Dynafits are Fustrating: The sequal!

The "Van Halen" (don't believe me? Google Van Halen Dynafit .) trick works great. I use it all the time. I'm careful with my Comforts, but fairly brutal with my Classics when Van Halening.

My Comforts tend to spin a little more in deep snow than the Classics. I never have trouble with the Classics packing up with snow in the hole either.

Taking off your skins with your skis on saves a lot of Dynafiddling. After becoming proficient in stepping around/over logs, moss, creeks, thornbushes, etc. with skis on, the one legged balance needed to strip a skin isn't real hard.

If I'm in rolling/periodically flat terrain, I tend to Dyna-Tele or resort to the Van Halen if the rolls are too steep for me. Parallel turns aren't terribly hard in Dyna-Tele mode. Keeping your toes locked is requisite, at least for me, when doing this (or almost completely locked - )

You can also do the Van Halen thing by hand without straining the volcano if your DINs are low.

A fun alternate solution to the flats is to simply ski steeper terrain ! .

I was under the impression that the "Van Halen" causes some serious wear and tear on the bindings (inner bushings?) and was therefore great for rando racing (or sponsored skiers), but not recommended for everyday usage. Anyone else hear this?

I often resort to the monster walk, even over gravel and rocks to avoid the whole out-and-back-in process. "Tools, not jewels!"

Thanks for the advice and links. I aleady have Fritschi's and have skied on them for the last four years but I have been perservering with the Dynafits as I like the light weight and admire the engineering.

I do already strip my skins with skis on but still find that when I am with a fast crew who have Fritschi's ( in the winter), my dynafit futzing takes time and causes delays.

It is especially important when you are skiing with a line snake who will steal your freshies while you are dynafutzzing. ( Oh Telemack where are you)

I think after last winter where I used both Fritschi's and Dynafits I have now come to the conclusion , that dynafits( for me) are a spring/summer touring binding and I'm parking them up for the winter henceforce!

Chris, are you still using the comforts or are you having icing problems with the new ST's which have a re-designed climbing post?  I agree with you about the comforts.  They are a bit of a hassel changing climbing post height  and I have found that the extra friction of the brakes has caused the posts to strip their screws and come loose.  Both Sidnie and I have had this problem.  Otherwise, the icing problem has not been too noticable.  Having to step out to return to touring mode is just one of those handicaps  that used to give the telemarkers a chance to catch up, at least until they got free pivot bindings a few years ago.  At least they aren't Dukes which you have to step out of to change both from ski to touring and from touring to ski.  I usually leave the heels free when descending a roll unless it is really steep and/or long. Than you just have to pass the tele skiers with the inherent downhill superiority of a fixed heel and let them catch up while you re- tool to touring mode.  Fritchis are better for any deep snow tours, especially for a gorrilla like you.   Save the weight in the skis (DPS's) Save the dynafits for bagging peaks in the spring.  Just my 2 cents.

I'm using Comforts Michael and maybe the more recent models are better for deep snow.
I agree with your assessment.

The bindings are perfectly functional and all the problems easily fixed by taking a few minutes to clean out volcanoes, die-ice the toe pieces etc , but the dynafuttzing affects my" flow" when on a tour and with the Fritschi's I don't even have to think about them.

I also find that I can rarely keep them in the highest climbing mode for long without them spinning out and therefore spend a lot of time either re-twisting them back into the highest climbing mode or just putting up with a low heel position when climbing.This is inefficient and I think my Fritschi's although heavier actually use less energy as I'm not always bending over to adjust them and compromising on inefficient climbing postions like I am with the Dynafiddlies.

Nuff said.

It is especially important when you are skiing with a line snake who will steal your freshies while you are dynafutzzing. ( Oh Telemack where are you)

Ohh you must be talking about Chugach. :