I am looking to buy backcountry cross country skiing set up for next season. I appreciate these videos and the emphasis on not needing to overthink the gear but work more on skills. thank you!
Thank you for the kind words, Andrew! Yeah, gear's obviously important but knowing how to use it is far more critical :) And there's so much good stuff on the market right now, particularly for backcountry/off-track cross-country skiing, that you can't really go wrong so long as you stick to buying from the major manufacturers in the industry. I've yet to find or hear anyone else talk about the "perfect" set of skis or boots or whatever. The main things for me are that the boots are comfortable, the skis are wide enough to handle the anticipated depth of snow, and the bindings are matched properly to the ski size. Oh, and make sure you buy the skis appropriate for your body weight (try to be within the middle of the ski's intended weight range). I have lots of relevant videos here on UA-cam, as well as articles on my website (Tahoe Trail Guide - links to articles in the descriptions of each video) about xc skiing so keep digging around and feel free to ask me any questions :)
Having lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains for 50 years, now 70 yrs old, and skiing exactly as you promote, I will say that the struggle to find value in the manufacturer's attempting to combine the 3 pin system with a synthetic boot has been dismal. Thankfully I purchased the Scarpa Wasatch leather boot some 10 years ago and found that leather still is so perfect for the higher end needs of the backcountry crosscountry skier. After some 10 years they show absolutely no sign of boot-to-sole deterioration, which has been the impossible challenge for synthetic boots. So my point is, to point out, the one point, you left hanging, your failing 3 pin synthetic. Otherwise I am ecstatic with your promotion of the off trail theme of exploration in the wild. Kudos to you! :)
Thanks for the feedback, Barry! I obviously don't have the longevity in the field that you do, so I'll have to get back to you in a few years to see if my boots hold up over time 😉 I suspect you're right, though, that the materials deteriorate after time and use. Fortunately, I have multiple sets of off-track/backcountry xc ski boots (for different skis and bindings), so I spread out the amount of wear and tear any one pair of boots incurs. One thing that I'm not a fan about for the various synthetic boots I have is all the different features they include. Actually getting in and out of them quickly is not always possible because of the zippered gaitors, laces, and upper ankle cuffs. I'm way more into simple designs like the basic laces of the Alpina Alaska boots, particularly when you have freezing cold/numb fingers and/or you have to get in or out of the boots quickly. Anyway, thanks again for tuning in and for contributing to the conversation. I appreciate it!
Haha. It was about a month after producing this video that I actually started to get my pole timing down for performing Telemark turns. Until then I couldn't quite figure out why I was always so late with the poling. But here's a video from the day that I figured it out and found a nice rhythm (ua-cam.com/video/T_V-qMz8xJ4/v-deo.html). All of that said, I'm actually still learning to do Telemark turns, so I don't quite feel ready to teach them or produce my own video (yet!). I'm hoping by next season I will be in a more confident place to do so, though. In the meantime, the last third of this video features me doing a bunch of Tele turns (ua-cam.com/video/lXdZufcZgNk/v-deo.html), as well as this one toward the end (ua-cam.com/video/kYnWLyYHmZ0/v-deo.html), and this one is filled with them (ua-cam.com/video/ilajLtl3ZOw/v-deo.html). Anyway, thanks so much for tuning in again and for the kind words. I really appreciate the feedback. And you're not the first person to request a Telemark turn video, so it's on my list :)
I’m looking at buying a set of backcountry skis that are narrow enough to fit in classic tracks as well (62-65mm) I want to get NNN BC boots and bindings for them though: if I buy a boot similar to the third boot you show, is there a chance the boots will be too wide for the track? Or is the boot width similar to regular NNN?
Thank so much for watching, and for the question! Any of the NNN BC boots should still work fine in groomed classic tracks. The tracks always taper outward in a way that accommodate the width of a person's boots. Realistically, at the the groomed cross-country ski resort at which I work, we have Salomon Pro-Combi boots in a men's size 16 (US size). They're huge, and they still fit in the tracks. That said, standard classic track skis do have a slightly higher profile than off-track skis which puts the foot/boot higher in the track (i.e. at a wider point near the top of the track). But I still think that you'd be fine with regard to a standard men's size NNN BC boot working fine in the tracks. The main thing I'd keep in mind with running off-track and backcountry xc skis in tracks (even though you're running the skinniest width) is that classic tracks are typically about 70mm wide. So there are times where you might find that going around tighter turns with those 65mm skis could be tricky. Overally, I don't think you'll have much trouble, but it's something to be aware of. Thanks again for tuning in, and for the question. Let me know if you have any others or if you want me to clarify anything that I've said above.
Wondering how the OTX Adventure BC boots are holding up? Looking to use with Fischer Traverse 78 with BC magnum bindings. I saw some at REI that had been returned - broken lace eyelet and peeling exterior skin on toe cap area.
That's interesting feedback about the OTX Adventure boots. Honestly, I've only had them for two seasons now and I don't use them every time I go xc skiing. However, they're holding up great and I don't see any obvious wear and tear that would lead me to believe that they're about to fail. That doesn't mean they won't, but everything looks good at this point!
@@JaredManninen thanks Jared. That is reassuring. . .thanks for responding to my same comment/ question in your most recent post also. I was not sure if you would still be checking this one . I think the person who used the pair at REI may have been quite hard on them - they were also the biggest xc ski boots I had ever seen.
No prob! Damn, that is a big boot 😆 Who knows if the person was hard on them or just not that good of a skier and, for example, took a hard fall 🤷 At the rental shop that I work at, I've seen some of our xc skis completely shattered after larger guys fell on them while skiing. Sometimes it's mind boggling how bad gear can break from one wrong move.
Hey Grant, I really couldn't say. It seems like it's not quite the threat that out once was. But at the same time, I actually had it (for the first time) two weeks ago. I got it from my roommate, but none of the people whom she had interactions with had symptoms (i.e. didn't know where she got it). So it's still out there. My experience was pretty minimal in that it lasted a little over a week and mostly felt like a cold. Regardless, I think it's worth being conscious about our activity.
I am looking to buy backcountry cross country skiing set up for next season. I appreciate these videos and the emphasis on not needing to overthink the gear but work more on skills. thank you!
Thank you for the kind words, Andrew!
Yeah, gear's obviously important but knowing how to use it is far more critical :) And there's so much good stuff on the market right now, particularly for backcountry/off-track cross-country skiing, that you can't really go wrong so long as you stick to buying from the major manufacturers in the industry.
I've yet to find or hear anyone else talk about the "perfect" set of skis or boots or whatever. The main things for me are that the boots are comfortable, the skis are wide enough to handle the anticipated depth of snow, and the bindings are matched properly to the ski size. Oh, and make sure you buy the skis appropriate for your body weight (try to be within the middle of the ski's intended weight range).
I have lots of relevant videos here on UA-cam, as well as articles on my website (Tahoe Trail Guide - links to articles in the descriptions of each video) about xc skiing so keep digging around and feel free to ask me any questions :)
Amen! Comfort is so critical. Thanks so much!!
You're welcome, Robert! Thanks for tuning in and commenting :)
Having lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains for 50 years, now 70 yrs old, and skiing exactly as you promote, I will say that the struggle to find value in the manufacturer's attempting to combine the 3 pin system with a synthetic boot has been dismal. Thankfully I purchased the Scarpa Wasatch leather boot some 10 years ago and found that leather still is so perfect for the higher end needs of the backcountry crosscountry skier. After some 10 years they show absolutely no sign of boot-to-sole deterioration, which has been the impossible challenge for synthetic boots. So my point is, to point out, the one point, you left hanging, your failing 3 pin synthetic. Otherwise I am ecstatic with your promotion of the off trail theme of exploration in the wild. Kudos to you! :)
Thanks for the feedback, Barry!
I obviously don't have the longevity in the field that you do, so I'll have to get back to you in a few years to see if my boots hold up over time 😉 I suspect you're right, though, that the materials deteriorate after time and use. Fortunately, I have multiple sets of off-track/backcountry xc ski boots (for different skis and bindings), so I spread out the amount of wear and tear any one pair of boots incurs.
One thing that I'm not a fan about for the various synthetic boots I have is all the different features they include. Actually getting in and out of them quickly is not always possible because of the zippered gaitors, laces, and upper ankle cuffs. I'm way more into simple designs like the basic laces of the Alpina Alaska boots, particularly when you have freezing cold/numb fingers and/or you have to get in or out of the boots quickly.
Anyway, thanks again for tuning in and for contributing to the conversation. I appreciate it!
Please teach us those telemark turns! I'm so impressed you did them in those floppy boots.
Haha. It was about a month after producing this video that I actually started to get my pole timing down for performing Telemark turns. Until then I couldn't quite figure out why I was always so late with the poling. But here's a video from the day that I figured it out and found a nice rhythm (ua-cam.com/video/T_V-qMz8xJ4/v-deo.html).
All of that said, I'm actually still learning to do Telemark turns, so I don't quite feel ready to teach them or produce my own video (yet!). I'm hoping by next season I will be in a more confident place to do so, though.
In the meantime, the last third of this video features me doing a bunch of Tele turns (ua-cam.com/video/lXdZufcZgNk/v-deo.html), as well as this one toward the end (ua-cam.com/video/kYnWLyYHmZ0/v-deo.html), and this one is filled with them (ua-cam.com/video/ilajLtl3ZOw/v-deo.html).
Anyway, thanks so much for tuning in again and for the kind words. I really appreciate the feedback. And you're not the first person to request a Telemark turn video, so it's on my list :)
@@JaredManninen Thanks for reply and your honesty. In the mean time, I'll just admire the visual telemark ASMR, if that's a thing 😂
@@newttella1043 Fair enough! Thanks so much for tuning in 🤗
I’m looking at buying a set of backcountry skis that are narrow enough to fit in classic tracks as well (62-65mm) I want to get NNN BC boots and bindings for them though: if I buy a boot similar to the third boot you show, is there a chance the boots will be too wide for the track? Or is the boot width similar to regular NNN?
Thank so much for watching, and for the question!
Any of the NNN BC boots should still work fine in groomed classic tracks. The tracks always taper outward in a way that accommodate the width of a person's boots. Realistically, at the the groomed cross-country ski resort at which I work, we have Salomon Pro-Combi boots in a men's size 16 (US size). They're huge, and they still fit in the tracks. That said, standard classic track skis do have a slightly higher profile than off-track skis which puts the foot/boot higher in the track (i.e. at a wider point near the top of the track). But I still think that you'd be fine with regard to a standard men's size NNN BC boot working fine in the tracks.
The main thing I'd keep in mind with running off-track and backcountry xc skis in tracks (even though you're running the skinniest width) is that classic tracks are typically about 70mm wide. So there are times where you might find that going around tighter turns with those 65mm skis could be tricky. Overally, I don't think you'll have much trouble, but it's something to be aware of.
Thanks again for tuning in, and for the question. Let me know if you have any others or if you want me to clarify anything that I've said above.
Wondering how the OTX Adventure BC boots are holding up? Looking to use with Fischer Traverse 78 with BC magnum bindings. I saw some at REI that had been returned - broken lace eyelet and peeling exterior skin on toe cap area.
That's interesting feedback about the OTX Adventure boots. Honestly, I've only had them for two seasons now and I don't use them every time I go xc skiing. However, they're holding up great and I don't see any obvious wear and tear that would lead me to believe that they're about to fail. That doesn't mean they won't, but everything looks good at this point!
@@JaredManninen thanks Jared. That is reassuring. . .thanks for responding to my same comment/ question in your most recent post also. I was not sure if you would still be checking this one . I think the person who used the pair at REI may have been quite hard on them - they were also the biggest xc ski boots I had ever seen.
No prob! Damn, that is a big boot 😆 Who knows if the person was hard on them or just not that good of a skier and, for example, took a hard fall 🤷 At the rental shop that I work at, I've seen some of our xc skis completely shattered after larger guys fell on them while skiing. Sometimes it's mind boggling how bad gear can break from one wrong move.
Need to ask is the Covid surge of 21 abating?
Hey Grant,
I really couldn't say. It seems like it's not quite the threat that out once was. But at the same time, I actually had it (for the first time) two weeks ago. I got it from my roommate, but none of the people whom she had interactions with had symptoms (i.e. didn't know where she got it). So it's still out there.
My experience was pretty minimal in that it lasted a little over a week and mostly felt like a cold. Regardless, I think it's worth being conscious about our activity.