Help with my ski selection please

I agree with Pete. Fat is the new skinny. 100mm underfoot is a good all-rounder.
That being said, skinny assed retro sticks are cheaper and easier to come by if you're on a budget.
I wouldn't pay much more than $1/mm under 95 for used skis, but if you're used to only riding lifts, whatever gets you into the backcountry will be worth every penny.
BTW, if you already have lift skis that you like, you could just mount AT binders on them, or just to get started, some Alpine Trekkers and skins.
Good luck.

I really wouldn't agonize over this stuff. Just go buy a cheap setup, and use the money saved to go take an AIARE level 1 or Backcountry ski course through a guide service or Mountaineers club. Use the setup a bunch, wear stuff out, become a better skier and backcountry traveler. Work your butt off next summer and buy the uber setup of your dreams.

My first backcountry setup was a pair of cheap k2 escape 4200s (70mm waist), with Fritschi titanal 3 bindings and 2 sizes too big Garmot GSM boots. Guess what? Maybe I didn't have the best gear, but it was cheap, got me in the backcountry and when I had the money saved up I knew exactly what I wanted to buy.

Seems like the trend these days for people getting into backcountry skiing is to run out and buy the biggest and burliest or lightest and geekiest right away. Not to say that stuff is bad, just don't jump the gun. Backcountry skiing is 50% up and 50% down, and the narrow stuff is much nicer to climb with, the big stuff nicer for the down. Balancing those two things is key.

That being said, if i was in your shoes: I'd gravitate toward an 80-90mm wide, 170-175cm long ski, would probably stay away from dynafit bindings for the time being, and go with a decently light 3-4 buckle boot tongue boot- Scarpa Spirit, dynafit Zzero, Garmont Megaride/G-ride/Dynamite, etc. Should be a versatile rig, with minimal fiddle factor and be had fairly cheap.

If you have to spend more on an item, make it the boots. Dynafit boot fittings keep your options open. A relatively good fit keeps you happy. Relatively light-ish makes you fast.

I try to buy bindings on sale, usually in the Spring.

Cheap skis can be found lots of places. Any ski will take you skiing. 75+mm underfoot will get you in the snow and happy, ~85+ will help you float atop the mank, 95-100+ lets you surf the glop. If you own skis and bindings, upgrading your skis later will be easy.

Picked up the waybacks today.. real nice shape, sticky skins too. Even a fresh coat of wax, no core shos
Now I need some boots. I wear 28 size usually.

Thanks for all the advice. Id rather not waste money on something that is only going to last a short while.
Im glad I got the dynafits, these are SO much lighter tyhan the fritschi setup I tried last year.

Snow is coming...
As of yesterday..

eagerly awaiting these from K-root...
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=17758.0;id=9467;image


sun in the forecast for Tuesday....

whats the quick and dirty place to try these out.. North of Hwy2?

Heliotrope?

they shipped tonight and should be there no later than tuesday -hope these work!
that will be awesome if they arrive during the high pressure-fingers crossed for ya

If they do you'll be a touring machine

nice job on getting your setup