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Unless you're hunting, it's a terrible idea to pack heat in the backcountry
The first 16-DIN tech binding, the new Beast features a return to center toe piece. As you ski, the binding deflects to absorb shock. Its one of the reasons, safety-wise, alpine-style bindings outperform tech bindings.
Whether youre at the resort or deep in the backcountry, if your boots dont fit properly youre miserable. Not sure about size or which brand fit you best? Consult a fitter. To narrow your choices, match the boot to the binding youre pairing it with.
You now have two choices when it comes to telemark bindings: 75mm (traditional duckbill) and the newer NTN. The former is favored for its simplicity, lower cost, and greater variety of boot choices, but NTN is vastly more powerful and releasable, and its better-suited to driving todays fattest skis.
Dynafit-style tech bindings, like the Radical and the La Sportiva RT, are the only ones that offer a true free pivot, meaning theres no hardware attached to your boot heel or sole. They have fewer moving parts, ice up less, and require 15 percent less energy from you than other bindings.
If its been a while since you bought telemark or alpine touring gear, youll notice that the game has changed quite a bit. Skis that used to be fat are now narrow, almost every new model has some degree of rocker, and Dynafit and Dynafit-style bindings are becoming increasing common at the resort.
Go deeper with our favorite telemark and alpine touring bindings of the year.
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