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February, 2025

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Looking for advice on touring/all mountain setup

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Dunners
Posts: 158 - Karma: 193
Whatup guys, I've been a long time schooler but have always been chillin in the shadows. I've been riding Midwest terrain my entire life so I'm pretty much only used to skimpy parks and landfills.. I'm 5'10 135 lbs, and im currently rockin:

2013 FT boots
2014 marker griffins
2015 thalls armada 166cm

Not really a fan of my thalls, it feels like they have little to no flex, and just seem to be bulky and not very playful. Currently got a pretty gnarly back injury and looking to make the transition from park to day touring and pow skiing. I'm on sort of a budget but regardless I'm trying to accomplish the following..

- primarily a pow ski that shreds through versatile conditions, yet can hold its own on groomers for days when the pow isn't there
- bindings that can double as sturdy alpiners for days I wanna charge, but can also be used for some sidecountry/day tours..
- need some advice (havnt done a TON of research on this yet) on what type of boots I should look into or if I should just stick with my FTs.

From what I've gathered.. the JJs and bent chetlers seem to be crushing the pow game yet still hold their own on groomers if I had a down day with shit snow. I've heard people say that you should downsize for touring but upsize for heavy rockers because of the surface area youre losing. I was thinking that 175s would be good for someone that's 5'10?

I'm torn on whether I should just stick with my markers and use some day trekkers like the daymakers.. which I've heard both good and bad things... or rock a frame touring binding like the tyrolia adrenalins that kind of have the best of both worlds.

Here's the catch... my back is broken and i won't be on skis again until next winter. I'm also moving from Michigan to colorado and not sure when I'll be able to do any demo'ing before I look into buying (might be a stupid decision). Hit me with your best advice and opinions on anything and everything I've talked above.. lemme here what you got!

**This thread was edited on Mar 23rd 2018 at 10:15:43am
Mar 22 2018 4:51PM
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NigelStein
Posts: 466 - Karma: 455
181 Kartel 116 with the new CAST system... 175 is gonna be tiny for you, I'm similar size albeit a bit smaller (5'8 and 125) and I ride the 181 116 as an everyday Alta ski. My roommate is the same size and loves his 185 JJ 2.0s. I'd go low 180s for touring and either CAST or Guardian/Trackers if you can't do a tech setup. My touring setup is a 184 KF Toors Lite and it's perfect. For touring shorter skis help with kickturns, but take away the downhill a bit. Sounds like the uphill isn't a huge focus for you so I wouldn't think about going too short.
Mar 22 2018 5:22PM
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FruitBootPro
Posts: 3167 - Karma: 14,475
If you don't mind going directional, the Line Sakana seems pretty gucci for a touring ski cuz it's light and floats easy in pow due to the swallowtail, and from what I've heard it also seems pretty damn good on groomers and even in variable conditions. But this is just what I've garnered from the "2019 hype" thread and my memory might not even be that good. But if they get good reviews in regards to variable conditions--demos going on now--then I'd say get those.
Mar 22 2018 5:31PM
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Dunners
Posts: 158 - Karma: 193
NigelStein181 Kartel 116 with the new CAST system... 175 is gonna be tiny for you, I'm similar size albeit a bit smaller (5'8 and 125) and I ride the 181 116 as an everyday Alta ski. My roommate is the same size and loves his 185 JJ 2.0s. I'd go low 180s for touring and either CAST or Guardian/Trackers if you can't do a tech setup. My touring setup is a 184 KF Toors Lite and it's perfect. For touring shorter skis help with kickturns, but take away the downhill a bit. Sounds like the uphill isn't a huge focus for you so I wouldn't think about going too short.


Thanks for the reply homie. How does your roommate feel about his JJs on groomers? I am definitely gonna be doing a ton of uphill as well.. actually gonna be in South America in a few years touring the andes - which is why im a bit skeptical of going down the frame alpine binding route.. as well as getting a ski thats too long and makes kick turns a bitch n a half. I havnt read a whole lot on the CAST system.. Did you do the boot conversion on some alpine boots? Im wondering if my FTs are too heavy for long tours... or even day tours for that matter.
Mar 22 2018 8:38PM
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NigelStein
Posts: 466 - Karma: 455
He's started to like them more. His everyday ski was a Kartel 106 and since getting the JJs he's begun to ride them on most days when the snow isn't super hard (we're in Utah so it's pretty rare). I ride Kartel 116s everyday I'm at resorts and love the increased width but I don't spend a ton of time on groomers. If you're serious about touring tech bindings are the only way to go. Look at the Hawx Ultra XTD, Salomon MTN Lab, Vulcan, new KORE boot next year, FreeTours etc. any alpine oriented boot with tech fittings. Honestly, at your height you shouldn't be on anything sub-180cm. I'm 5'8 and have a 172 Orb Freebird for fast and light days and I feel like they're too small if I'm not skiing really conservatively. If you love your FTs, look at the new 2019 Ascendent. TLDR; Tech Fittings are a must if you wanna tour a lot
Mar 22 2018 8:54PM
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HuckNorris44
Posts: 1025 - Karma: 2,394
I'd say a Black Crows Anima Freebird
Salomon Shift when its released
Head Kore, Nordica Strider or Hawx XTD
Mar 23 2018 1:05AM
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Dunners
Posts: 158 - Karma: 193
Bumps for more opinions

I am tight on money but everything is leading to me thinking I should scoop the new salomon/atomic shift bindings... along with that - Im not sure if I should start thinkin about scoopin new boots. My 2013 FTs hold up pretty damn well.. but it seems like they would wreck me if I ever wanted to do more than a day trekk. Im also torn on what skis I should get... kind of split between the kartel 116, and the new bent 120s comin out for the 19' season
Mar 23 2018 11:03AM
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Dunners
Posts: 158 - Karma: 193
Bumps for more opinions

I am tight on money but everything is leading to me thinking I should scoop the new salomon/atomic shift bindings... along with that - Im not sure if I should start thinkin about scoopin new boots. My 2013 FTs hold up pretty damn well.. but it seems like they would wreck me if I ever wanted to do more than a day trekk. Im also torn on what skis I should get... kind of split between the kartel 116, a pair of bibbys or the new bent 120s comin out for the 19' season

**This post was edited on Mar 23rd 2018 at 11:55:43am

**This post was edited on Mar 23rd 2018 at 11:56:10am
Mar 23 2018 11:55AM
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Dunners
Posts: 158 - Karma: 193
bumps
Apr 5 2018 12:18PM
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f100prerunner
Posts: 504 - Karma: 1,313
The Shift Solomon bindings use tech toes which im guessing your FT's don't have...You will need new boots with pin inserts if you wish to use pin bindings.
Apr 5 2018 12:49PM
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Dunners
Posts: 158 - Karma: 193
f100prerunnerThe Shift Solomon bindings use tech toes which im guessing your FT's don't have...You will need new boots with pin inserts if you wish to use pin bindings.


Yeah im definitely going to be investing in some new boots. Most likely gonna be looking to get some boot with tech inserts that can be used with alpine bindings or tech touring bindings.
Apr 5 2018 1:40PM
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profa_212
Posts: 9066 - Karma: 38,415
going that wide for a touring ski is silly IMO. Keep it skinny and you will appreciate it. Less weight, easier side hilling, you wont have to walk like a gorilla, and a 120 underfoot ski is overkill 90% of the time.
Apr 5 2018 2:36PM
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Dunners
Posts: 158 - Karma: 193
Profahoben_212going that wide for a touring ski is silly IMO. Keep it skinny and you will appreciate it. Less weight, easier side hilling, you wont have to walk like a gorilla, and a 120 underfoot ski is overkill 90% of the time.


Yeah thats what ive been thinking. The 19' chetler 120s just look soooo sick, its hard to not want them haha. Especially when theyre so light too. I think i might pull the trigger on a pair of 105 nomads with some tyrolia adrenalins
Apr 5 2018 3:15PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7271 - Karma: 18,574
Profahoben_212going that wide for a touring ski is silly IMO. Keep it skinny and you will appreciate it. Less weight, easier side hilling, you wont have to walk like a gorilla, and a 120 underfoot ski is overkill 90% of the time.

Depends where you tour. I'm in whistler and I ride k2 catamarans with kingpins. I did have a narrower set up but they were just no fun on the way down. This setup may be heavy but it shreds.

Op k2 catamaran should be high up your list. They carve better then any pow ski I have been on and they are better then a lot of mid wide all mint skis. Little heavy but put the shift on, which I'll be swapping to from kingpins, and you will have a super rad setup.

Boot wise nust go get fitted next season.
Apr 5 2018 4:43PM
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