what AT binding for me?

[~mikey b]

been skiing on frame bindings too long and they have worked just fine for me but I'm in the market for something else

I work as full time patroller, and I spend most of my off time in the backcountry. I like to ski a tele or touring binding at work because I often find myself going out looking for lost kooks. Looking to set up my daily drivers. I'll probably end up with another set up for lighter weight touring, but I want to get my go to ski dialed. Probably going to go on an Icelantic Nomad 105.

narrowing it down to Marker Kingpin and Duke PT, and Fritschi Vipec Evo and Tecton, Atomic/Salomon Shift

[doebedoe]

Are you allowed to ski a tech toe while on duty? I've heard some patrols/insurance companies can be strict about such.

If you can, I'd lean Tecton cause it's pretty well proven, skis well, and is pretty light.

If you can't, then Duke PT is really your only choice there. Maybe a better option overall...but first year marker products and all.

No Shift?

[~mikey b]

forgot Shift


and tech toes are ok

[rod9301]

If tech toes are ok, i would get the Salomon mtn, a lot beefier and more reliable than the shift

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[Tailwind]

I wouldn’t ski a MTN in bounds. You’ll have a few weird releases per year that can get dangerous. Great touring binding though.

I would prioritize durability.

I think the shift seems to hold up a little better than Tectons to heavy resort use.

Personally, I would roll the dice on the Duke Pt for this application and hope they don’t get recalled or if you want fewer unknowns do the Shift.

[HAB]

Mtns are a really good lightweight tech binding, but I don't really have any interest in skiing tech bindings every day inbounds. They're harsh on bad snow, don't have the same energy transmission, etc.

Cast is as bomber as you can get well still skinning on tech toes. That would be (is) my call for a resort daily driver that you can still skin on.

[sierra_cement]

Shifts have been great for me the past season. No problems with pre-releases. And the heavier weight compared to minimist pin bindings just meant i got fit. Be sure to read this article on how to adjust the binding correctly.

https://www.newschoolers.com/news/re...n-Atomic-Shift

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[doebedoe]

I would want something that has some dampening in the toe for comfort and lateral release in the toe for safety. And an alpine style heel for better power. That means -- Shift, Duke PT, Tecton or CAST.

CAST actually makes a lot of sense here in that you're not probably worried about transition speed or the rare-ish swapping of toe pieces that would make the others more appealing. Carrying a couple tech toes in your pack for the times you have to skin ain't that big of a deal.

Or roll the dice with the Duke PT since they have decent deals for pros (don't know about CAST?).

[HAB]

Agreed with doebedoe. I've faired well with Shifts on a big pow ski too (i.e. not a daily driver) but just haven't subjected them to the same volume of day in, day out hammering that you will patrolling. They work great if they're adjusted right - which is more fiddly than most, but totally doable - but Cast is just fucking bomber.

Haven't even had hands on the Duke PT yet so no real thoughts there, other than that a first year Marker product is a little scary.

[XavierD]

Aside from being a first year touring binding (from Marker) the Duke PT impressed me a ton

[skifishbum]

I wouldn’t ski a MTN in bounds. You’ll have a few weird releases per year that can get dangerous. Great touring binding though.

I would prioritize durability.

I think the shift seems to hold up a little better than Tectons to heavy resort use.

Personally, I would roll the dice on the Duke Pt for this application and hope they don’t get recalled or if you want fewer unknowns do the Shift.

atk freeride 14
durable, light bomber, without gimiky rube goldgerg crap you dont want or need
that marker pt is heavy and who wants to take their binding apart and deal with toe pieces

[tgapp]

atk freeride 14
durable, light bomber, without gimiky rube goldgerg crap you dont want or need
that marker pt is heavy and who wants to take their binding apart and deal with toe pieces

+100. This is the best advice on the thread.

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[snowaddict91]

The OP is a patroller, so putting lots of laps in. I wouldn't want a true tech toe for that personally.

[doebedoe]

+100. This is the best advice on the thread.

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Why are people recommending a pure tech binding for what will be 99% downhill use.

Sorry -- I don't get it. Tech bindings are great for touring. But weight here is of little concern.

Skiing a binding day in and day out as a professional that doesn't have the single most important safety to prevent breaking your tib fib (lateral release at the toe) -- makes no sense to me.

Not to mention elasticity in both the heel and toe make for a more damp skiing binding and reduction of pre-release.

There are plenty of paid guys on the patrol I volunteer at who have a similar use case as you. Skinning for lost folks, potential avy response, or to run routes. They're all on tele, frames or Shift.

[~mikey b]

....

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Shift is a replacement for a frame binding. Apart from some persnickety setup and the lack of a high riser (if you even need one) it is a very good product. But it's a resort binding that can tour, not a dedicated touring binding. It's heavy and transitions are clunky. But it if you keep it in downhill mode usage is no different than and alpine binding and it skis up and down significantly better than a Duke.

Tectons are more like an improvement on the old mid-weight touring binding (like a Dynafit Vertical FT). They lock your heel down and feel much more connected. They probably have safer, more reliable release. Some folks say they're bit tricky to step into, which could be annoying if you're patrolling, but I suspect you'd just get good at it.

Kingpins aren't as good as Tectons. And buying a new Marker product is nuts.

While ATK's and Salomon MTN's may be just as durable as the above, they are less damp, less connected, and probably don't release as reliably. They are better dedicated touring bindings for a lot of people (I prefer to go even lighter than that), but I wouldn't consider them for your use.

[glademaster]

Tecton or Shift, unless you weigh less than 170 pounds or so, then the Vipec Evo is also worth a look if you can find a great deal on them.

[plugboots]

I went w/ Tecton, and a buddy went with Shift for this kind of thing, although we’re not patrolling. I love my ATK’s but I’m not sure I’d want to patrol in them every day, maybe if it was a soft day. The ATK’s could go on yer lighter set, as you say.

[XXX-er]

You don't wana be clearing a tech binding everytime you need to get in/out to do work, I was on a hill setting up a race course with tech bindings, it happened to be snowing some fairly wet stuff so I had to pick that ski up every time to clear under the toe springs/clogged pins but I'm carrying shit so I would try to skip the clearing rituals and the skis fell off multiple times so WORKING on techs in a snow storm sucked big time IME

I did 3 weeks of course work on the much maligned FR+, if you can step in a binding they are fine besides its not really skiing ... its working on skis.

I have never used a shift or CAST but last time I looked patrolers are poor so I would look for a used ski with frame binding probably that would end up being Baron or Duke on a ski for 1/3rd of list

[~mikey b]

I've got plenty of used skis with frame bindings. I want the next step.

[XXX-er]

well I supose ymmv but IME working on a tech sucked, take out the work aspect and you got a whole different question

edit: never patroled but I usually ski a bunch of days and being a gear head i see whats on their feet and its almost never the same setup thru a season in fact often its some real shit or skis from rental when the gear breaks

[Muggydude]

Shift or tecton. Shift probably makes more sense for this imo with the “alpine” toe. Just set it up correctly and you’ll be good

[gregL]

Haven't toured on it, but I've skied on the Duke PT and it is frickin' burly. I anticipate no brake or AFD issues, maybe people will take the alpine cowling off and lose it . . . plus Marker has re-engineered their Royal Family heels and they are now only about 5% harder to step in to than Salomon.

[mall walker]

HAB's suggestion for cast makes sense to me, otherwise ditto everyone else on shift or tecton. I skied the vipec evo and I was not particularly impressed by the hard snow performance compared to straight up tech bindings like ATK Trofeo 145s (though the release is supposed to be a lot better), I wouldn't DD it inbounds. Personally I DEFINITELY would not DD any sort of lighter tech binding inbounds, and all I ski is light tech bindings cuz I pretty much only tour these days soo.... yeah.

[tgapp]

HAB's suggestion for cast makes sense to me, otherwise ditto everyone else on shift or tecton. I skied the vipec evo and I was not particularly impressed by the hard snow performance compared to straight up tech bindings like ATK Trofeo 145s (though the release is supposed to be a lot better), I wouldn't DD it inbounds. Personally I DEFINITELY would not DD any sort of lighter tech binding inbounds, and all I ski is light tech bindings cuz I pretty much only tour these days soo.... yeah.

Fair enough, but I also wouldn't DD shifts inbounds. Sure, they ski great, but I don't think they would hold up to the daily abuse of patrolling on them. Same goes for Tectons and Vipecs - lots of plastic in there, and I've seen too many failures in normal touring (non-abusive) environments. I understand the criticism of how harsh a ride ATKs can be; fair enough - but they're also tough.

I don't have any experience with the Duke PT but the "Rube Goldberg" nature (as SFB so eloquently described it) of both the Duke PT and the Shift makes me wary of their long term longevity.

The newer ATK bindings with carbon mounting plates and active heel compensation seem like they would be a good balance between reliability and ski quality. Idk though.

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