Cast freetour

Bomber, have had em for two seasons and they're still tight on the ski, switch in and out of toes perfectly, and held up to a winter of sled skiing falling off my shitty built rack a few times. I don't ski park but id be comfortable using them in park with no issues

They are great. If you plan to do 50/50 there really is no better set up. Bombproof. Proven man times over.

if you plan to do anything more than 50/50 spend the extra and build a dedicated inbounds setup and touring setup.

After owning and using CAST as well as having skied shifts, kingpins, g3 zeds, frames, and daymakers, heres my take:

Pros:
- You get to ski a pivot in the backcountry
- its the ONLY touring binding il ski regularly in bounds (sorry AMER, 2 prereleases, a broken binding, and a lost ski later il never ski your shift again)
- bombproof durability. Nothings gone wrong and i cant see anything breaking.
- CAST is a great company with amazing warranty should I need it.
- You can tour on any skis you want- its like $80 for the second ski kit if you have more pivots and you can use it with any din heelpiece. (cast themselves gave me the OK to mount p14 heels on a second set as long as I used my metal toe)
- The weight distribution feels VERY natural while skinning since your heel isnt locked in like a frame binding or daymaker. ~950 grams on the uphill feels way lighter due to the heelpiece- the weight on the heel makes kick turns easier and also helps my crappy skinning technique by keeping my ski on the snow.
- The ultimate slackcountry weapon. (couple BC laps in the morning, then ride lifts at lunch)

Cons:
- It is heavier than most other options for being in the backcountry
- transitions- i bring a bouldering brush with me to clear all the snow. Fiddly transitions (i can still do with mitts on) that you definitely improve over time, but no matter how fast you get you still cant transition with skis on.
- pack space for the alpine toe pieces- you wouldnt think its much, but when you go on a dedicated pin setup you notice the free space.
- $$$ if you dont have pivots. Fairly inexpensive compared to a freeraider if you do have pivots.
- Cant use a dedicated touring boot, have to use a boot compatible with a pivot.

When I use it-
My view is that CAST turns an alpine setup into a setup that can tour- not a dedicated touring setup. 8/10 times i venture into the backcountry, i reach for my zeds- saving 700g + pack space usually means i can get an extra lap in, and am not wiped for huge days.

That being said, I always reach for a set of sticks with CAST on them whenever I know im going to be doing a decently big/gnarly line (especially where I know i need my skis off at the top to finish a bootpack). I will also grab them when i will be leaving a resort so I can come back to ride up a chair a few times after a morning slackcountry lap without having to go back to the car to switch skis. Ive also used them once for a Backcountry booter day.

Who is CAST for?
I would get cast if you answer YES to any of these questions:
- do you really ski hard enough in the backcountry to need CAST? I know my ballsiness plummets when i know ski patrols not there to bail me out.
- If not, do you only go a couple times a year and want to just use your in bounds skis?
- does your local have slackcountry?
- Do you already have p15/18s and boots with tech inserts (Cant use touring soles with pivots, have to be Alpine or GW with tech inserts) and are looking to get in the BC for cheap?
- Do you want to be able to tour on multiple skis?
- Do you care way more about the ride down, and not as much about being 100% efficient on the way up and on transitions?
- Do you want to have a durable setup and support a great company?

If you didnt answer yes to at least one or two of these, I would suggest being real with yourself- pin binding technology has come a long ways. a binding like a freeraider or a zed on a somewhat lighter ski still has great downhill performance and also is night and day on the uphill.

Final Thoughts
CAST is great at what it does (downhill confidence, 50/50 skis, 1-5 tours/year), but IMO isnt worth to have on a dedicated touring ski. Its for an in bounds ski that has the ability to tour. I love my CAST system and will always have it on at least one or 2 skis, but will usually reach for a lighter ~350g binding over CAST ~950g. Its a great compliment to my lighter setup, but i know if i only had cast and toured more than 5 times a year i know i would want something lighter. I also know that if i only had a light setup, i would want cast for days where i do gnarly lines or go in the sidecountry.

**This post was edited on Aug 1st 2023 at 1:16:07pm

Forgot to address this in my previous post:

brownetownOn paper it seems like an awesome system for a backcountry / inbounds pow / sled ski setup.

Perfect Use case for CAST.

The referenced post has been removed.

Yes, i personally know people who have done spring tours on wets with a second ski kit after bashing them against rails for a season.

**This post was edited on Aug 1st 2023 at 1:25:23pm

For the downhill, they lock into the skis well and feel the same as my other pivots.

For the uphill, the touring toe piece has been a bit finicky. It doesn’t like to click into place, and I actually find that they’re pretty easy to shake out of. Has anyone else had this problem?

Dangler_DangerFor the downhill, they lock into the skis well and feel the same as my other pivots.

For the uphill, the touring toe piece has been a bit finicky. It doesn’t like to click into place, and I actually find that they’re pretty easy to shake out of. Has anyone else had this problem?

I had this problem the first couple times I used them- you have to make sure to clear of 100% of the snow on both the plate and also the uphill toe- hence why i bring a bouldering brush. You should hear a very distinct "CLICK"- you might think that theyre on because you can force them on like 95% of the way on, but without the click they arent locked in. Even the smallest bit of snow in there can prevent them from going on.

If that doesnt work, I would see if theres a shop that carries cast in your area: https://casttouring.com/pages/find-a-dealer . From my experience the techs who work in shops that carry cast are really familiar with common issues and fiddly parts. They may suggest you reach out to @Cast (who are very helpful with great customer service) but as long as you get snow cleared off, the toe should stay on. Even stayed on when i forgot my downhill toes and had to ski down with locked in toes and a free heel (dont recommend)

hamsauceI had this problem the first couple times I used them- you have to make sure to clear of 100% of the snow on both the plate and also the uphill toe- hence why i bring a bouldering brush. You should hear a very distinct "CLICK"- you might think that theyre on because you can force them on like 95% of the way on, but without the click they arent locked in. Even the smallest bit of snow in there can prevent them from going on.

If that doesnt work, I would see if theres a shop that carries cast in your area: https://casttouring.com/pages/find-a-dealer . From my experience the techs who work in shops that carry cast are really familiar with common issues and fiddly parts. They may suggest you reach out to @Cast (who are very helpful with great customer service) but as long as you get snow cleared off, the toe should stay on. Even stayed on when i forgot my downhill toes and had to ski down with locked in toes and a free heel (dont recommend)

Thanks for the advice. I’ll def troubleshoot that with your advice this winter.

Thanks so much for this really in-depth response. Just getting into backcountry and looking at daymakers to get started touring without dropping a ton of money yet. How do you think they compare overall to cast?

hamsauceAfter owning and using CAST as well as having skied shifts, kingpins, g3 zeds, frames, and daymakers, heres my take:

Pros:
- You get to ski a pivot in the backcountry
- its the ONLY touring binding il ski regularly in bounds (sorry AMER, 2 prereleases, a broken binding, and a lost ski later il never ski your shift again)
- bombproof durability. Nothings gone wrong and i cant see anything breaking.
- CAST is a great company with amazing warranty should I need it.
- You can tour on any skis you want- its like $80 for the second ski kit if you have more pivots and you can use it with any din heelpiece. (cast themselves gave me the OK to mount p14 heels on a second set as long as I used my metal toe)
- The weight distribution feels VERY natural while skinning since your heel isnt locked in like a frame binding or daymaker. ~950 grams on the uphill feels way lighter due to the heelpiece- the weight on the heel makes kick turns easier and also helps my crappy skinning technique by keeping my ski on the snow.
- The ultimate slackcountry weapon. (couple BC laps in the morning, then ride lifts at lunch)

Cons:
- It is heavier than most other options for being in the backcountry
- transitions- i bring a bouldering brush with me to clear all the snow. Fiddly transitions (i can still do with mitts on) that you definitely improve over time, but no matter how fast you get you still cant transition with skis on.
- pack space for the alpine toe pieces- you wouldnt think its much, but when you go on a dedicated pin setup you notice the free space.
- $$$ if you dont have pivots. Fairly inexpensive compared to a freeraider if you do have pivots.
- Cant use a dedicated touring boot, have to use a boot compatible with a pivot.

When I use it-
My view is that CAST turns an alpine setup into a setup that can tour- not a dedicated touring setup. 8/10 times i venture into the backcountry, i reach for my zeds- saving 700g + pack space usually means i can get an extra lap in, and am not wiped for huge days.

That being said, I always reach for a set of sticks with CAST on them whenever I know im going to be doing a decently big/gnarly line (especially where I know i need my skis off at the top to finish a bootpack). I will also grab them when i will be leaving a resort so I can come back to ride up a chair a few times after a morning slackcountry lap without having to go back to the car to switch skis. Ive also used them once for a Backcountry booter day.

Who is CAST for?
I would get cast if you answer YES to any of these questions:
- do you really ski hard enough in the backcountry to need CAST? I know my ballsiness plummets when i know ski patrols not there to bail me out.
- If not, do you only go a couple times a year and want to just use your in bounds skis?
- does your local have slackcountry?
- Do you already have p15/18s and boots with tech inserts (Cant use touring soles with pivots, have to be Alpine or GW with tech inserts) and are looking to get in the BC for cheap?
- Do you want to be able to tour on multiple skis?
- Do you care way more about the ride down, and not as much about being 100% efficient on the way up and on transitions?
- Do you want to have a durable setup and support a great company?

If you didnt answer yes to at least one or two of these, I would suggest being real with yourself- pin binding technology has come a long ways. a binding like a freeraider or a zed on a somewhat lighter ski still has great downhill performance and also is night and day on the uphill.

Final Thoughts
CAST is great at what it does (downhill confidence, 50/50 skis, 1-5 tours/year), but IMO isnt worth to have on a dedicated touring ski. Its for an in bounds ski that has the ability to tour. I love my CAST system and will always have it on at least one or 2 skis, but will usually reach for a lighter ~350g binding over CAST ~950g. Its a great compliment to my lighter setup, but i know if i only had cast and toured more than 5 times a year i know i would want something lighter. I also know that if i only had a light setup, i would want cast for days where i do gnarly lines or go in the sidecountry.

**This post was edited on Aug 1st 2023 at 1:16:07pm

Dang, you guys absolutely crushed the responses. Thanks heaps, sounds like I’ll be getting one for my Peacados and one for the Vishnus. Bringing a bouldering brush is such a good idea idk why I haven’t thought of it

nCrowThanks so much for this really in-depth response. Just getting into backcountry and looking at daymakers to get started touring without dropping a ton of money yet. How do you think they compare overall to cast?

Comparing daymakers to CAST? CAST wins in most of the big categories: durability (fewer moving parts), uphill performance (although the daymaker has a huge improvement on the old alpine trekker), weight, with daymakers being twice as heavy (~950g on the uphill vs 738 + ~1200 average for your alpine bindings = ~1900). Transitions are about the same- daymakers get more ice build up but is way easier to clear.

The other big areas that CAST wins that you dont think of often are pack space and stack height.- daymakers take up a decent amount of room in your pack, plus you need a separate pocket or else all your stuff gets wet. As far as stack height, thats how high up your boot is to the ski/ground. The Stack height of CAST as well as pin bindings is almost negligible- you are super close to the ground. With a daymaker, on the uphill you are noticeably higher up. This means that steep sidehills are kind of dicey. You can combat this with good form and making sure your skins are cut well. The good news is that the stack height issue goes away on the downhill.

Between Daymakers and Cast- If you already have metal pivots and boots with tech inserts, then CAST all the way. If not, then daymakers are a great option to test the waters and see if you like going for a hike in the snow. If you have been in the BC on borrowed or rented gear and know you enjoy it, i would spend the extra couple hundred for CAST or some pins.

Another cheap option to look into if you just want the ability to go uphill and try it out a few times are Frame bindings- super cheap. Theres some 183 black crows with frames on FB in my area for $75, and i remember selling my marker duke setup for $50. These SUCK to tour on, the stack height and the weight are as bad as a daymaker, except you have to ski down with your foot way up off the ground as well. Another thing to point out is that the walking motion of the daymaker is way more natural than the frame binding, as the pivot point is right at your toe on the daymaker. The reason I bring up these monstrosities are that These are considerably cheaper than daymakers, and give you more to budget towards an avy course and a nice pin setup for next year.

When it really comes down to it though, do what you can to get uphill. My first ever day in the backcountry was on some old day wreckers with some boots that had no walk mode on skis with metal in the core and skins that were too wide. I was miserable, but that just meant that every time in the future was easier. I know people who still do big tours on frames. Heck, there was an old school guide on a hut trip i took who kicked all of our butts on some guardians. I would suggest for a first setup, find something cheap, whether it be frames or daymakers, and spend the rest of your money on an avy 1 course and avy safety gear, even if that means renting from REI until you know youre committed. Avy gear + a course combined is like $1k. Then you can develop a case of G.A.S. and spend way too much time and money climbing up hills :)

Thank you so so much dude for all this super helpful info

hamsauceComparing daymakers to CAST? CAST wins in most of the big categories: durability (fewer moving parts), uphill performance (although the daymaker has a huge improvement on the old alpine trekker), weight, with daymakers being twice as heavy (~950g on the uphill vs 738 + ~1200 average for your alpine bindings = ~1900). Transitions are about the same- daymakers get more ice build up but is way easier to clear.