I'm new.  Need help with gear selection.

Howdy. I've been reading the posts on this website as a visitor for quite some time and I've learned a ton. Now I need a little advice on gear for backcountry skiing. I'm an avid backpacker from the Portland, OR area and have been alpine skiing for 15 years. I've snowshoed for the past 5 years and hate the fact that I have to plunge-step my way down steep & open hillsides when I could be carving turns instead.<br><br>So, I was wondering what type of backcountry gear setup you might recommend. NNN BC bindings or 3 pin? Any particular boots that I should avoid? I'll be using the skis generally for off-trail adventures, with the idea that I'll be able to carve a few turns when the opportunity presents itself.<br><br>Thank you in advance for your assistance! Hopefully I'll see you on the trail this winter. Trip reports will follow...

If you have been snowshoing for five years, I assume that you already have your avi gear, right? In that case, all you need to buy to get started are some AT bindings and a pair of skins.<br><br>There is no need to start over with your skiing skills. Get some Fritche AT bindings and put them on any skies you have -- preference for light, soft and fat. Your present ski boots will do just fine for a few trips, allowing you time to get a better idea of just what skis and boots you want to end up with.<br><br>For your expressed ideas, you will probably end up on Dynafit bindings, Scarpa F-1 boots and carbon fiber skis. Super light, and more than serviceable for turns. But you have years to work up to the ideal setup -- buy skins and bindings now and get going.<br><br>Uh -- you do have your avi gear, right?

What Tim said. Unless you have an itch to learn a new sport (ie. telemarking), just get some Fritschis or Silvrettas and skins, and away you go.