you can throw on a dedicated overmitt overtop the base glove.

Overmitts - the second layer - are for especially cold days or when you know you’re going to be wallowing in snow, such as booting a powdery couloir or digging a snow pit. More robust than the built in versions on base gloves, they simply slip over your lightweight glove to add waterproofness or act as portable hand ovens. You can choose between ultra packable waterproof shells or highly insulated versions. Either way, they will warm your hands, give wet gloves a chance to dry, or prevent soakage in the first place. 

When deciding on an exact glove model, it’s important to consider factors such as the ambient temperature outside and if you run hot or cold. Obviously frigid days and cold blooded folks require much more insulation while the opposite is true for warm folks on a spring day. 

For specific examples, colder folks could pair the Dynafit Mercury DST Gloves with the Ski Trab Gara Overgloves. Whereas warmer skiers would prefer the Camp G Comp Warm Gloves and Ski Trab Gara Waterproof Overglove. 

In the end, moderating your hand temperature is just as important as the rest of your body, if not more so. Anyone who has had ‘the screaming barfies’ or failed to zip a jacket with frozen hands will agree that neglecting your hands can ruin the bliss of a powder day!  

By Cole Panter, Skimo Co Staffer and Aspiring La Grave Resident

Truth be told, it wasn’t until my late teens that I discovered the joys of telemark skiing. While slogging up a hill in snowshoes for early season turns one November, my friends happily skinned past me. They had been encouraging me to free the heel for a while and this was the final straw. That afternoon I went into Steamboat Springs, where I was living at the time, and bought a tele set up. Ever since then, it’s been my downhill turn of choice.

My father, upon hearing the news of my recent conversion, began telling me stories of skinning up Vail to lap the open, untracked powder runs in true tele skiing fashion. Back then, telemark skiing was the most efficient way to explore out of bounds. In fact, it’s what really started the backcountry skiing revolution in the ’70s. Free heels and a pair of skins enabled passionate skiers to enjoy the backcountry, so long as they had the patience and persistence to learn tele turns.

Since that golden era of backcountry exploration, alpine touring (AT) gear has been continually refined to be lighter and better performing. This has opened up the mountains to an ever-expanding number of outdoor enthusiasts. As a result, the backcountry has also become more crowded. So much so, that it’s now hard to find a parking spot at trailheads in the Wasatch.

Meanwhile, telemark gear has stayed mostly stagnant.

I’d always thought that building enough strength and stamina would allow me to travel in the mountains without any compromises. Any incompetence in the mountains was a reflection of me, not my gear. However, when truly assessing the situation, it has become painfully clear that “modern” tele gear, specifically the boots, is far from cutting edge. Their excess weight and inefficient “walk” mode resembles a decades-old AT boot.

So, last year - my 10th season of enjoying the tele turn - it was time. I finally decided to, what felt like, sell my soul for a pair of Dynafit boots and tech bindings. With my eyes on bigger objectives and higher consequences, I locked my oh-so-free heels down.

Even still, I had a difficult time grabbing my new AT gear in lieu of my tele setup. Flat-foot skiing just didn’t make for the same effortless face shots. I was discouraged and the thought of enjoying fresh snow in a new fashion was a difficult transition mentally. Physically though, it was a game changer.

The more I took my AT gear out, the more I realized how much tele gear had held me back on those big days. Before, I was often exhausted by the weight of my laborious telemark equipment and would feel less motivated to tackle more intimidating lines. Now I found myself enjoying every part of the day - not just the down. I was more energetic, enthusiastic, and inspired than ever. Whenever the snowpack was stable, I set my sights on larger and longer days with my AT set up. I even began dreaming of rowdy lines involving ropes, crampons, and ice tools. Come spring, I could not remember the last time I dropped a knee.

I was hooked.

One season later and most of my backcountry days are on an AT setup. But despite tele’s clear disadvantages, I just can’t fully shake my addiction to knee dropping. When the snow gods bless the Wasatch with a bottomless powder day, I'm always tempted to head out with my oft neglected Voile Vectors, Kreuzspitze bindings, and Scarpa TX Pros.

As a result, I have started to think of my AT gear as my new tools of the trade - something necessary for ski mountaineering - while my tele equipment has become more of a toy utilized only when the terrain is easily accessible and the tour stays below 5K feet of elevation gain. If my big objective gets snuffed out by a big storm, I'm all smiles because I know what is to come - pure bliss

Perhaps the lesson for my fellow tele skiers is that you don’t have to decide one or the other. You can do both.

If you haven’t already, you owe it to yourself to try out a proper AT setup - comfy, light boots paired with a mid 90mm waisted ski and a modern AT binding. It’s possible you’ll become a skimo nerd, but more likely, you will be able to keep up on the hike and still have a blast on the descent. Having another set up will allow you to pick the correct tools for the adventure and will elevate your enjoyment in the mountains. Besides, all those years of slogging heavy gear has surely conditioned you to peak fitness. Finally, you’ll be the one waiting for your partners at the top.

Even after all that, there’s still a part of me that feels guilty for not dropping my knee on every turn, as if days with my AT setup is cheating or turning my back on tradition. But then I think about how my dad probably would’ve killed for a lightweight AT setup back in the day. Just imagine how many more laps he could’ve done each season!