Outdoor Retailer — Garmont Joins the AT Weight Watchers

by Lou Dawson
written by Lou Dawson

Shop for Garmont ski boots here.
I’m a bit wasted with jet lag and have a bunch of fun EU trip reports to file, but I’m here at the OR show so a bit of the ol’ gear talk has to happen. So here’s a smidge before the land of nod becomes home, with more tomorrow from the temple of toys.

A few years ago, you didn’t have to be the Great Karnak to predict that big heavy AT boots would enjoy a brief burst of PR fueled buzz, then, for a lot of people, become nothing more than a good way of burning more calories.

After all, massive AT boots have actually been around for years, and with a bit of work could be made to ski quite well. More, during those same years, boots that saved weight never lost their appeal. In fact, worldwide, most backcountry skiers use shoes on the minimalist side of the equation.

So it didn’t surprise me to see Dynafit’s sleek new TLT-5 a week ago, nor Black Diamond’s debutant Efficient series boots just before that. And when briefly stopping by Scarpa’s booth today, something interesting caught my eye that’ll be worthy of another boot blog tomorrow.

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Beefcakes Tongue-Constructed Boot Comparo 2010

by Dave Downing
written by Dave Downing

"Gram Counter." "Race Weenie." "Hey, wait for me!" "Beefcake. BEEFCAKE!!!" These are all common phrases heard by those of the AT set who still use boots with a tongue design.

Despite the trend in boots with overlap shell construction, the standard in AT boots is still a tongue-construction design. From ultra-light race set ups to super-stiff boots rivaling any other boots, this boot design will give you the largest, most diverse selection to choose from. In this years Gear Guide, we are going to focus on the beefier end of the spectrum to give comparison to the Overlap Construction guide. As I’ve stated before, the biggest factor in what to buy (overlap or tongue construction) comes down to the individual buyers preference. There is no "right" answer.

All boots covered are available now at your local ski shop or online.As many new — but not yet available — boots are slated for review here, and for purchase next winter, look for a lot of these boots to be marked down in the coming months. We all love to get great new gear, but great new gear for cheap is always better!

That being said, lets take a peek at this years offerings.

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Dynafit New Gear Part Two — TLT 5 Boots, Ski Poles, Backpacks, More

by Lou Dawson
written by Lou Dawson

[shop for Dynafit ski touring gear]

Ok girls and boys, I’ll just go through the line with emphasis on the new (leaving skis for later).

First, the new boots. Last year Dynafit introduced their Dy.N.A (DNA) race boot, a feather weight form-fitting shoe with a small amount of metatarsal flex. At the time, friends and I looked at the DNA and said “we want something like that for touring.” The DNA’s tiny amount of forefoot flex isn’t an issue for binding performance and may enhance comfort and efficiency, the lack of weight is terrific, and the boot’s two buckle (including lean lock) closure system is simple and quick. It also has a very short sole for a given size, which adds even more comfort and efficiency.

Dynafit TLT 5 backcountry skiing boot.

NEW for 2010/2011, Dynafit TLT 5 Performance backcountry skiing boot. The shell tongue is easily removable for less weight and more comfort in touring mode. You can carry the tongues in your pack and place in the boot for the down, or just leave them in the boots.

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Dynafit Boot Lacer

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

For those of us with low volume feet, narrow heels or a host of other “non-standard” foot shapes, finding a boot liner that stops your heel lifting can be a problem. WILDSNOW commentator Christian recently posted a link to a Dynafit product that might be the answer. I acquired some, and here is my take.

CAPTION

The lacer is basically a lace up support which tightens over your liner (around the mid foot and ankle) to increase the liner's hold on your foot.

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New Black Diamond Efficient Series — The Backcountry Skiing Boots

by Lou Dawson
written by Lou Dawson

Buy Black Diamond boots.

I’m a ski touring fanatic, so I’ll admit to a bit of disappointment when Black Diamond focused their 2008 AT boot debut on beef boots. But to be fair, this is America, where it seems a lot of skiers need the crutch of big heavy boots so they can get down stuff that Euros would lash into submission on their rando race gear. Or maybe they need huge boots so they can look good leaping off cliffs. If that’s the case, as long as they throw tricks while doing so and film it so I can watch, great.

Yet despite enjoying cliff jumping as viewed from the couch at WildSnow HQ, I’ve yearned for the Einsteinien thinking industrial designers at BD to address the needs of backcountry skiers who enjoy doing more with less. And now they have.

Black Diamond Efficient Series ski boots.

Black Diamond Efficient Series ski boots. From left to right, 'Quadrant' is the stiffest of the bunch and said to be capable of driving larger skis, while saving precious ounces of weight. 'Prime' is the obvious one for me, three buckles and only about an ounce more weight over a major competitor's boot that is bright green. 'Slant' is the budget version of 'Prime.' 'Swift' is female version of 'Prime.'

Today we’ll look at Black Diamond’s. new “Efficient Series” boots. (Note, most of this stuff will not be in retail channel till next fall, but per the usual product launch schedule, it goes public just before or during the Outdoor Retailer show. To make this review worth beans, we’ll try to give you the info you need to decide if you want to hold out for this stuff or go with product that’s already in the pipeline. Feel free to ask for clarification by leaving comments, but be sure to check BD’s own website featuring their Efficient Series.)

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Jordan gets Skookumed

by Jordan White
written by Jordan White

Um, is “skookumed” a verb? No matter. Scarpa worked hard on designing their Skookum backcountry skiing boot as the perfect blend of AT touring comfort with downhill performance. Action makes a verb, so there. This is a “first ski” report, but the Skookums really are looking to be the ticket. Details…

In trying to choose a boot for Denali, I knew I wanted something that was easy to get in and out of in the cold, but also one that was ok on the down. Tounge boots fit the bill for ease of entry, but I’m a skeptic when it comes to such boots’ downhill performance. Skookums may have changed my mind.

Out of the box and on the feet, Skookumed?

Out of the box and on the feet, Skookumed?

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