Randone Gear

[erik]

please do a search using the websites search engine then we will not have to go over this again. thank you!!!!!

[BelaySlave]

cool man,

i didn't realize there was a serch engine on this page.

thanks

[rbw1966]

Check out that rad spell check feature while you "serch" for "infernos."

Dude

Rib

[hakioawa]

Here is my $0.02 worth.

Just about everyone I know (myself included) who has bought randonee gear to ski (as opposed to just approach gear) ends up buying two sets.

The first set is relativly cheap, not wanting to pay the big $$ to do a sport they are not real sure about. So they buy a used set that does not fit. Or the cheapest retail gear they can find.

So they go out and find a nice moderate slope to ski up and down. The up part feels good. Way easier than snowshoeing or postholing in climbing boots! These are usually pretty good alpine skiers. Tagging the summit wearing a 30# pack, they lock down thier heels and huck themselves off the top (mine was the summit of St. Helens). Approximatly 20 feet down the slope they try to crannk a big turn and realize they are not in Kansa anymore. The snow is heavy, and/or crusty the pack is heavy and the boots are soft and too big. The next thing they know they have poped out of thier bindings (because they were set too low for saftey!) and proceed to sit on thier tails cursing the way down the hill.

BUT, they have fun. And the next thing you know they are out buying expensive, but stiff gear.

If you have never skiied in climbing boots I'd recommend trying it first with rental gear. You may just save yourself som big $$$.

Otherwise my recommendation is the Silveretta 505s for a string, light , climbing boot compatible binding.

[BelaySlave]

well if I buy boots also, are randonee boots easy to walk and climb in like plastic mountain boots?

[BelaySlave]

To bad paralegals are so ANAL.....

[hakioawa]

It really depends on what kind of climbing you do. For big glacier slogs the rando boots do OK. I've never tried rock with them though. But you probably wouldn't be skiing to much rock.

I've got a pair of dynafit TLT4s and Scarpa Denali XTs. The dynafits climb great, but are too soft for serious skiing, the Denail's ski great but are not too good for walking.

But don't take my word for it. I'd try renting the scarpa lazers. The seem to be good all around and people rave about them.

What's wrong with para-legals?

[BelaySlave]

Oh rbw1966 has a problem with my typing

[max]

I use my regular leather boots for "tour" type stuff where I'm not looking to tear it up. Thier relatively light and comfy. Then I use my regular alpine ski boots when I'm looking for turns. They tour just fine, definately no better than AT boots, and they were super cheap. I think I got them at the ski swap for 40 bucks.

[AlpineK]

If your getting an approach set up 3 words-- cheap old Silverettas.

If you want to rip it up one word--- Dynafit.

[Winter]

I've been on Garmont GSM's for the past couple of years. They're definitely comfortable to climb in (3.5 lbs for the pair) and are great for turns. I think I got them for a couple 100 bucks on-line somewhere ... maybe a European web site or a defunct e-tailer.

I also have the infernos (super nice feel), and the GSM's aren't as comfortable, but I doubt you're going to be very psyched trying to rip it up in the plastics.

[imorris]

Didn't I predict this frick'n question would be asked again in a different thread? Anyways...

I think that reference to the Silvretta 505 was actually supposed to be 500, was it not? I have the 500's (404-style heel) which take Invernos, but are not step-ins. The 555 is step-in style, but doesn't take the Inverno.

The 500 is nice when you eat it in powder, since you don't have to slam your foot down into a binding in bottomless snow to engage. Otherwise, the 500 is a pain in the ass to bend over and snap in each time compared to Diamirs, s555's, older easy-go, etc.500's are lighter and simpler than the 555's, but that's not saying much. Release is not as dependable as other brands. Prepare to take it in the rear when you throw down the plastic to pay for them too (though they did see a price break recently). I've got Denali boots since I need all the help I can get.

[AlpineK]

Dynafit Dynafit, Dynafit. Light, Light, Light.

The bindings are tough too. They weigh so much less than everything else.

You are a sucker if you buy anything else

[AlpineK]

Hey TTT clean out your PM box so I can send you one.

[To_The_Top]

Doh!!!

go ahead now!

[BelaySlave]

Okay check it out,I am going to buy randone gear in the next couple of weeks.

A couple of questions.1. Is using my mountaineering boots a bad idea (dangerous).

2. What bindings will take mountaineering boots. I have Scarpa Infernos.

[nobody]

I agree with kakiowa.

I tried it with plastic mountaineering boots and got my but kicked. So I then purchased a pair of Tambos by Scarpa. I don't think they make them any more. I have an older pair of Silveratta 400s and they work just fine.

I can tour, ski and climb in them. This set up will not do any of it great, but it does all of it good...If you know what I mean.

[freeclimb9]

quote:

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Originally posted by hakioawa:

I've got a pair of dynafit TLT4s and Scarpa Denali XTs. The dynafits climb great, but are too soft for serious skiing, the Denail's ski great but are not too good for walking.

---

hakioawa,

if you had to buy your boots all over again, would you go for the same one, or buy another like the Dynafit TLT All Terrain or Scarpa Laser?

[erik]

the thing i think most people miss with looking for rando gear is wether the boots climb well or ski well or do both well.....

well let me ask you this. when was the last time you went to approach an ice climb and deceided to rip it up big time on the way out???? not very often. now when you deciede to go skiing how often do you deciede to go climb some killer ice? not very often.....so use different boots for different applications.

if you want to go skiing buy ski boots and if you want to go climbing buy climbing boots. both boots will cross over and perform at the other medium but will probably not excel.

and with ski boots go stiff......

[hakioawa]

I have not skied the laser, but many people I've talked to love them. In general I really like siff boots and since I wanted the gear primarily for skiing rather than approaches the Denali seems to be the way to go.

Also I'm not a huge fan of the Dynafit binding system. It is light. And tough too. But it awfully difficult to get into and switching the heal hight is a pain in the .

The Lazer feels stiff enough. And if not Ive seen a guy modify them by putting old Raichle flexon comp toungs on a pair to stiffen them. For me I'd probably stay with the denali's and get a pair of silveretta 500s (yes it is a 500 not 505 as I stated above) and a light, short, stiff and wide ski. I think that setup would be good for just about everything but long groomers at a ski area. But why would you ski there anyway?

[imorris]

For what it's worth, I wound up getting a pair of the denali xt's, as discussed in a recent thread. They are just fine as my all-around ski boot, but I would not want to hike much in them. The lazers are supposedly much better for this. So my setup is now silvretta 500's denali xt and tua mito 192's (discontinued, but cheap now) that works well as a single ski setup for climbing boots, in-bounds and b.c. skiing (at least for someone who is a mediocre skier like me) since I can't afford more than one ski setup.

-Iain

[gregm]

quote:

---

Originally posted by hakioawa:

I'm not a huge fan of the Dynafit binding system. It is light. And tough too. But it awfully difficult to get into and switching the heal hight is a pain in the

.

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my $0.02:

spend 5 minutes practicing on your living room floor and you will never bend over to switch heel hieght again (you use your pole tip). still tricky to get into; marking a line where the holes are with a sharpie helps greatly though.

my size 9 feet lazers with thermoflex liners weigh 7 lbs, my friend's size 8 feet TLT 4s with thermos weigh 6 lbs. i can't comment on differences in hiking-climbing-skiing because lasers are the only AT boots i've used. the lazers aren't as comfortable hiking as my T-3 tele boots, but that's a much lower boot. i'm very happy with the way the lasers ski.

i have a beater set-up for climbing boots.

[philfort]

quote:

---

Originally posted by hakioawa:

Also I'm not a huge fan of the Dynafit binding system. It is light. And tough too. But it awfully difficult to get into and switching the heal hight is a pain in the

.

---

It's extremely easy to switch the heel height with the new Tri-Step. However, the tube where you put your pole tip tends to clog up with snow/ice on powder days.

Also, dynafit makes a boot that is like the TLT4 but with laces instead of buckles, so presumably more of a mountaineering boot, but dynafit compatible. light! Unfortunately, its only available in Europe, and its for some reason not in production this year anyway (but will be next year).

[ 01-30-2002: Message edited by: philfort ]

[BelaySlave]

Does the Diamir binding take plastic mountaineering boots? (Scarpa invernos)

[BigWave]

Not Really, You may be able to fudge it, but you'll have trouble with the toe rand height and the release will be off a bit, if you want to ski suck it up and check out rando boots. Go try skiing in your plastics it'll only take one trip....