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SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
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Notice this sub-forum is rather stale. With the resort skiing season closing up, have poked about the web for current backcountry gear since have an interest in getting back into some of that after being away a few years.

I still have an old pair of BCA Alpine Trekkers that have lousy functionality but was able to get up modest slopes with. Also some K2 backcountry skis with Naxo bindings that are rather non functional at my low weight plus other usual bc stuff. As someone that at most will just dabble with short hikes in the backcountry for spring corn and fresh powder versus resort skiing, much prefer simply adapting my heavier resort gear I ski well with versus dedicated backcountry gear.

One recent product of immediate interest are these expensive Daymaker binding adaptors:

https://www.daymakertouring.com/products/chromemakers-3rd-edition

Reviews indicate a considerable improvement versus the wobbly Trekkers so am at this point expecting to pull the trigger on a buy later today unless something negative rises. Watched youtube videos that show them being used in ways the Trekkers were painful on.


DSC09624_600x600.jpg
 

nemesis256

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Pretty expensive, and heavy. But for someone who rarely goes in the backcountry, still looks like a good product.
 

Josh Matta

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pricery than a used touring set up, kind of pointless.
 

MattSmith

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I don't know man... seems a bit sketchy. I took up trekking this year and am so grateful I invested in tech bindings and boots. Last thing I need is to be messing with / worried about my equipment out there.

It could work for what you for occasional use, but I can't imagine trying to go uphill in my alpine boots (lange rx130). If you have alpine boots with a breakable spine like the XT line it would probably help as well.

If you invest, please do report back. Interested in how they work out.
 

Joel

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+1

Even though my skills are novice, I really like my Vipecs and Tectons.

grateful I invested in tech bindings and boots. Last thing I need is to be messing with / worried about my equipment out there.
 
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SSSdave

SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
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...It could work for what you for occasional use, but I can't imagine trying to go uphill in my alpine boots (lange rx130). If you have alpine boots with a breakable spine like the XT line it would probably help as well. If you invest, please do report back. Interested in how they work out.

Same situation was with the old Trekkers. Solution on uphill was to undo top boot buckles. I have the similar Lange RS110 SC and am rather smooth walking about in them. Short video shows in use though not enough for this person to be too convinced at what they are like traversing or going downhill slowly that was poor with the old Trekkers.

 
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SSSdave

SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
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pricery than a used touring set up, kind of pointless.

Except not interested in touring beyond a means to get up occasionally to as noted short hikes far from resorts to ski down corn or fresh snow in my familiar, bombproof downhill gear. If I were a mountain local versus someone living a few hours from our mountains, a more serious setup I could use frequently as you noted would make sense.
 

Josh Matta

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yeah the point is there is no need for a more burly downhill set up and you can get a complete set up for less than the cost of these binding.

Also generally insert binding like this can release from the binding when skinning on them.

So objectively how are these better than a complete used step in set up for less money then they want for them? The used set up is lighter, easier, cheaper, less complicated, and less stuff to carry. There is reason they call them day wreckers.
 

Doug Briggs

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I toured in frame bindings from the time I switched away from telemark in the early 00's until last year when I got Kingpins (love them). Touring in an alpine race boot was heavy but far from uncomfortable. I didn't try to create a lot of range of motion by loosening the top buckles too much, the lower cufff buckle was more effective in providing ROM by being loose than the upper, plus I'd keep my lower leg from flopping around by keeping the power strap snug, not tight. I didn't have to loosen the lower buckles (on the clog) much and was looking for a snug fit all around so that I didn't get blisters from rubbing.

All in all, apart from weight, the alpine and frame binding system was quite nice. I value downhill performance. I used a trekker for a short time and it was a bit sub-optimal. Height was a serious issue along with sloppiness of the system. The Daymakers look like they are pretty tall.

Caveat emptor: most of my touring is a single 2 - 4 K vertical climb and out. The extra weight of a non-optimal climbing setup was greatly over-weighed (pun intended :doh:) by the downhill advantage.
 
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SSSdave

SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
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Well Josh given your expertise thank you, bothered searching an hour on the web looking for used backcountry skis and as expected did not find much. What I did see were not bargains. Expected the place to find such gear is more likely either located word of mouth in the grapevine of enthusiasts that I am obviously not a part of, or at ski shops and rental shops that are highly unlikely to web advertise any used gear.

Suspect someone like you working at a resort and living the mountain life probably has easy word of mouth enthusiast connections for such but not this person. Otherwise I would need to take the time to visit a bunch of local shops, in my case about Tahoe, and see what users have brought in end of season or rental gear a shop has an interest in getting rid of. And then just might find something I would need to take the word of some shop person interested in making a sale so of questionable value. Actually that is how I ended up with the K2's noted above. Not that a shop sales person might give me questionable info but rather I as a really light 5'6" 137# much like many gals, long ago learned to not trust what others think are good skis for my size. Of course with any used skis being sold, one wonders if the reason they are no longer wanted was for a performance reason. Or why if a bargain in a region that is a hotbed of backcountry that no enthusiasts have bought whatever.

On the other hand buying the DayMakers guarantees at least when I ski down slopes I bothered to make the unpleasant earn one's turns effort to climb up, that I will be on gear I ski superbly on, thus there is no awaiting mystery. Outside the not so insignificant to this person $360 cost, what is a limitation is the effort traveling to wherever won't be optimal. However it appears from the admittedly little I've read on the web and viewed in videos that this product is not a Day Wrecker. And that is a reason I posted this thread in case someone else has information otherwise.
 

Eric267

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Well Josh given your expertise thank you, bothered searching an hour on the web looking for used backcountry skis and as expected did not find much. What I did see were not bargains. Expected the place to find such gear is more likely either located word of mouth in the grapevine of enthusiasts that I am obviously not a part of, or at ski shops and rental shops that are highly unlikely to web advertise any used gear.

Suspect someone like you working at a resort and living the mountain life probably has easy word of mouth enthusiast connections for such but not this person. Otherwise I would need to take the time to visit a bunch of local shops, in my case about Tahoe, and see what users have brought in end of season or rental gear a shop has an interest in getting rid of. And then just might find something I would need to take the word of some shop person interested in making a sale so of questionable value. Actually that is how I ended up with the K2's noted above. Not that a shop sales person might give me questionable info but rather I as a really light 5'6" 137# much like many gals, long ago learned to not trust what others think are good skis for my size. Of course with any used skis being sold, one wonders if the reason they are no longer wanted was for a performance reason. Or why if a bargain in a region that is a hotbed of backcountry that no enthusiasts have bought whatever.

On the other hand buying the DayMakers guarantees at least when I ski down slopes I bothered to make the unpleasant earn one's turns effort to climb up, that I will be on gear I ski superbly on, thus there is no awaiting mystery. Outside the not so insignificant to this person $360 cost, what is a limitation is the effort traveling to wherever won't be optimal. However it appears from the admittedly little I've read on the web and viewed in videos that this product is not a Day Wrecker. And that is a reason I posted this thread in case someone else has information otherwise.
Try "the backcountry" in truckee next to the hardware store. They have an upstairs consignment area with used gear cycling through. Bc skiers tend to be the biggest gear geeks so equipment from just a few years ago is easy to find. Reno/Tahoe craigslist is also a good place to see what's out there
 

Ken_R

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I tried skinning up in my Lange RS130's once... ONCE.

Couldnt be happier with my Dynafits and boots with tech fittings.

That said, the Daymakers look like an awesome product. For those who dont mind the weight and the additional complexity of the device it looks like it does the job nicely.

The hinge point is a bit odd (since the boot has to clear the toe piece of the binding) and the thing places the boot way high above the skis which should decrease stability while skinning. But hey, you can basically use any alpine setup for skinning.
 

CalG

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I tried skinning up in my Lange RS130's once... ONCE.

Couldnt be happier with my Dynafits and boots with tech fittings.

That said, the Daymakers look like an awesome product. For those who dont mind the weight and the additional complexity of the device it looks like it does the job nicely.

The hinge point is a bit odd (since the boot has to clear the toe piece of the binding) and the thing places the boot way high above the skis which should decrease stability while skinning. But hey, you can basically use any alpine setup for skinning.


This!

I've got a limited investment in my "skin up" equipment. After all, the typical experience is to arrive at the summit with a couple of Sam Adams during the week after the mountain closes. A birthday gift to my self. I admit to have taken a motorbike ride on the same day!

For years, I have used "Swiss Army" clap- trap skis with "original" Fritchi bindings. And I do mean "original". Bear traps really. But the non-descript skis and skins have served just fine, down hill and up, respectively.

Over the past year, I have advanced! A pair of Dalbelo Sherpa 70/30 and some G3 Reverends with skins and early Dynafits have replaced the old kit. The lighter weight is significant, and I have less than $300 in the set up. I've "resort skied" the down hill set up several times. The turns are easy.

I'm looking forward to the 19th of April. We have SO MUCH SNOW! I may need to skin up more than once.

I hope the Sam Adams holds out! And good weather. Skinning in the rain is stupid!
 

Willy

aka Goldmember
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You might consider just getting some snow shoes with your skis strapped to a back pack.

On touring in alpine boots, I typically tour a couple times a week in mine. I'll do a couple thousand feet of vertical each time and don't have any issues. I loosen the buckles and go. I'm in Lange RX120. For skis, I use old Rossi Exp 88 with Marker F12 bindings. No problems so far.
 
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SSSdave

SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
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Yeah Willy, have some old Tubbs and at one time used to hike up then ski down modest slopes so. Ok in spring corn but too much work in all but shallow fresh snow and...

With tax deadlines closing in via an E-site did my fed and state taxes today, a painful trauma, and now have $2.3k coming back so feeling frisky yes ordered a pair of the DayMaker Chromemaker's that ought to see in about a week so will report back. If that works out will buy a second set so I won't always be alone in this white endeavor.
 

LowPressureKarl

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Trekkers take some shit. But they came out in 1994 and the top AT binding at the time, was the Petzel.
How many of you have even heard of Petzel bindings?
No AT setup comes close to the downhill performance of a burly Alpine setup.
 
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cantunamunch

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Trekkers take some shit. But they came out in 1994 and the top AT binding at the time, was the Petzel.
How many of you have even heard of Petzel bindings?

Petzl no second e. 'Top' perhaps technically. The problem with those was they were a PITA to find - so everyone was on Silvretta 404s especially since they would fit ice climbing/mountaineering boots like the Koflach Arctis.
 

Doug Briggs

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Petzl no second e. 'Top' perhaps technically. The problem with those was they were a PITA to find - so everyone was on Silvretta 404s especially since they would fit ice climbing/mountaineering boots like the Koflach Arctis.

I had to Google that: Petzl AT Binding at WildSnow.com

My brother was on Silvrettas at the time. I was telemarking. I don't recall seeing Petzls. Ever.
 
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SSSdave

SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
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Package arrived, then assembled them correctly on second attempt, then checked them out on all 3 of my quiver ski/bindings pairs. Was considering driving up to Tahoe tomorrow Sunday, the last day my resort is open this season and then spring backcountry conditions Monday to test the DayMakers but after this terrific fresh day last Monday:

https://www.pugski.com/threads/images-final-2018-season-heavenly-fresh-powder.9648/

Also days before that had a fine day skiing spring slush bumps all day so don't need to muddy memories of either with another pointless resort ski day requiring 4 boring eye tiring hours driving. Really should first order a tube of sticky Gold Label glue to touch up some bare spots at fold bend sections on my old Pocomas. Since as a peon retiree now, every day I wake up is Saturday, I can wait a few days and then maybe do something more exciting like driving around the horn and down US395 to Virginia Lakes or Tioga Pass that is soon to open, for a few days while doing some snow landscape work too.
 

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